Canada, Greenland, Mexico, etc - USA Tariffs / Trade War commencing March 2025 #4

[Mo Thuairim]

I read elsewhere that both Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk are reducing production of insulin in order to increase production to their obesity injectables. This is on the basis that tackling obesity will reduce the incidence of Type II diabetes as well as treating other conditions that go hand in hand with obesity such as hypotension, high cholesterol, inflamatory liver conditions etc. Obviously the injectables are more expensive than insulin, but in most developed countries with state-run health services their cost can probably be justified. Presumably in the longer term, insulin supplies will still be available where they are the appropriate option.

Here in the UK, the NHS plans to make injectables available to everyone who will benefit from them but this will take quite a few years, not least because of supply issues. I would expect the NHS to be able to negotiate very price-advantageous contracts which may make it a cheaper option than prescribing half a dozen other drugs to deal with a whole raft of individual health conditions. Sort out the obesity and other problems will largely sort themselves out.

Liraglutide's (Saxenda/Victoza) patents have already expired so it's only a matter of time before more affordable generics will be available to the NHS etc. Then it will be generic semaglutides (Ozempic, Wegovy et al).

When Will Liraglutide Be Generic? | Unbranded Saxenda

Liraglutide is available as brands Saxenda & Victoza at the moment, but there are questions as to when will liraglutide be generic. Read more.

my-bmi.ie

 

[SouthAussie]

Yes I was definitely thinking about that earlier. Of course if you have tariffs, the next things that happens is a booming black market.

Also how easy would it be to cheat with paying the import duties? How can they check all that? That's billions of goods all over all the borders. For example just off the top of my head here, I can think of a way to cheat. International companies could start a club. Kind of like Sam's club. And the American companies pay them money to be a member. Then the international company charges only 50 percent for the order, the American pays 25% to the government, which in reality is only a 12% tariff, and then the American company pays 50% directly to the international company, for the quote membership. There are many ways to work around this.

I think there is no doubt that the black market will thrive. imo

 

[Mo Thuairim]

I have been wondering if some of these companies feel FORCED to put some manufacturing in the US, if they will split their operations.

Sort of like the China+1 strategy that has been going on for a few years now. Have some manufacturing in the US (enough to satisfy that market) and some elsewhere. Maybe a US+1 strategy.

Because no-one else is going to want to pay US tariffs for their pharmaceuticals.

China+1 Strategy: Diversifying Manufacturing Beyond China

Discover how China+1 strategy helps businesses diversify their manufacturing operations, reduce supply chain risks & explore alternative markets beyond China.

china.acclime.com

AbbVie/Allergan might have to think about producing some Botox in the US soon (otherwise, god forbid, wrinkles). Right now the global supply is made in Westport, Co. Mayo.

 

[MelmothTheLost]

Liraglutide's (Saxenda/Victoza) patents have already expired so it's only a matter of time before more affordable generics will be available to the NHS etc. Then it will be generic semaglutides (Ozempic, Wegovy et al).

When Will Liraglutide Be Generic? | Unbranded Saxenda

Liraglutide is available as brands Saxenda & Victoza at the moment, but there are questions as to when will liraglutide be generic. Read more.

my-bmi.ie

Meanwhile, further research will be going on into the next generation of drugs. I don't know about Ireland, but the UK has a very thriving and competitive movement of registered and legitimate online pharmacies providing the existing drugs on a private basis.

Apparently in the US obtaining Mounjaro privately runs at $1,000 to $1,200 per month.

Buy Drugs & Insulin Online From Canada | OverTheBorderMeds

Securely buy Drugs and Insulin online From Canada with OverTheBorderMeds. Affordable prices, reliable service.Get your essential meds delivered fast!

overthebordermeds.com

In the UK it is between £120 and £200 ($150 - $250).

Monj - Pharmacy Info | All Discounts List

Monj - Unbiased Pharmacy Info (Discount Cost) List

monj.co.uk

 

[Sarahlou]

China retaliates with an 84% tariff on US imports, to take effect on Thursday, after accusing the White House of "bullying practices"

Trump tariffs live updates: China to impose additional tariffs of 84% on US goods in response to Trump tariffs

 

[SouthAussie]

Everyone will be able to rush to the US soon and open up polluting factories.

Trump issues order to block state climate change policies

Trump specifically cited laws in New York and Vermont that fine fossil fuel companies for their contribution to climate change, California’s cap-and-trade policy, and lawsuits by states that have sought to hold energy companies accountable for their role in global heating.

