Total LIES, as usual. It's always been amazing, and sad, that so many people believed his lies at the beginning. The fact that they still believe his lies, no matter how outrageous, is now pathetic.
1
The Kremlin must be all smiles as it watches the US destroy itself.
17
The negative affects that Trump has on the world economy is now going to be without any checks or balances from the WTO. Trump didn’t like what they were saying about his policies affecting world markets so he placed a block on WTO judges which creates a ‘doomsday scenario’ for world trade disputes. The World Trade Organisation’s appeals body will be paralysed in December with Trump blocking crucial reappointments of judges. Analysts say this may mean international trade disputes may never see resolution, leading to ‘chaos’ and damage to the global economy.
Trump is a world wide security risk.
https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3038697/donald-trumps-block-wto-judges-creates-doomsday-scenario
9
Trump is like a spoiled kid in a very large toy store. He hasn't a clue what he is doing, but knows mammy and daddy won't stop him, and that he doesn't have to pay for anything he damages.
8
Why is the president imposing tariffs, when under the Constitution the Congress is responsible “to lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises” and “To regulate Commerce with foreign nations...” under Article 1, Section 8.
8
He's manipulating the markets.Another crime.Never has there been a more evil man.
12
It just comes down to a simple fact: we have turned immense power over the American and world economy to somebody who is both unintelligent and deranged. And we are paying the price, both literally out of our pocketbooks and figuratively in our decreased national security. Because our economic stability is tied to the world's, and our national security is tied ultimately to our economic security.
Republicans in the Senate stop this madness: remove Donald J. Trump from office before he "disrupts" the whole world.
14
Can we just impose massive tariffs on "trump"?
5
It's both ironic and laughable to see Trump trying to counter the unintended but predictable affects from his tariffs and multiple trade wars. Trump imposed tariffs on Chinese imports. China stopped buying American agricultural goods and started buying from Brazil and Argentina while Trump spending billions of taxpayers' dollars subsidizing big and small American farmers. Trump is now reimposing tariffs on metal imported from Brazil and Argentina because these two countries are selling much more of their agricultural products to China.
So much for "trade wars are easy to win" and "tariff man."
8
With the reservation that I don't have complete information, I believe the president's actions are entirely unfounded.
Because Brazil has been getting its economic house in order, at least according to the precepts of neoclassical economics, it's gained room to lower its benchmark interest rate throughout 2019. Any country would need to get its rates down from where Brazil's were. The prior rates were seriously impeding economic growth.
But one consequence of lowering interest rates is that the currency devalues. This is true for any country. The one goes with the other, and it's not a currency manipulation to accept the inevitable.
As for Argentina, it's an economic basket case. The writer plausibly notes that it's "close to running out of ... foreign exchange" because of failing efforts to stabilize the peso. Perhaps it's giving up because it has no choice, but that's not manipulation.
By themselves, actions like this warrant the defeat of President Trump in 2020, even if only by another Republican. But it's Congress's fault too. The law gives any president too much power to impose tariffs if he or she doesn't know what he or she is doing. Congress must restrain a president's excessive authority by passing veto-proof remedial legislation.
10
I'm sure American manufacturers who have secured alternative sources of metals after Trump made Chinese and other sources unworkable, are thrilled at this news.
How much more of this can we survive?
6
Trump must be the worst Wharton's alumnus.
He obviously learned nothing there.
I wonder how he graduated.
7
@RED: Trump was a Penn undergrad, not a Wharton MBA, not that I concur with the belief that an MBA can manage anything.
3
Now even the "Right" in Brazil understands the "alignment" with the U.S., especially the Trum administration is totally futil. The only "benefit" Brazilians got: "Associate" with NATO ! Just recently almost all the "Generals" have withdrawn from their positions in the Bolsonaro presidency. Bolsonaro now exlusively relies on his "guru" the "mystic" Olavo de Carvalho and "Chicago School of Economics" grad Guedes.
All roads lead to Russia. With sanctions on Argentina and Brazil, Russia benefits again. Simple. When will everyone wake up that Traitor is a Russian puppet. Everything he does benefits himself and Russia.
13
Watch Trump crash every economy on Earth.
5
If the Tariff War fails with China, why not try it with other countries. Great Job, Donnie!
2
What does Trump prove by disrupting all these other economies while running a deficit spending binge in the US?
2
Argentina has had 50 consecutive years of trade deficit with the US and still have. Trump, with this kind of decisions, is putting Argentina and Brazil in the hands of China. Increase tariffs on Argentine goods makes no sense, except perhaps as a populist move in order to get some more votes on the corn belt states
7
If the US can arbitrarily break up treaties, then trust, the currency of international relations and global security, is gone. Is this Trump’s counter strategy to impeachment? Is this the beginning of a string of yet more Trump shenanigans ? Is there a made up war in the horizon? Are we going the way of Bolivia where Congress can’t control the Executive branch and the military has to step in?
58
@Ted: Trump doesn't understand that immortal corporations make commitments that mortal humans are expected to meet.
3
@Ted: Trump throws sand in people's faces like a gopher digging a hole.
5
Trump's Tariffs have turned out to be an attention-getting device that he adjusts or threatens with weekly. It's always good for a front page headline, which is his primary purpose. Aside from hurting agriculture and some industries he has added no new net manufacturing jobs. Among his major victims are Midwestern farmers. China has been able to shift soybean import sourcing to Brazil and Argentina. U.S. farmers have effectively lost the China soybean export market for the foreseeable future.
While Trump's Tariffs have always been suspect as a means of recovering high paying jobs and industries lost 20 years ago, he has been extremely timid about using tariffs, not assessing or delivering much except some political performance art and some new tariff-taxes on the American public.
The bottom line is, China, Europe and most others know Trump's rope-a-dope game by now and will not be bullied by him. They simply roll their eyes, and in China's case, proceed with moving on and getting even when appropriate. Trump will be history in 1-5 years. China will not apply U.S. intellectual property laws. To do so would be a submission to Western power and a re-visitation of 200 years of Western humiliations, Hong Kong being a prominent example.
32
@Shillingfarmer you’re on point except for the last part. It is in China’s interest to reform IP laws because “they” are - slowly but surely - catching up in the number of patents being issued. The sticky point in the so-called trade negotiations are still tariffs, which China wants to roll back as price for their concession on IP, and Trump has refused to roll back for fear of appearing soft. The riots in, and the subsequent bill about Hong Kong did not help either.
2
Mr. Trump is again imposing more taxes that will fall heavily on our middle class and the poor. Seems to me that’s the long and short of it.
47
@Pete
Well, it does not seem to have hurt his popularity so far. If his policies made 50% of registered republicans homeless they would STILL vote for him.
24
@AR Its the racism, sexism and military cards that the Republican voters play. Besides to the average Republican voter, anything that hurts them is caused by the Democrats. If because of tariffs, the Asian countries quit buying American rice and soybeans, then it is obviously the Democrats' fault. Or maybe women, or gays, or racial minorities, or people with a college education. It is never the Republicans fault.
26
@Jeff
Correct.
5
So, it seems likely that this is an attempt by Trump to garner increased support from various groups of Steel workers and more support from the rust belt.
Many groups and unions in that region see tariffs as a form of support for them, even though these policies remain ineffective and have previously actually undermined efforts to create jobs in America.
By creating the appearance of external conflicts the internal problem seems that are eroding the steel, auto, and manufacturing sectors will not be addressed in any way.
It also creates animosity towards the US so that ther is less demand in general for American products.
The Rust Belt is a region that is essential for a presidential election to be won. If Democrats would like to win the next election, they need to be finding ways to create their own successful strategies in this regard, and counter Trump with programs that are viable and productive.
28
Gee, we haven't had a good ol' fashioned Great Recession for 10 years.
President Trump generates so much excitement.
5
Everything he does is on a whim. He just can't comprehend all the devastating damage he continuous to do on a daily basis. Of course he won't take advise because as he has told us, he is a stable genius. Hopefully those naive supporters who are hurting now regret wasting their vote.
3
Can we at least hire some of those protesters in Hong Kong to come over here and make noise? Which is to suggest the apathy of our own citizens with what Trump persists in throwing around in his personal war of destruction and waste apparently has no limits and makes all of our citizens and institutions (government and private) mere footnotes to a dismal history.
5
"...suggested that neither previous agreements nor political alliances would guarantee insulation from Mr. Trump’s trade wars..."
So why bother at all having any agreements or contracts?
2
American economists are criticizing the latest tariffs that the President is proposing, but not to worry, because Donald Trump always has Russia's best interest in mind when he conducts foreign policy.
8
Trump points his finger, like he’s using a divining rod in a desert, in all his failing policies. It’s always been one step forward, two back.
4
Trump is reckless and ignorant. He is determined to ruin the great economy he inherited from President Obama. Trump doesn’t have a “strategy” for any of his actions.
6
Go, Trump, Go!! If these countries abuse the previous agreements, the President should break them!
@J. G. Smith Except that they haven't abused any previous agreements.
3
Nice. Now Trump is bullying vulnerable countries in South America. Those people will suffer. The environment will suffer. US farmers will still suffer. Good job Mister Trump.
7
Wow, in his pictures he looks worse and worse every day. Kind of gives one a warm feeling of comfort and hope.
14
The United States has no remorse when it comes to repudiating contracts and agreements. These repudiation occurs as often at the bureaucratic administration level as it does by the executive branch. Accordingly, it is wrong to single out President Trump for actions that are not only have historic precedence, but have become all but routine. These actions have destroyed US credibility across the globe as well as within our borders.
2
Each day, our Invisible Hand President, proves that his hand is very small.
6
Why is United States one of the most hated countries in the world according to the BBC polls in 2017, that is even hated amongst it's NATO fellow members? Why do Americans have problem with China's flourishment and copying of patents which China did from a highly successful and developed country of 300 million and used that to lift over 1 billion people out of poverty? Why does America spends trillions of dollars on military, and arms other dangerous countries by of course selling them weapons? History repeats itself and everything America has been doing is analogous to what British empire did and even America's justification for chaos they caused over decades, by starting cold war and starting trade war with china, is eerily similar to British empire's justification for their actions. America is the latest case study on how powerful and rich flex their power on poor and oppresses them and then are daring enough to claim that they are peacekeepers and messiah of this world.
If Trump was such a genius about economics then why isn’t he the richest man in the world? That is how he measures success right?
3
The tariffs exist under the pretense that they are for national security purposes. That is the law under which they were put in place. This story is just more evidence of the fact that the Trump administration simply lies whenever it feels like doing something it doesn’t have the authority to do. They appear to be so incompetent that they forgot what their pretense was and came out with the real reason here.
5
Same negative commentators have been predicting economic doom and recession since November 2016.
Just like other “economic commentators (sic)” claim that economic progress from 2009 to 2016 was dismal?
4
Some people are wondering how much money Trump is doing by trading stocks before announcing his policies, which is illegal except for the fact that whatever this president does cannot be illegal (if the previous Muslim and Socialist one had done it, in all fairness, it would be different)
These people have an easy way to make money in a legal way: just watch Fox News and you will know at the same time than Trump what he will think next. After that, it is just a matter of doing a quick trading operation.
1
This from a fake news President who built his towers with Chinese Steel...
7
Am I the only person who has noticed the dramatic increase by in prices? A simple convection oven priced at $300 two years ago is now $750. Food prices, construction materials be increased by 2-3 fold. And now be more tariffs to harm the people of Venezuela and Europe. His lifetime aim - to destroy.
8
Congress should not delegate such power to the executive branch. Tariffs should only be decided or changed by Act of Congress.
Take it back.
8
Steel and Aluminium are commodities. Their prices are nominated in USD by the global markets. The currency manipulation claim does not make much sense in this case. So, what would be it then?
2
Who is steering Trump to make these decisions?
The man can barely manage ordering his breakfast from the menu, let alone manage trade.
Of course, Brazil is China's go-to for soy beans.
Mean while, USA Soy beans is Trump's Socialist project.
Trump's sole response to any push back is to impose a tariff.
To paraphrase Elijah Cummings ... We are better than that.
8
Any time trump says "X will be very happy" -
X better prepare for life to become vastly more miserable than it had been previously.
The only people "happy" with the trump trade war are people that get upset when reality bursts into their bubbles, and have no idea how the economy actually works.
7
No country in its right mind will make a trade agreement with us until Trump is gone. Note what has been going on with China.
12
I didn't realize farmers raised aluminum and steel.
8
Another Golden Throne moment from Our Dear leader. Could the explanation be as simply as someone squeezed the Charmin or failed to stock more Preparation H?
5
In July, Jair Bolsonaro heard Trump's call for trade sanctions against Iran, thus a Brazilian trade partner found its ships stuck in Brazilian ports as Brazil refused to refuel the ships.
I remember thinking to myself, "Jair, don't you know that The Donald can't be trusted?" He looked like a flunky doing Trump's bidding. Where have we seen this before?
4
Mr Trumps War. OK Mr Trump............lets abandon free trade at the drop of a hat and see where that goes........lets give up on trying to be an example to being a
wild card
and then.............
2
ANYTHING to try and distract the focus from massive criminality and collusion with Russia to undermine USA democracy!
The glaring headline du jour...
6
Why does Donald Trump want to drive Brazil and Argentina further into China's trade orbit?
4
I suspect China is a competitor in the steel industry so this shouldn't have the effect of driving Brazil and Argentina to China.
Have you looked at the origin of pots for sale these days?
1
Is Trump really this ignorant of economics? Or just his voter base? he is clearly desperate to throw a bone to farmers after crushing them with his trade wars, but attacking country after country is not in longterm US interests.
4
Impeach and remove, someone tweet that for me so its legal.
2
This should be good news for China, as they will be the ones (as usual) to benefit from Trumps ill-conceived tariffs that have hurt the American economy. Between the this and the trade wars with China the stock market is entering December in a dive.
Is anyone at all surprised that a man who lost $100 million a year for an entire decade and has filed bankruptcy six times thinks he knows more than all the economists?
I sadly understand Republicans hiding their heads in the sand when it comes to broad scale corruption that has threatened our national security. They could care less, but you'd think these trade wars and tariffs would hit them in the wallet and get their attention.
4
I am in Buenos Aires right now and the people are suffering through a very difficult time. I was here earlier this year and when I left on April 20th, a dollar was worth about 42 Argentine pesos. Today, the dollar fetches 60 pesos. Argentina is just trying to get their economic act together. Nobody really knows what is next for Argentina's economy: comeback or collapse. The opinion of people with whom I have spoken there are problems with corruption and that, recently voted out of office, President Macri made some big economic errors. I highly doubt the weakening of Argentina's currency was done with the intent to harm American farmers. Argentina is just trying to get by and they have also had a large influx of people from Venezuela adding to the demand for work.
If you ever wanted to go to Buenos Aires, now is a bargain-basement time to come . . . and it will help the local economy, which so needs a boost.
4
The overall theme behind Trump's trade policy?Make something up, make policy around it as if it were real and then cause real damage as a result.
4
What I wonder is how much notice he's giving to his family, friends, and sponsors when he makes these Tweets. You know, so they can plan accordingly. These people must be making a mint off of Trump.
8
Gee, I wonder what Russia's main exports are? Oh yeah, after fossil fuels comes steel and other metals. A total coincidence, I'm sure. /s
7
Does anyone else think that these erratic and unhinged trade war decisions have no strategy behind them at all - that he does it “just because he (I) can.”
And that is truly dangerous.
4
I get the trade war with China. They don't play by the rules. Period. But Brazil and Argentina? Talk about kicking someone when they're down. The people of those countries won't forget Trump's latest move. Not that he cares.
3
Political suspense: Do we eject from office President Trump constitutionally and nonviolently in time before he succeeds in destroying our nation?
3
Insanity.. Trump’s hurting my wallet!. Americans pay for these tariffs not China or Brazil or Argentina.
5
So just how many of trump supporters actually are aware that the billons in tariffs are coming from Americans pockets. Tariffs as everyone knows [ except for trump supporters ] are taxes.
5
@oscar jr In a word: None
1
Easy things to do should be done quickly, shouldn’t they? I guess that this trade war was actually not so easy to win. Who would have guessed that?
At this point, so be it! Mr President, wreck havoc on the economy if it is what it gets to be done with you. The silver lining is that the people the more impacted will be your supporters.
President Trump is now concerned about how farmers in the US are being treated? It appeared that his turf war with China is what placed the farmers in harms way of receiving funds to pay for the massive funds they do for farming and farm equipment. Bankruptcies have gone up with farmers 24%, and more troubling suicides of farmers are on the increase as output for machinery is so high. Annie Gowen wrote a NY Times study recently about a young farmer in So Dakota who saw no way out and took his own life. China was at pseudo war with tariff with President Trump, and this increased the costs of farming, while decreasing earnings to the breaking point. Many more suicides by farmers are reported by the Farmers Union. This is all on President Trump creating Tariff wars in my opinion.
5
I would like to see the records of Trump’s brokerage accounts to see how he has benefitted from trading options and shorting. There’s a fortune to be made from his tweets, and I’d be willing to bet he’s making one. Emoluments to the nth degree!
BTW, Argentina and Brazil are innocent of currency manipulation. Foreign nations BUY U.S. dollars to manipulate currency, they don’t sell them as Argentina and Brazil have done.
10
This is probably because his shakedown of Ukraine has been unmasked. So now he’s doing alternative gimmicks to keep or get his base excited.
It’s probably all about his re-election, which suggests there might be more of these gimmicks directed at various countries or even weaker groups or softer targets within the US itself!
Look for more hateful actions against immigrants perhaps or tax gimmicks and other inflammatory gimmicks against other countries or anything.
Plus, he needs to distract from the impeachment proceedings, which he’s miserably failed to do the last month.
4
When the know-nothing-in-chief claims to be taking in “massive amounts of money” in tariff revenue, is he confusing the payments he and his campaign receive from lobbyists for tariffs? At this rate, I may have to become a farmer to get my tariff money back.
8
@Hector
You’re right; Americans pay the increased duties on foreign goods—it only hurts those foreign countries targeted for tariffs to the extent that there’s less demand for their goods—it’s a shame most Americans don’t understand this (and can thus be manipulated to the great leader‘s advantage).
1
Such irony that Trump claims he wants to stop endless military wars abroad, yet engages in endless trade wars.
If Trump wants to help US farmers, stop the insane trade wars with China and Cuba.
When Trump makes US farm products too expensive for other countries, it’s no surprise the response is to look at our neighbors and allies in South America.
I fail to see how raising aluminum and steel prices might help US farmers, but I see how that would help the Russian oligarchs that monopolize aluminum production in Russia.
All roads do lead to Putin.
7
If Trump has his way with tariffs imposed on so many countries, he will have to increase the size of government by employing more tax\tariff collectors with Customs and Border Protection.
Have people even bothered to look at the increase in the size of this bureaucracy and the evil it will create?
I recall Republicans used to hate all things that resulted in increased taxes, that impeded free trade, and increased the size of government.
Now, the Republicans have repudiated everything Republicans in the last decade stood for and are here merely to serve their master, Trump.
Very sad.