 

[SouthAussie]

(ETA: Sorry, I just saw @Sarahlou posted this into above)

"China will impose 84% tariffs on US goods from Thursday, up from the 34% previously announced, the finance ministry said on Wednesday."

Trump officials to appeal court ruling lifting White House ban on Associated Press – as it happened

Court filing reported by Reuters shows White House appealing against judge’s order to restore full access to the AP

www.theguardian.com

 

[Betty P]

The CEO's of major companies must be making a lot of phone calls to their Senators and Representatives.

Imaging switching all your manufacturing to Vietnam, or Cambodia, or Sri Lanka , or Indonesia to bypass China and cooperate with the current administration's issues with Chinese trade relations. Then, without any logic or advice, having all the rug pulled out from under your feet when your new manufacturing now has equal or even worse tariffs.

These kinds of companies cannot turn on a dime. They must be beyond furious about the implications for decreased profits which are going to require firing US workers and their support system.

And if you think corporations are big and bad, remember that your pension funds, 401K or IRA is likely invested in these US companies and you don't have to be active in the stock markets to be showing huge drops in the amount of money you thought you had put away for retirement.

The outcome is increasing prices, job losses, inflation, and devaluing your savings.

Stagflation is gonna be really ugly

Well, they got the POTUS they paid for, so I have little sympathy for them. Those being hurt most are average Americans, working class people trying to keep food on the table and a roof over their heads.

 

[MelmothTheLost]

AbbVie/Allergan might have to think about producing some Botox in the US soon (otherwise, god forbid, wrinkles). Right now the global supply is made in Westport, Co. Mayo.

I can hear the screams in Hollywood from the UK.

Now there's a thought - what if the manufacturer decided not to supply botox to the US?

 

[nhmemorymaker]

Well, they got the POTUS they paid for, so I have little sympathy for them. Those being hurt most are average Americans, working class people trying to keep food on the table and a roof over their heads.

And all those average working class Americans who voted for him will support his sheetzola.
All we can hope for is the midterms......... but too much will happen in the meanwhile...

 

[SouthAussie]

And all those average working class Americans who voted for him will support his sheetzola.
All we can hope for is the midterms......... but too much will happen in the meanwhile...

Every single day it is something else. In the latest articles he has signed an exec order to allow pollution, cut funds to Cornell and Northwestern, is looking at cutting funds for Brown, Columbia, Harvard, Princeton and the University of Pennsylvania ....

He wants to stop the protests against everything he is doing.

Next he will enact the Insurrection Act so they can pull protesters off the streets. imo

Trump officials to appeal court ruling lifting White House ban on Associated Press – as it happened

Court filing reported by Reuters shows White House appealing against judge’s order to restore full access to the AP

www.theguardian.com

 

[Mo Thuairim]

I can hear the screams in Hollywood from the UK.

Now there's a thought - what if the manufacturer decided not to supply botox to the US?

Oh they will continue to supply it. The US is by far the biggest market for Botox. It just might get more expensive for a while.

 

[SouthAussie]

Well, they got the POTUS they paid for, so I have little sympathy for them. Those being hurt most are average Americans, working class people trying to keep food on the table and a roof over their heads.

There is still that segment that think that what he is doing he is the tops. When they are paying their extra $1,900 in taxes they will likely be blaming Canada or China or someone else. imo


“Make America great again,” said Justin Godwin, an electrical contractor in Ocala, Florida, just south of Gainesville. “We are not the world police, nor are we the global providers of welfare.”

Kim Roberts Rogel, a retiree in Lakeland, Florida, added: “Go, Trump. He’s a businessman and knows exactly what he is doing.”

Samantha Gore, a stay-at-home mom in Interlachen, Florida, just west of Gainesville, repeated a claim from Trump that Canada has 250% tariffs on some products ... “Why is it OK for the rest of the world to charge us, but when we start doing the same, everyone has a fit? .....

Grocery prices in Florida are among the highest in the US, ranking fifth out of 50 states in a 2024 analysis of US Census Bureau data.

‘Go Trump’: some Florida shoppers back tariffs – but others are worried

Some Gainesville voters remain loyal to the president, while others cut back on buying and business owners hike prices

www.theguardian.com

 

[detective.moon]

President Donald Trump’s economic advisers are becoming a team of rivals when it comes to advancing his market-breaking tariffs.