5
Great move by the president. Brazil is the number 1 exporter of soybeans to China. Brazil is now serving as a letoff valve for china in this trade matter with the USA. Brazil is a member of the BRIC nations.... a "new" economic regime separate from USA interest. Argentina sends it Aluminum and other products to us. Other stuff to China. Basically, playing both sides.
For our young people: there is no such thing as permanent friends or permanent enemies. There is only permanent interest that really matters.
For the alt-left...does either Brazil or Argentina have an official policy of open borders for immigration?
An aside....just thinking about the number of Brazilians who immigrate here, under the guise of visitors and never leave... does China have that oriblem?
see Sunday's NYT in this regard for reference.
Great move by the president. Brazil is the number 1 exporter of soybeans to China. Brazil is now serving as a letoff valve for china in this trade matter with the USA. Brazil is a member of the BRIC nations.... a "new" economic regime separate from USA interest. Argentina sends it Aluminum and other products to us. Other stuff to China. Basically, playing both sides.
For our young people: there is no such thing as permanent friends or permanent enemies. There is only permanent interest that really matters.
For the alt-left...does either Brazil or Argentina have an official policy of open borders for immigration?
An aside....just thinking about the number of Brazilians who immigrate here, under the guise of visitors and never leave... does China have that oriblem?
see Sunday's NYT in this regard for reference.
Farmers know the damage is done. They will NEVER get back the pre-existing volume of trade on soybean and other production crops. China has already asked for additional farm production from Bolivia and Argentina who are only too happy to oblige.
On the manufacturing side it's a disaster as it signals yet another shift in the supply chain to make up the difference. It ends up being a costly logistics headache to regear.
Trump seems to be recession proof despite his attack on world markets, 2020 could be a very different economy by election time and could even scare the daylights out of the Trump farmers.
3
@greg the mass of poor workers, illegal or not, at the southern border, suggest that the US economy will be fine in 2020 or later. The problem is those southern tier nations, who have missed the boat of economic opportunity by destroying their nations resources.. be it deforestation, or slave labor, has rendered them, and their nations, in light of environmental global degradation, has sealed their unfortunate fates. The next 50 years will be ugly and determine the the survivors. Being poor and ignorant of the life sustaining ways of life is NOT a Godly attribute. Slash and burn...deforestation...chaotic culture and free for all no rules...etc. Having folks, as such, bum rush our borders is a NO GO and not the answer. And will only allow the imposition of bad practices that required them to leave their homelands in the first place. How does this help our nation?
@DAWGPOUND HAR
You know nothing about Brazil. It’s a country of 200 million people that have better living conditions than most people in the US Deep South. Some want to leave. Most don’t. Learn, than write.
2
are these the same economists that said to destroy your middle class, prop up a third world tyrannical regime and you would face no negative impact? or the same economists that predicted a Trump recession or higher price goods with tariffs? hmmm not listening here.
1
It will effect currency then how will i have pizza
This might be a bit too technical, but the ISM numbers just came out today showing that US manufacturing contracted to a 4 month low, at levels not seen since 2012 , when manufacturing was still very weak.
These tariffs will only make that worse, as US steel and aluminum importers will see their cost of manufacturing rise yet again. Domestic steel producers will undoubtably raise their steel prices too, so it's a double whammy.
So for all those rust belt trump voters who thought the "Chosen One" was going to get your manufacturing jobs back, that just vanished. Are you getting tired of all this winning yet?
8
Even when General Bonespurs calls this his trade "war" (to make what he's doing sound tough and macho since his most ardent fans at his rallies have yet to notice that his "tough guy" stance is always while hiding behind a half-dozen or so bodyguards), I've noticed that the goods Trump himself manufactures in his overseas sweatshops do not get adversely affected.
For instance, farmers, but not clothing manufacturers, bear the brunt of Trump's assault when it comes to his trade "war" nonsense.
2
Soybean is a commodity, so it’s sold at an international price.. a currency manipulation in Argentina or Brazil doesn’t change the international price or the quantity sold.. it will only increase the profit in local currency of producers. It very confusing what Trump is trying to do here. Hurting steel won’t stop them from selling crops to China. Is he going to thread and damage any country that trade with China on products that compete with the US? That’s just crazy.. but well..
2
@Mariano There is nothing confusing about it. Trump lies, and talks tough, to fool his ignorant base, and to cover up the fact that he has NO IDEA what he is doing.
With no effort to boost economy the only course open to Trump is to blame other countries for the domestic woes. In fact, the trade/tariff wars being relentlessly waged byTrump are harming the US business, farmers, and consumers more than anything else, as it has badly disrupted the global supply chain with far reaching consequences for the US and world economy.
148
@Prof. Jai Prakash Sharma
Mussolini lives again, but this time in America -Media and Dems amnesiacs to history or just myopic to beginning parallels of authoritarianism.
7
"the tariffs stand to do considerable damage to South America’s two biggest economies"
That is true only if the tariffs reduce total imports to below prior levels.
Instead, it appears they were trying to grow their way out of economic trouble by increasing their total imports and market share into the US. A tariff is a reasonable response to such a strategy.
The increase in imports was a function of currency value fluctuations, rather than direct subsidy. However, it had the same impact inside the US.
Every country is trying to increase their market share into the US, nor just Argentina and Brazil. But by giving open access to China for agricultural production it steals a huge share of US farm product for good, even after the tariffs are done. Trump bankrupts nearly every endeavor he engages, a proxy war with China may not work out at all.
2
“I gave them a big break on tariffs, but now I’m taking that break off because it’s very unfair to our manufacturers and very unfair to our farmers,” Mr. Trump told reporters on Monday. “Our steel companies will be very happy, and our farmers will be very happy.”
Mr. Trump, you don't have to play these convoluted games to make our companies and farmers and in fact a significant portion of the population happy. All you have to do is resign and there will be rejoicing all over the world. Maybe not in the Kremlin but that is a small price to pay.
We may even move Thanksgiving to the day of your resignation.
14
Talk about trade wars. I went to my local discount store for Christmas decorations this past weekend . The prices for the Christmas tchotchkes have gone up 30 %. Guess who has to bear the brunt of this increase? The consumers. I walked out the store without buying anything, I will reuse previous years’ ornaments. I used to like to freshen up my Christmas decorations.
4
What was that again? Trade wars are good and easy to win. Guess the Brazilians will now have to concentrate on selling soy beans to China -- you know, the soy beans Midwest farmers used to sell to China.
14
Guess it was time for Trump cronies to get back in the market after taking profits.
How does it help the US economy to further weaken those of our allies in the Americas? By the end of this presidency no country will see the US as a serious trading partner.
4
I dont watch Fox, but I suspect they ran a story today on how Brazil and Argentina - 2 economies that are already hurting badly - are somehow hurting US farmers. Doesn't matter that his own state department doesn't believe this to be true.
If its on FOX it MUST be true.....
11
@Jeff: If it were lies the evil government could pull its broadcasting licenses.
Of course, China is going to look for other sources of soybeans and the like, and of course South American producers stand ready and able to provide commodities.
Once again, it's time for the Congress to assert its Constitutional obligations in regard to international trade and rescind laws that unconstitutionally gave the Executive Branch sweeping tariff powers decades ago.
11
@John seems the executive branch has been ignoring congress for awhile now on matters much more serious
1
@John Will never happen, as long as Republicans have a say. They are scared to death of their racist, ignorant base that they helped to create.
The average American no longer understands that international trade creates winner and losers but on the whole national welfare increases. Governments must use fiscal policies to help the displaced and the losers, but this has been a major policy failure.
A recent Brookings study finds that half of U.S workers are in low paying jobs but on the surface things look rosy with all-time low unemployment. This might offer a clue why a protectionist mood pervades the U.S and politicians are exploiting it and also encouraging it.
Trump seized on the protectionist sentiments it but so would the next president because populism wins in every election.
@Terence Yhip: Yes, tax and spend fiscal policy works better to take up slack in labor supply than tinkering with interest rates to change the value of money.
How does Trump get away making the statements that U.S. companies importing goods from South America that Trump recently added tariffs is going to make them happy? If it cost more to import then why doesn't Trump impose a 500% tariff rate than little stuff like 25%? Why do we not read that Trump is not telling the truth?
6
@Me Too: It is only news when Trump tells the truth.
Too many Americans falsely believed that the mafia went the way of John Gotti. It was evolving even before Gotti killed Castellano, becoming more global, harvesting more money, quietly rigging the system as opposed to operating outside of its boundaries. It's no longer based on ethnicity per say. The people who bridged the old mafia to the Real New Order are people like Donald Trump. Every time he tweets something, it's a favor or some kind or payback. Today he's helping some chums with a few dated steel mills make their numbers, tomorrow it's lining Giuliani's pockets. By the way, Giuliani is another bridge to the past. His dad was arrested for robbing a milkman. Dad never made his way up the ranks of the 5 Families, so son went out and demolished that system with a bulldozer named Justice and set up shop. The President's lawyer wears a pinkie ring --- he wants you to know that he's connected.
8
Putin has already won, regardless of what happens in 2020. Half the population of the US and UK think that tariffs are a great idea now. It will take generations to dispel this myth. It shouldn’t even be a discussion because it wastes everyone’s time. What a disaster.
14
@Eric Putin wins every day that Trump and the Republicans are in power.
I don't think these new pronouncements are going to make either our farmers ( record small farm bankruptcies and suicides in many states ! ) or manufacturers " happy ". You have to be a real dummy not to image that China would look for other trade partners after Trump slapped these impulsive and poorly weighed tariffs on all kinds of goods.
Many of China's new trade deals cost them far less than previous contracts with the US. Its highly unlikely that these contracts will ever come back to the U.S. even if the tariff " war" ends.....
5
...and more money distributed to farmers than to the automobile companies during the 2009 bailout.
@Nanno 1. The vast majority of the 'bailout' for farmers has gone to the large corporate farms. Individual farmers are filing for bankruptcy every day. 2. The auto 'bailout' were loans, with 5% interest, and every single one was paid back in full.
1
Trump is continuing to weaken and breakdown the countries within South America making the US look the bad guy while at the same time Putin is moving Russian troops into the area and making political headway into South America.
Trump moves out of Afghanistan and Syria leaving the Kurds to their own death, leaving US Bases completely in tact, coolers still cold with cans of Coke while the Russians move in without even having to build a single structure.
Trump continues to attempt breaking down NATO and undermine our relationship with the UK.
Trump is a Russian Asset and is empowering Putin position in the world while undermining the US national Security.
17
Trump reminds me of the saying - Scatterbrain.
"Neither here,nor there,but everywhere and nowhere all at the same time".
All this spinning is not winning!
3
I guess all of those Trump supporting midwestern farmers just couldn’t stand all those “awful” years of stable international trade relations and prosperity under that “socialist” Democratic President Barack Obama.
24
The only bright spot in all this is imagining what will go through Bolosonaro's mind when he realizes that all this time he was being played.
9
One of the consequences of these tariffs will be more Amazon deforestation for farming. As Brazil's manufacturing and technology sectors lag, biodiversity goes up in smoke.
Not that Trump cares.
11
@David Neither does anyone in the Republican party.
Part of the story here is the claim economists make (on even-numbered days) that macroeconomic policy can keep nominal currency exchange rates in control.
Then, when someone like Pres. Trump blames another government's policy for exchange rates he doesn't like, it's a little late for the economists to say no, no, it's not the government's fault.
2
China and trump are hurting Americans. He boasts greatest economy ever, yet paying these tariffs brings our buying power down with those passed on costs. Trump is putting even more strain on farmers with new worries and less markets to work with. It's quite unbelievable that congress won't confront him with FACTS.
11
And who would be surprised if he caused a message to be sent to his brokers to short parts of the market or engage helpful options strategies just before he sent his tweet? After all, if the “president” does it, it’s not illegal.
15
@Alex
My first thought upon starting to read article...
5
Argentina is going through a huge economic crisis, thanks to the Neo-liberal policies implemented by Trump's friend, Mr. Macri, the outgoing Argentinian president. His country is now indebted to the IMF and we know what that means. As a result, the value of the peso has been going down. No need for any manipulation there. Bolsonaro felt like a viceroy because he supported all of the US foreign policies in the region and in the world. Glad he is "shocked" by this announcement. No one is safe from Mr. Trump's ire or mischievous ways.
14
@Julioantonio There were no neoliberal policies. Quite the contrary, the Macri government never reduced enough the spending implemented by the Kirchners. Eliminating corruption was not sufficient to balance the budget. They never had the guts and the political power to reduce and eliminate all subsidies and waste.
You act as though there are no economists who go along with the President's trade policies. It's called "carrot and stick". l guess your real problem is, you worry that Trump will actually use that stick, when warranted!
Every nation enacts policies that benefit their own interests. Been that way forever. They all protect themselves from foreign intervention or intervention and seek to protect industries they deem vital... especially with regards to defense industries. There is nothing novel about this. Promoting ones self interest is what people and nations must do...
What IS new is having an administration that seeks to better our own national interests by re negotiating old, flawed, one sided deals.
That, in itself, is to be applauded, not scorned.
Unless you seek a "transformation of America" ...like a certain past President wanted.
1
@Stephen There is a reason that very few economist recommend tariffs and trade wars, it is because they are a lose lose for everyone involved.
17
What about if China buys more steel and aluminium from Brazil and Argentina at a depressed price because of this? China will be even more competitive and the American factories (and workers) who buy these metals here will lose. The US is just making things easier for China by doing this specially because everybody knows that there is no real currency manipulation nor real desire by these South American countries to hurt America.
5
Stephen, your second paragraph contradicts your third one. There are over 200 nations on the planet, so if it costs your nation and citizens more to trade with one partner, no matter how big the stick, you trade with someone else. Simple business, which seems to elude the supposed business president. There is a reason he has had a string of bankruptcies.
11
Facts and logic have never been part of Trumps game.
His impulsive and irrational actions will put America on the verge of bankruptcy very soon.
American farmers will suffer at the hands of a man that does not have a clue about agriculture, trade, industry, business, foriegn policy or anything else. Are Americans beginning to see that they elected the singularly most inept man the nation has, to lead it? You as Americans have to answer that question.
Those of us who live outside the U.S. implore you to think carefully when you vote next time. Remember the last four years and ask yourselves if this is what you wanted. Mind you, if enough of you want the chaos to continue then I suppose you will re-elect Trump. If you do that, be prepared for him to give away more Trillions of your dollars to his friends and be prepared to lose your health care. Be prepared for your international allies to think long and hard before committing to assist you with...anything.
Democracy is not perfect, but it is the best you have; please make it work.
17
Lee, most of us agree with you. Unfortunately drumf was elected not by the people, but by a compromise that should have been eliminated at the end of the civil war.
8
Mr. Trump does not care about currency devaluation. Argentina's economy is in free fall. Of course their currency is down in value to the U. S. dollar. I doubt they planned an economic crisis just to accomplish that goal.
Brazil is being punished because it is selling soy beans to China to replace the now more expensive U. S. product. Why more expensive? The Chinese placed retaliatory tariffs on U. S. farm products, including soy beans. Brazil responded to that opening and is being punished.
It seems that this "easy to win" trade war is not so easy. Neither is there an end in sight, given Mr. Trump's lack of ability to compromise and view point that all trade is a zero sum game.
And our farmers and consumers pay the price.
But don't tell Mr. Trump. He still believes China is paying. Just as Mexico is paying for his wall.
29
Brazil is China's # 1 foreign trading partner in the Americas.
No nation other than Nigeria has more people of Sub- Saharan black African heritage by American color aka race standards than Brazil.
Fully half of Brazil's 200 million people are ' black'. About a third of the 12 million enslaved Africans who came to the Americas went to Brazil. A mere half a million came to America.
Black Brazilians are separate and unequal. Confined to entertainment, favelas, paramours, servants, crime and sports.
There was no civil war nor reconstruction nor civil rights eras. There were no HBCU's nor black civil and church organizations focused on black Brazilians freedom and liberty. Slavery lasted until 1888 in Brazil.
China is also the #1 international trading partner of Sub- Saharan Africa. There are few Sino- Africans. Sino ethnic Han supremacist xenophobic prejudiced bigotry is as vitriolic and evil as white European Judeo- Christians
and yellow Japanese.
Argentina is whiter European Judeo- Christian than America. With a history of facscist military dictatorship.
5
Trump reminds me of a Chinese juggler trying to keep multiple policy plates spinning atop bamboo poles, yet flailing to keep them aloft. Undaunted, he adds additional plates convinced that his strategy helps farmers and selected industries while at the same time increasing revenues from tariffs he claims are paid by the targeted countries. His followers may belief his claims, but, most definitely, they do not understand the consequences or ignore them for political gains. As one after another plate crashes down, each followed by disruptions that destabilize economies and countries, the ultimate winner will not be Trump and the US, but Putin and likely Xi. The American century will likely fade into history if he gets reelected.
12
Trump makes false statements on a regular basis because:
1 He does not know what he is doing, or care how it affects the country & world.
2 His 'base' the 35% will believe him based on his erroneous description.
3 Among those who are not in his 'base' there are enough people who might benefit financially from these moves and either don't care about the negative results or lie to themselves.
In a year he'll be gone and we will again have a government with some sense of reality and honesty.
VOTE ... and help others to vote ... If you have never volunteered this is the time to start... Find an organization which helps working people make time to vote, or helps non english speakers to register and understand the issues...
22
Argentina last year exported to the U.S. $800 million in aluminum products. This makes me wonder how 10% of that amount can possibly amount to anything worth upsetting the markets...again.
I submit that this is another desperate and juvenile distraction from what is going on in the impeachment proceedings.
18
Trump bullies for the sake of bullying and ego.
This will only bring more pain for the American People, and Trump couldn’t care less.
23
This time, I believe President Trump is becoming something of an extremist. I believe he should do an about turn on all this tariff business. Enough is enough!
11
@johnnieOz - Only this time?!
3
How alarming that official American policy in not created, polished and disseminated by diplomatic forums, conference calls between world finance ministers or heads of state summits, but by an impulsive and incoherent text of a Trump Tweet.
15
@Jgrau
One word: Lobbyists
1
I am not sure who Trump works for. Heck the Twitter in chief doesn’t know either. China has already won the game. They have their major inroads in Central and South America that they have long sought. Trade now, military bases later. The whole of South and Central America is in flames. Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Venezuela, Columbia, Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua and Mexico. Their currencies pegged to the US dollar are great for commodity purchasing and extracting companies but bad for the working poor and middle classes. Income inequality has grown and young educated people are jobless. They are restless and in the day of the Internet and mobile phones they are feeling left out. They also have a growing water shortage.
The damage that this president and his republican side kicks have done to our trade and our International relations may not be recoverable. Our ability to lead is being impacted by our own poor fiscal policy.
I fear the next decade.
33
@Sailorgirl Don't forget about the South Pacific - down here they are building a lot of infrastructure on the islands, airstrips and ports bigger than needed.
In Vanuatu there is a wharf big enough to support Chinese destroyers, US inspectors said it can support a US aircraft carrier. It is civilian now but can be turned military in no time.
Even here in New Zealand we are being taken over - Chinese are buying up and landbanking land - they are allowed to build new houses, not buy existing ones. There are entire water bottling plants dedicated to sending our precious supply of fresh water to China - water isn't unlimited anymore.