Ask Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, White House trade adviser Peter Navarro, and National Economic Council director Kevin Hassett about negotiating on tariffs, for example — and you’ll hear four different answers.

After Lutnick insisted on CNN that Trump is “not going to back off,” Navarro argued in the Financial Times that “this is not a negotiation.” Shortly after that, Bessent announced on X that he would “open negotiations” with Japan and Hassett told Fox News that advisers would “present a plan for Trump” on negotiating tariffs.

The mixed messages point to fundamental disagreements within the administration about how to address trade deficits, according to more than a dozen lawmakers, lobbyists and analysts interviewed for this story. Trump’s advisers sound united behind the spirit of his trade agenda but far less aligned on its execution — differences driven by both personality and ideology.

‘Team tariff’ vs ‘team econ’: Trump’s top advisers at odds as markets shake

The discord is sharpest when it comes to negotiating. Lawmakers and CEOs may be learning only the president can be a reliable narrator.

www.semafor.com

 

[detective.moon]

how america’s biggest trading partners are responding to tariffs

🟡 Semafor Business: So far, so bad | Semafor

In today’s edition, countries choose their tariff responses: fight, cave, or wait and see. Plus, the White House quells a Republican uprising, and the billionaire backlash begins.

www.semafor.com

 

[TootsieFootsie]

https://www.wsj.com/opinion/trump-is-trashing-americas-global-good-name-foreign-policy-tariffs-trade-economy-b2d63350

Trump Is Trashing America’s Reputation​

 

[sds71]

The European Union on Wednesday voted to approve its first set of retaliatory measures to counter tariffs imposed by the U.S. on steel and aluminum.

The European Commission, the bloc’s executive arm, said duties would start being collected from April 15. The response package was unveiled last month targeting a range of goods.


The 27-nation bloc had warned it would act to protect European business and consumers after U.S. President Donald Trump imposed 25% duties on the metals.

“The EU considers US tariffs unjustified and damaging, causing economic harm to both sides, as well as the global economy. The EU has stated its clear preference to find negotiated outcomes with the US, which would be balanced and mutually beneficial,” the European Commission said.

The EU also faces tariffs of 20% on almost all its U.S. imports, as part of Trump’s targeting of over 180 countries and territories, as announced by the White House leader on April 2.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at the time said the EU was ready to retaliate unless negotiations with the U.S. administration were successful.

“We are prepared to respond,” she said, adding that the EU was preparing for further countermeasures to protect its interests and businesses. But, von der Leyen also called for talks with the U.S., saying it was “not too late to address concerns through negotiations.”

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/04/09/european-union-approves-first-set-of-retaliatory-tariffs-on-us-imports.html

 

[Yellowbelly]

China retaliates with an 84% tariff on US imports, to take effect on Thursday, after accusing the White House of "bullying practices"

Trump tariffs live updates: China to impose additional tariffs of 84% on US goods in response to Trump tariffs

Aren't we getting towards a point where trade in goods between China and the USA is pretty much impossible.

 

[Yellowbelly]

Every single day it is something else. In the latest articles he has signed an exec order to allow pollution, cut funds to Cornell and Northwestern, is looking at cutting funds for Brown, Columbia, Harvard, Princeton and the University of Pennsylvania ....

He wants to stop the protests against everything he is doing.

Next he will enact the Insurrection Act so they can pull protesters off the streets. imo

Trump officials to appeal court ruling lifting White House ban on Associated Press – as it happened

Court filing reported by Reuters shows White House appealing against judge’s order to restore full access to the AP

www.theguardian.com

How much of all this is actually constitutional?

 

[IzzyBlanche]

Billionaires Speak Out Against Trump’s Tariffs: ‘Huge Policy Mistake’

Elon Musk - Tesla CEO
Ken Griffin - the Citadel founder
Jamie Dimon - JPMorganChase CEO
Bill Ackman - hedge fund manager
Daniel Loeb - hedge fund manager
Larry Fink - BlackRock CEO
Joe Lonsdale - Palantir cofounder
Ken Langone - Home Depot cofounder
Ray Dalio - runs the world’s biggest hedge fund firm, Bridgewater Associates
Stanley Druckenmiller - hedge fund manager
Ken Fisher - Fisher Investments chairman

Other GOP supporters speaking out:
Kimbal Musk - Tesla shareholder
Dave Portnoy - Barstool Sports owner
Joe Rogan - podcaster
Ben Shapiro - conservative commentator
Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C
Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky

Hmmm, I wonder whom they supported for president.

Something something leopards faces.