In return we get Aliexpress.
8
Does Trump even know that Argentina is going through another huge economic (political) crisis? They are not devaluing their currency. The country's economy is in shambles.
What does Trump expect the Argentine government to do? How can they keep the value of the currency in these situations?
29
Another example of how Trump makes "gut" decisions that turn out as predicted.
Start a trade war with China as a political ploy.
China retaliates by putting tariffs on agriculature and stopping soybean purchases.
Trump gives bailout to farmers --- turning them from producers to wards of the state.
China makes new contracts with Brazil for soy beans.
Brazil burns the rain forest to generate more arrable land for planting ---- worsening CO2 emissions and destroying rain forest for generations.
Trump puts tariffs on Brazilian products in "retaliation".
End results --- The economy loses. Farmers lose. The environment loses.
See --- trade wars are easy to win and FUN!
33
Has he no shame? He certainly has no kingdom.
Every recent action appears to be political, and on a whim, without regard for anything except winning an election.
17
Trump always likes to attack people who are not as strong as he is. It's what bullies do. Argentina and Brazil have fragile economies so why not go after them. As of May there was no report from the Treasury Department accusing them of manipulating their currency.
Now what source at Fox did Trump learn otherwise. Trump, who used to say that trade wars were oh so winnable, and easy too has yet to prove that boast. So I guess he needs some country much more worse off than China to prove his point.
There is not going to be an Impeachment and Removal so hold on America we're in for a rough ride. What country on earth can trust us?
16
The longer trump conducts his trade wars especially with China the more they are able to establish new supply chains outside of the US. We may all be eating more soybeans here in the US if the previous trade with China is diminished or destroyed permanently. trump seems very adept at making international enemies.
15
Nothing other than another Twitter ploy for votes from a vital 2020 constituency he has decimated with his “stable genius” approach to trade agreements or lack there of.
13
Another destabilizing move by the stable genius. Thanks magahatters. (Those are like madhatters, only worse.)
15
He always has to have a conflict.
10
In general, there are very few items that a large country can not produce for itself. When just about any manufacturing process can be setup anywhere,competitive advantage doesn't mean much. Producing items for itself may be a path to reduced greenhouse gas emissions.
2
@Djt
Looking inward is a sure way for lower economic growth and lower living standards.
Free, fair and open trade is what helps the whole world. That Trump is deliberately undermining trade, shows he has zero idea of sound economic policy. All Trump cares about is Trump being the centre of attention.
His latest round of tariffs is a reaction to earlier failures of his trade war with China.
America First is a selfish policy that says America does not care about anyone else.
4
While China invests billions in infrastructure in Africa, bolstering economic growth, Trump calls those countries "shitholes". Trump pulled the US out of the TPP, which was meant as a meassure to counter Chinese economic influence in South East Asia and the Pacific island nations. In doing so, he basically handed China the entire region. With Trumps constant arguing about defense spending and trade, his dangerous rhetoric and the US withdrawal from the Iran deal and the Paris Climate Accord, he alianated most of Europe (public opinion of the US is lower than it was at the hight of the Iraq war). And now, while China presents itself as an reliable trading partner, Trump imposes revenge-tariffs on two South American countries...
When Trump is done "making America great again", the US won't have any friend or ally left in the world and China will call the shots - so much winning, are you tired yet?
29
@Nicolas
And he's about to spend the next couple days trashing NATO.
Correction: He'll mope around for a couple days, then trash NATO when he's safely on the tarmac. A real tough guy, that one.
8
The pursuit of individual advantage damages the stability of the system. Trump the businessman did not worry about system stability because he was not big enough to do anything more than destabilize Atlantic City by overbuilding. Now he is big enough, but he has not changed his ways.
15
Law of comparative advantage. Not 'theory of comparative advantage'. Law.
The junk they make in China we would go broke supplying consumers if we made here? They are going broke too.
Wealth of Nations. It's a book. Read it.
1
@Joe Mcmullen
How about catching up to the 21st century. The Chinese do not just manufacture "junk." Far from it. They build high quality electronics, produce top of the line art and will soon be producing airliners.
1
Joe, hate to break the news to you but the “junk” you are referring to is more than likely the phone or computer you wrote your comment on. What you fail to understand is that when your nation needs supplies and you need markets for your goods and one nation of over 200 has raised its prices and is not interested in competing for your business than you take your business elsewhere. Last I heard China has a population that is 1/4 of the planet. So why not go elsewhere like Brazil or Argentina that need your business.
1
Two more markets lost to American importers and exporters, including our farmers. By the time Trump is mercifully "let go", hopefully before the end of next year, we'll be down to trading with Mongolia and Bolivia.
A heads up to the Brits and their leadership, who are facing an election and a possible Brexit, I would seriously reconsider signing any bilateral trade deal with the Trump Administration..
24
Alienatiing the civilized world is what Trump does. This comes without apparent effort.
18
Another lie.
The United States is not taking in massive amounts of money from these tariffs. American consumers and businesses are paying for these tariffs with money out of their own pocketbooks. Either he doesn't get this or just feels comfortable lying about it.
In either case, it reflects his ineptitude for the job he holds.
33
The job he holds is self aggrandizement for which he uses the power of the presidency.
The US has no president. Why don’t people realize this? It’s so obvious.
12
This administration has been the most damaging economically to American Farmers in two generations.
They now realize the potential electoral fallout from the farmers waining support in 2020 and need to find scapegoats to deflect responsibility with the rabid MAGA “base” who may believe this.
But American Farmers themselves are not stupid. They know the blame lies squarely with President Trump.
16
the Oprah Winfrey of tariffs.
4
This is great news if you believe in global warming. The cost of SUVs will go up
5
When the Fed keeps rates deliberately low it forces the U.S. dollar down and conversely adds value to American exports. Trump has explicitly demanded this policy. Does he consider that currency manipulation or is that just something other countries are guilty of? The man has the economic intellect of a 7 year old,no offense to 7 year olds!
14
Well given that debt is cannot be paid in current value of US dollar, that value has to fall precipitously. You know.... national debt, credit card debt, college loan debt (these latter 2 often at usurious rates), medical debt a major cause of bankruptcy. And are economy is structured in such a way that people are forced to continue borrowing to meet expenses.
In the list of debts I left out mortgage debt which was significant by itself in the first decade of the 21st century.
I do hover on the edge of financial
illiteracy but with that understood my advice is avoid debt by buying only what you need. (Eventually the dollar will plunge in value. Invest in silver and gold). Shopping is an addiction. Stay healthy... weight, exercise and stress management and insist on Medicare for all. All medical bankruptcies will cease. Why don’t you get that? And eliminate college debt or reduce it to the level of Japan Denmark England Canada France etc. etc. or we can import educated youth from Japan, China, India, Pakistan etc. To maintain a creative healthy economy while ensuring corporate control
of the US we can keep our youth culturally and civilly illiterate and import talent from overseas. We get most all goods from China and other countries, why not talented educated youth?
Corporate government partnership is plundering middle class wealth and with that go our freedoms. Brilliant actually how this entity is transforming us into indentured servitude. Congress always80/100disapproval
5
Trump will destroy the economy for many with his uninformed tariffs. Hope he is out of office before he causes anymore damage....Oh I forgot he is a genius!
11
Trump doesn't read and can't sit through a briefing.
He thinks he 's an expert at everything. He knows more than the generals. He's the greatest deal maker. Etc.
His economic staff include idealogues with poor reputations.
Why should I believe Trump knows what he's doing?
I think each of these tariff moves is the result of some kind of sick emotional storm within Trump's defective personality.
13
Trump is only interested in tariffs because farmers are one of his biggest supporters and he is very afraid of them in the same way he is afraid of the extremist evangelicals.
Their smallest complain to him, he will do even the most insane political maneuvers to show he cares for them and not for all the other Americans who get hurt in their wallets with his quit pro quo towards these two groups.
You vote for me and I will give you presents.
That is what pure quid pro quo means.
10
@Johan Debont : The problem is that American farmers, especially those that sell rices, wheat, corn and soybeans rely almost exclusively on the Asian Market. Tarifs cost those farmens a lot of money due to unsold crops.
6
@Johan Debont ....For the year ending in Sept. 2019, farm bankruptcies were up 24%, and the worst is yet to come.
4
Kids, this is why you should pay attention to history. We've seen this movie many times before. Sooner or later despots run out of scapegoats and enemies. If the despot doesn't turn on you, he will inflict so much damage to your society that the only sensible course of action is to leave -- if you can.
13
Exactly. And if one can foresee the inevitable it’s time to emigrate now. Talented youth (20’s, 30’s and 40’s) with children will be welcome in many countries. One of the married couple will work at a job of value and the spouse might enroll in a university for a masters or PhD degree. Residency will lead to citizenship.
No medical debt, no college debt, adequate maternal and or paternal leave, generous vacation policy and a healthy social safety net.
Unless you are in top 10 per cent in this hideous country it’s pointless to remain here.
We are an exceptional nation all right, just not in a positive way.
My 8th grade teacher was fond of saying, “A word to the wise is sufficient”.
10
What Trump and his supporters fail to realize is that placing tariffs on these countries makes their currency even weaker, counter balancing the tariffs! And artificially stimulating our economy (think lowering interest rates) increases the value of the US dollar, which makes imports even cheaper. We're basically chasing our own tail!
3
Great, the market is still reacting to the narcissist in the White House. It is apparent by now that we elected an unrepentant Richie Rich that is just as likely to change his mind as a four year old at his own birthday party. Too bad markets are reacting in real time to statements he makes, instead of waiting to see if there is a shred of consistency in them and examining if they are headed towards fruition, reversal, or he is just seeking attention.
10
Why do I have to keep bailing out farmers and bankers?
Do they not have enough of their own money? Is that why they refuse to stay out of my wallet? Why can't they solve their own problems, as they demand that the rest of us do when we've fallen on hard times?
I actually work for a living and can no longer afford the fantasies and whims of the 1%. How is it fair that I have to subsidize millionaires and billionaires, when they don't do anything except whine about everything?
59
@Valerie ...You should pay more attention. Bailing out the banks (it was actually a loan) saved the economy, and actually made the Federal Government money in the bargain. Thanks to Trumps tariffs (which are supposed to be helping you) farmers are getting $3.70 for 55 lbs of shelled corn. $ 3.70 for 55 lbs of food; think about that. When you have the facts sometimes things look different.
5
@W.A. Spitzer :
"Bailing out the banks (it was actually a loan) saved the economy"
So what? WHY did I have to bail them out in the first place? Why do I KEEP having to bail out farmers?
Would've helped if you'd actually read my comment.
3
@W.A. Spitzer
I would have accepted a loss on the bailout in exchange for prisons filled without thousands of bankers and banishment from that industry for life.
8
The trade wars necessarily diminish growth of economic activities in order to weaken the role of trade in national economies. They can support otherwise weak domestic industries but they make the costs of doing what people are already doing much higher. The weakening currencies of nations who rely upon international trade is an expected result if they cannot make up for the loss in trade with internal growth.
Steel and aluminum production are very capital intensive and unless the demand for these goods is going to increase greatly and permanently, investors will not provided capital. The U.S. cannot grow domestically from where it is greatly enough to replace the international sources of steel and aluminum, unless of course it undertakes rebuilding the entire country to adapt to global warming. But that means no more profits for investors for decades.
4
This would be laughable if it were not so abhorrent.
A "Republican" newspaper writing about the same news item said:
"Both currencies have fallen steadily amid lackluster economic growth and political uncertainty, rather than government action to depress the exchange rate."
Pretty soon, no one will want to trade with the US because it is clearly an unreliable market and fair weather "partner".
36
We may be able to push around teetering economies however misguided that may be but China is waiting until Mr Trump is desperate to make a deal as the election approaches. They are already finding alternate sources and will need the deal less and less as the President needs it more and more. NOT a good position to be in in a negotiation. The bullying will has not and will not work with China.
15
One could say he's the bullying in the China Shop.
4
I'm not an economist, just an observer of history. The major fear we should have is authoritarian/fascist rule requires scapegoats. They will find someone to blame for the next recession, most likely immigrants ,"those radical Democrats" and the press ( the enemy of the people seed has already been planted). The first term introduces lies and conspiracies that eventually become normalized, as Republicans in Congress are demonstrating. The second term would likely lead to actual implementation of these malicious ideas, with Congress and the courts unable to stop it. The worst mistake is to assume Trump is simply impulsive and clueless. Ask Stephen Miller.
23
The has no idea what he is doing. The complexities of world trade are way beyond his comprehension. He just likes to thrash around and be a "tough guy" to impress his minions. The sooner he is out of office, the better.
23
The USA needs to be moving our manufacturing from Asia to Central and South America. We need to invest in our own continent. It's just common sense.
9
@AWorldIntwined.com: Asia and China have taken the time, money and effort to produce a population that is educated, works hard and are professional. There isn't a country south of the border that have a population with those qualifications.
3
Congress - that means you Mitch - stop this guy before he destroys the global economy along with our alliances. He is completely out of control and his behavior is dangerous and counterproductive.
21
Just a glance at one’s supermarket bill documents the failure of this corrupt administration’s economic policies and how corrosive they’ve been for all but the plutocrats.
Of course, it’s only the little people who go to supermarkets and sweat out that moment at the cash register when they have to shell out their hard-earned money for a modest load of basic food items. Next might be to stop eating. Or, along the lines of the famous parody, eat each other.
5
@FoxyVil Its why I have 50+ credit cards, I transfer the problem to bankers.
2
@FoxyVil ...Don't know why your super market bill is a problem. Thanks to trump's tariffs, the price of corn, soy beans, and pork is in the dumpster. The number of farm bankruptcies is a at ten year high and accelerating.
6
@W.A. Spitzer why is the price of cubed and diced ham up from 4.99 to 5.99, 16oz. That is a 25% increase here in De Pere WI.
I did not know that Trump wanted to open up Golf Courses and Hotels in Brazil and Argentina.
Apparently Brazil and Argentina weren't aware of it either.
But now that they know what Trump wants, I'm sure that they'll be more than happy to bribe him, and make this whole phony "Tariff War" go away.
8
Interesting, that given these announcements, you would think that the ETF's of Brazil and Latin America would be down big this morning. However, as I look at my screens, the EWZ (brazil) and the ILF (Latin America) are modestly higher as I write this. And markets are always extremely proactive and jittery when they face uncertainty and real time bad news. Thus, at least at this point in time, the investors in this part of the world do not seem particularly concerned by this Trump tweet this AM.
the baby in the White House said the future does not belong to globalists, the future belongs to patriots.
How is that working for us (the USA and the rest of the world) when everyone is only out for their short term gain?
10
The American President is always at work....akin to receiving cash back on a credit card. Promises continuing to be kept.
@musee he literally hasn't kept a single promise yet.
5
@musee: But you pay a fee for that "Cash back" on a credit card. It isn't free money. The fact that you don't know that is probably why you support Trump. "There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch" and "There is a sucker born every minute." These two phrases are the basis of Trump's claimed wealth.
Because of weak trade policies from years of selling out American workers to Chinese slave labor, I commend Trump for going on the offensive against China. In a country where they have a president for life, they have the power to hurt the world.
@Pepperman
Well..Trump's trade policies have been completely ineffective & counterproductive.. Nothing has been accomplished with China (nor any other country)..AND tariffs only act as a tax on American consumers..while slowing our economy.
Trump must have gotten out of bed in a bad mood..(as always).. We will all be better off when this fool is long gone.
5
@Pepperman but he isn't going on the offensive. He's flailing his arms with no direction or vision or target or negotiation strategy. He may be the worst deal maker ever
7
@Pepperman
trump is not on the offensive, everything is an impulsive knee jerk reaction
3
America is gonna be so Great Again, when no other country in the world trusts us or can trade with us, when every nonwhite person has been excluded from participating in voting, employment and housing, when straight white men are free to assault and abuse anyone they feel like for any reason, without consequence, when the ANP can walk the streets in full regalia without fear of criticism.
Thanks, Republicans, for helping make America "Great."
16
He reminds me of a spoiled, sadistic child sitting among his many now abandoned and expensive toys, wondering which one he'll smash against a wall, or which derailed train car to knock off the track, next. The tragedy is, his 'toys' are Mexicans, 'others,' women, the economy he manipulates daily, imagined deep-state enemies, and institutions of government; and the train car he's derailing is our Democracy that we are all riding in, unfortunately.
10
His tariffs hurt the farmers and now he blames it on Brazil and Argentine, that man does have some imagination. It is always the others, the bully becomes the victim.
11
First, American farmers are hurt by agribusiness and banks, not Brazil and Argentina. Second the goal is to destroy agriculture in those countries as was done to Mexico so they will eat the GMO Roundup garbage produced in the US and displace more people from their land so they come here.
6
@Tibby Elgato ....The only people who are opposed to GMOs are those who do not understand genetics.
1
@Tibby Elgato Virtually all GMOs are engineered for tolerance to herbicides including Roundup, which is a carcinogen. Little unbiased testing of any GMO has been done; most is by the manufacturer and we see how well self-regulation works in the aircraft industry.
2
Once again trump imposes tariffs. Who gets punished? The American consumer.
What has trump proved? Why, his incompetence in one more area where he lacks expertise.
7
Hey, trade wars are easy to win! Yep, that’s what the stable genius says. US farmers have already lost huge chunks of their Asian markets and won’t get them back soon, if ever. And it certainly looks like we're in for another imminent dose of trump style ‘socialism’ with yet another (this will be #3 and counting) $16 billion bailout for farmers!!! Alas the Blue States are having to put out for Red States for the decisions of a president elected by the Red States.
12
Seems to me China pay will less to Brazil and Argentinia for soybeans, And this helps th US soybean farmer? How?
6
Trump does know our economy is bigger than just agriculture, right?
Oh, I get it, Trump loves Kentucky Fried Chicken - chickens are on farms - Trump's protecting his supply of buckets of Kentucky Fried Chicken...
3
First day of December trading.
Trump Crime Family and Friends already positioned their SPY puts (expiring today) on the market. Good Job Donald!
313 SPY puts already up 1500% .
3
Trade wars come before real wars. Trump is igniting little fires around the globe, his diplomacy is extortion, and sanctions and military actions. PNAC is still alive and kicking.
2
In other news today, Trump just learned the words Brazil and Argentina.
13
More “Ready, Fire, Aim” policies from the not so stable, non-genius.
The policies were not announced through regular, customary trade protocols because they were concocted during DJT’s “executive time.”
Watch, next he will extort some small vulnerable country like Ukraine over military funding!
Oh wait.... he’s done that already!
4
The biggest harm inflicted on our farmers has been caused by Trump.
7
The Republicans love to brag about the “Trump Economy & Stock Market” but it never belonged to Trump! Trump inherited Obama’s economy and a thriving Stock Market! That’s the truth!
No matter though, because Trump who filed for bankruptcy six times, squandered a billion dollars his daddy gave him, is slowly destroying the U.S. economy with his ego’s trade war!
Trump Recession, wait for it...
9
It will take a person with more money than Trump to earn his respect. His affection is directly linked to dollars he can garnish for himself. His refusal to understand the effects of tariffs on retail prices here in the US is obviously because he doesn't give a hoot about the average consumer or jobs lost because of his stupidity. Now he sees Argentina and Brazil as competitors in commodities his policies have savaged, so once again he makes the wrong decision to extend tariffs thereby hurting our consumers more and eliminating jobs he has claimed to have saved. What a guy!
4
Someone please explain if the traitor is manipulating our currency by threatening the federal reserve chair?
5
Good idea. Let's kick the Argentines when they're down. That'll help.
6
@Ralph
Trump has never had friends. This trait has continued while he's President.
When will this end?
3
This is what happens when you have a sociopath in power. There is no end to the destruction he will wreak.
6
The Brazilians ought to tell Giuliani that they have some dirt on Joe Biden, and those tariffs will disappear overnight.
6
Trump the one trick tariff pony. He truly is a simpleton.
6
Argentina and Brazil must have stood in the way of him building a hotel or golf course there.
3
And the daughter was just in those countries a month or 2 ago under the pretense of her women’s initiative of the tin beggars cup of payola...not enough to keep America First, as they claim, and now she and the family have 1stdibs on all industry. Flash forward to Istanbul, Moscow, and now Brazil, Venezuela and Argentina...journalists jailed, governments in flames, mass migration and Princess Purses is still getting her handbags, shoes and hotels to voting machines Made in China.
4
His policy is to see how many markets he can damage while blaming foreigners for damaging the markets that were working before he interfered. This is the definition of the head eating the tail. I think that these things are done as a dog whistle to his supporters that get turned on by bashing foreigners as well as distractions from his incredibly large number of failures. He truly believes that the average citizens is a complete moron. I hope he is not right.
4
Nothing redeems this man.
Trump = Misery.
4
How is Trump getting away with his actions...The republicans are in bed with the russians as well.
Recently Indicted Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman face several felonies for defrauding the U.S. Federal Election Commission (FEC) for unlawfully soliciting foreign campaign contributions.
Parnas made 20 identical contributions of $661.90 to the:
REPUBLICAN PARTY OF MINNESOTA
North Carolina Republican Party
New Jersey Republican State Committee
South Carolina Republican Party
Tennessee Republican Party
Connecticut Republican Party
Wyoming Republican Party
Republican Federal Committee of Pennsylvania
California Republican Party
Republican Party of Wisconsin
New York Republican Federal Campaign Committee
Republican Party of Virginia
North Dakota Republican Party
Mississippi Republican Party
West Republican Party of Louisiana
Illinois Republican Party
Kansas Republican Party
Parnas made a donation of $2,700 to:
Candidate Trump
House GOP Minority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif)
Pete Sessions (R-Texas)
and
VP Pence‘s Great America Committee $5,000
GOP’s “Protect the House” fundraising committee $11,000 The National Republican Congressional Committee $3,800
The Republican National Committee $33,400
The Trump Victory PAC $50,000
Fruman:
Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.)$15,000
Rep. Joseph Wilson (R-S.C.) $2,700 twice
7
@Pray for Help Your source, please.
Our socialist farmers don’t care. They get paid by the State (ie the taxpayers) even if they plant nothing, courtesy of our Socialist President Trump.
10
@Donald White ..."Our socialist farmers don’t care. They get paid by the State"....But not very much. You should check it out.
@W.A. Spitzer
Then explain where the tens of billions are going.
1
@Jerseytime The bulk of the money is going to large corporate agriculture, not small farmers. The Environmental Working Group found that in the first round of bailout payments, the bottom 80% of farmers received less than $5,000 each.
And he didn’t impose tariffs on the two things that do need to have tariffs: beef and timber.
The Amazon continues to burn, and deforestation continues to literally threaten the planet (unless Republicans believe they can somehow breathe without oxygen), but he’s leveling steel and aluminum?
The man goes out of his way to hurt people it seems. It literally feels like before he announces a proclamation, that he asks himself how he could hurt the most amount of people.
Imposing tariffs on Argentinian and Brazilian steel & aluminum hurts American consumers, doesn’t have anything to do with American farmers, hurts South American metal workers, and further encourages farmers in South America to burn and cut down trees to make room for cattle or for logging to export to North America.
It’s literally the best way to hurt as many people as possible while helping as few people as possible. And he does this every single day. The guy is a real life cartoon villain.
12
Well, if you believe in a market economy and rising stock prices and don't like paying tariff taxes the answer is clear:
Don't vote for Trump.
5
It sounds like tRump doesn’t have the authority to levy these tariffs because he cannot claim a national security issue, so I assume this is more hot air and deflection from the real problems. He cannot just punish consumers and South America because China is buying its agricultural products from them. What was that old school republicans used to preach about unintended consequences of tariff actions? Too many heads buried in the sand.
8
Somebody should have told President Trump that “taking on China” is just a promise politicians make when they are campaigning, to look tough.
They’re are not actually supposed to do anything about it.
2
@JQGALT - Somebody should tell Trump supporters that Trump products are made in China.
3
@DR
And yet, he is leading the charge in an unprecedented brutal trade war with China.
1
Yup, Trump continues to subsidize our farmers, and continues to increase our taxes via his latest tariffs on Argentina and Brazil.
He still doesn't understand, and he has loosened whatever is left of Dodd Frank. The Fed is loaning the big banks billions, ie Morgan Stanley, and trillions if the big banks have another "2008" financial crisis. Who will pay when we have a crisis?
And when is he going to clear up, and pay up and reimburse those public and federal entities who have incurred debt, for his continuous golfing and campaign "vacations" both here and around the world, and when he stays at his own resorts?
No other President has ever used everyones money, but his own. Billionaire Trump should pay from hi own alleged billions!
7
The market should govern prices, not Trump.
9
Trump creates another problem to distract from the one he created.
But, honestly I think Trump really does believe that those countries pay the tariffs. I don't think he understand that he is hurting the American consumer and that is frightening.
16
Oh yeah -- the reason nothing at all can be manufactured in the USA is entirely because of Trump policies!!!
We should have had tariffs a long time ago to prevent all US and European companies from moving factories to the third world countries where workers could be paid badly so the shareholders could thrive. Why are Apple products produced by Foxcomm (the company that famously cheated the WI taxpayers which has put up suicide nets so that unhappy workers can't hit the pavement. Yes, it is that bad. When a friend told me her ex ran a steel mill in Brazil I didn't think about it... but now I have a different concept of the situation.
Frankly, I think Trump is correct on trade... and I think High Time Americans threw away less, much less. (Airplanes that we fly in can be 25 or more years old; odd to see a 25 year old car on the highway, e.g. Expand to everything. Granted many new products are much better and energy efficient..but then there is all the rest of the stuff.
@Auntie Mame Sorry, 99% of all economists say tariffs are a bad idea. Open free trade is the only way. You can help workers in other countries reach parity with Americans in many other ways instead of punitive measures that cause hardship. American farmers? Bailouts in the Billions from trump...Like many trump policies Dead on arrival!
4
@Auntie Mame -
As far as how long things last, cars have never lasted 25 years. Nor were they meant to. But it would be nice to see big ticket appliances last like they used to. Now, 10 years is the norm.
Here's the problem: If things are made to last a really long time, industry does not need to make as many, and the price could go up significantly, suppressing sales. Such would likely put alot of people out of work. I don't like it, but thems the breaks.
1
@Auntie Mame: If trump is successful, where are you going to find the money to pay for all those things that you buy from Asia at Walmart once the prices go un astronomically? I'll bet you will still blame the Democrats.
You too can have a us made auto that lasts 25 years. All you need is a couple of hundred thousand dollars.
1
Trump imposes tariff's so that he can grant exceptions to his supporters and punish those that don't support him. Another use of government power for personal political ends. Congress, not the president, has the constitutional power to regulate commerce. Congress should not allow the president to make exceptions to tariff.
15
Two additional facts worth contemplating:
According to the American Farm Bureau Federation, government aid in its various forms, including "trade aid" brought about by the trade war, will make up over 37 percent of farm income this year.
As for tariffs, they continue to tax the middle class to offset a portion of the growing budget deficit brought on by tax breaks that mostly benefited the wealthy.
The reason that tariffs are a middle class tax is simple: the consumption of consumer goods does not correlate directly to wealth. For example, even if someone has twenty times as much money, they do not use twenty times as many washing machines. They do not watch twenty televisions instead of one. So the purchase of consumer goods takes a larger percentage of middle class income. And since tariffs are offset by higher prices, they are a hidden tax on middle class incomes.
29
@John Walker ; Ah yes, the old Doonesbury cartoon of the farmer standing in his field,singing "Sweet land of subsidy, of thee I sing."
2
@John Walker , they're a tax on lower class and poor people, too. The greatest hit by percent of income, I think, is on them.
It's important to understand which international players lose when Trump hits them with tariffs. It's even more important to know who, in these United States, wins. And what they paid to win. This situation is rife for corruption, and corruption is Trump's middle name. Follow the money.
30
I have just one question.
What is happening to the trade deficit since Trump's "unmatched wisdom" started tweeting the economic plan of the day?
Except for Brazil or Argentina giving Trump a lesson in economics, these countries have done nothing wrong except negotiate with the US in good faith, only to have Trump welch on the deal. Or rather, welch on another deal.
The US is quickly running out of trust.
Ok - I have two questions.
When will Republicans grow a spine and stop the Wizard of Oz?
26
@Martin
....when four out of ten Americans wake up and allow them to.
1
If it's the case that Brazil has been working its currency, why did the Brazilian government intervene to bolster the Real? This accusation, like most of what emanates from the president, is a baseless lie, yet his allies continue to support him blindly. It is simple, one cannot claim to be in favor of anything resembling the truth AND support this president.
15
Everything is a Twitter announcement with the president. I have never seen a person, much less an elected official to the national
Level, who is so in need of attention. With Regan we had a “movie star” mentality, waiting for the lights and camera. He was always ready for Mr. DeMille. With Trump we got the Twitter presidency coming out of Reality TV, with the attentions span and intelligence of 280 characters. He watches entertainment based opinion TV shows and follows their lead. The shallow leading the uninformed.
I continue to be amazed that anyone, even his base, could find anything that’s admirable about someone who lies daily, cheats, calls people names, even children and those who are disabled. It’s his pathological need for attention, to be the center of everything that is the most disturbing. If these trade wars lead to a world Wide recession he will brag that it was the biggest ever and of course it will be someone else’s fault.
24
Argentina's economy is faltering, so its currency goes down on the markets.
So, Trump being the great guy that he is, lends a hand to make their economy worse.
Making enemies and alienating people since 1980.
26
So the GOP has completely abandoned the concept of free market capitalism. Not a peep from the Republican controlled Senate and the always spineless McConnell.
39
@Andrew : Whatever made you think that the Republicans ever believed in "Free Market Capitalism?"
Per “A Warning” by Anonymous, these renewed tariffs would have been implemented despite urging by qualified advisors for Trump not to do so. Trump simply cannot be re-elected.
32
This is just another indication that the trade deal with China is falling through. And, naturally, in the absence of a deal with China, Mr. Trump will be worried about the rust-belt's vote in 2020.
Obviously he knows how the game is played. He needs to do something to keep the rust-belt farmers' hopes high until the election is over. And it appears that he has a plan for just doing that.
Mr. Trump has started new tariff wars, this time with countries that their economies are small and fragile enough that they cannot stand up to his economic bullying. And he will be coercing them, regardless of them being friend or foe. After all, in his mind, "winning the election" is everything.
Once Mr. Trump manages to strong-arm a couple of these small countries to give in, then he will go to the farmers telling them he has worked hard to bring them a prize; "a tremendously big win", no matter how small "the win" may be in reality.
41
@Eddie B. Brazil is the same size as the U.S.
@kc It's not the geographic size that's meant here.
2
@kc
Economically it is 1/3 the size.
2
We are at, or near, the inevitable end of the economic cycle. Trump's policies are going to cause the next decline to be sharper and swifter. Who will he blame? Surely not himself.
25
US subsidies artificially lower the price of commodities that account for the majority of Argentina and Brazil exports, lowering the main source of income for these countries.
With tariffs on top of this, Argentina and Brazil may hit the US on drug patent revenue.
Nobody wins with these tariffs.
21
Trump actually accuses other counties for hurting farmers? His polices result ,so far, in 30 plus billion in welfare, 25% increase in bankruptcies, increased suicides , and loss of markets through out the world.
50
@Richard Head
So, he's winning bigly, right?
4
@Richard Head
But farmers will vote again for him on 2020, because they actually like what he is doing. And boy, do they hate those democrats that have been harassing the president for three years.
5
It appears that in the battle in Trump's head between personal ideology and political pragmatism, his ego wins every time as he pushes the U.S. right into a recession.
29
@Mark from Georgia Yeah, the all-time high in Black Friday spending is an indicator that's frightening me, too. And employment levels haven't been at these levels since 1969 (lows)
3
@musee , the usual from Trump's short-sighted fans. Such as they were all atwitter with how wonderfully well the housing market was doing! What a boom on the stock market! They couldn't see the sickness in it, the crash coming, although it was patently coming. When Trump's two trillion dollar tax gift to the rich and corporations, his cutting their taxes to nothing courtesy of our national treasury, is used up, they'll want more. They'll be after your social security, Musee, and they won't take no for an answer. By the time you understand who Trump is and serves, it will be too late. We have to oppose him in your behalf, against your wishes, for your own good as well as the nation's. You can thank us later.
29
@jb wrote:
" When Trump's two trillion dollar tax gift to the rich and corporations, his cutting their taxes to nothing courtesy of our national treasury, is used up, they'll want more. They'll be after your social security, Musee, and they won't take no for an answer."
This has been the conservatives plan all along.
They want the federal government gutted and so draining the treasury is job #1. When the you-know-what hits the fan, and the massive cuts begin, the first to get hit will be these social programs.
If we support the federal government we have today, we have to realize we have hit the end of the road in tax cuts, the time to raise taxes has arrived.
The next president will decide:
Fundamentally shrink and eliminate swaths of government or increase revenue to the treasury and rebuild the parts of government we value in an effort to get them to perform and function in a manner appropriate for a top tier nation.
4
I wonder why Congress is not investigating Trump, and his appointees to teh SEC, fro market manipulation. like clockwork, the markets hot record highs and then he imposes new tariffs, talks breakdown with China, etc. and the market drops. Then his friends, like Bloomberg, race in and send the market up again, after stocks are dumped.
Of course, this move, does absolutely nothing, other than make it worse fro US manufacturers which have to pay more fro steel. Which of course will be passed on in higher prices. Meanwhile, no one is starting up a steel plan in the US.
American farmers are already hurt by Chinese tariffs, so not they have more tariffs to contend with. Farmers were already at the edge; this will push them over the edge.
The US may get two Christmas presents this year; a Trump created recession and Trump's impeachment. In addition to a a lump of coal to the retail industry, as consumers hold back, because of more Trump created uncertainty.
FYI, if you have an IRA, is is losing about 1/2 percent of its value right now. Why? Tariffs, manufacturing weakness, depressed farm prices, and stalled Chinese trade talks. Trump's solution? Throw gasoline on a roaring fire. January, 2020 cannot come soon enough, with hopefully Trump out of office and heading to federal prison with a bunch of his staff and GOP politicians.
21
@Nick Metrowsky
"American farmers are already hurt by Chinese tariffs, so not they have more tariffs to contend with. Farmers were already at the edge; this will push them over the edge."
Wonder what would it take to make them vote against Trump.
13
@Nick Metrowsky
So why do the farmers still support him?
1
@dba
Because they don't want to admit that they were conned.
2
I tink he's doing this just because he needs more tariff money, paid for by American businesses, to pay off the farmers who voted for him in 2016 and are suffering the most from his senseless trade wars. Simply said, he desperately needs to buy their votes in 2020.
24
@LRS That's exactly right except that some importers will not pass on part of those tariffs, which are taxes, in order to not have their market disappear completely were the consumers to stop buying their products. In any event, it's the American consumers and businesses that are getting hit by those tariffs, with a multiplying effect as you say. And Trump is using their money to buy votes in 2020.
2
International trade doesn't need political interference. Trump relishes, along with his termites, adding complication, and making matters worse. Trade runs on its own rules, specifications, and organizations to adjudicate conflicts and monitor the rules. Before Trump, trade was everyday background, it's own business as usual. It is critical it be resumed. Trump is creating chaos. Life is not a James Bond movie. The world must be rid of Trump.
19
@cab02149 , political interference is all he does. In foreign affairs like Ukraine's, in domestic affairs like torments and threats to immigrants, in economic affairs like tariffs and trade, in military affairs--jerking our troops and allies around at will for his pleasure or whim. It's all Trump political showtime all the time. He thinks it's the WWF, he's wearing the championship belt, bully and bluster take the day as his crowd goes wild. It's grotesque, and you're right. The world cannot afford this madness.
3
Because Trump's trade wars have been working so well, producing so much good for Americans and American business. Yeah, let's do more of that.
14
That man loves doing important things, especially things that hurt people. He's intoxicated with power, and why use it to help? It's as if you're serving them, and that's no kick. It's when you hurt people, when you roll over them, when what they need or desire is crushed--your will over theirs. That's the kick. You see it in his "love" for cruel dictators, in his stirring up people and nations against each other. With him, there's no ideology behind it; he's been this way all along, from his wives to the world. Others invent the ideology--the only one he'd want, anyway. He's a messiah, the Chosen One, an idea so demented that it boggles the mind. And a demented crowd of true believers follows blindly, working out their own psychological problems in that way. The mad rush of power, irresponsible power, urges them on. We've seen this before. It's worth bending heaven and earth to stop it.
458
Should be NYT pick.
71
@jb
He is sadistic, out to hurt people on purpose.
52
@jb and then there are his "supporters." I fear for the U.S.
33
Everything Trump touches - dies...
50
What is this man doing? Where is Anonymous when we need him!?! Argentina is in the throes of ultra poverty and this man imposes a tariff on a major export? Can our economy possibly be damaged by Argentina? He is the ultimate gringo besides being out of his mind.
47
@Mickeyd You are completely right. Argentina's currency is sinking because of its sinking economy, and with it Argentinians' lives... Utterly appalling
7
Rudi should add the southern cone to his portfolio, and let Donald/Jr build a hotel in Rio or Buenos aires
10
More from the stable genius.... I have no faith this man has a clue about what he is doing... God, or Congress, help us!
23
@Paul
But the people around him, the supposed advisers should know, but they are as bad as he is. Are all of them just characterless and spineless wimps?
2
Is this Trump move designed a thinly veiled attempt to help out Oleg Deripaska and Mitch McConnell with their Kentucky shenanigans?
13
Here's an article showing how tariffs take their toll on one American manufacturer.
https://www.npr.org/2019/12/02/783359225/his-company-makes-speakers-now-hes-speaking-out-opposing-tariffs
16
Mr. Bolsonaro expressed shock at the tariffs, thinking that he had a good personal relationship with Mr. Trump. Mr. Bolsonaro had gone so far as to present himself as a mini-Trump. What he fails to understand is that Mr. Trump does not have friends. Everything is transactional for Mr. Trump. It matters not what you have given Mr. Trump in the past. The sole question concerns what you will do for Mr. Trump next. How many people have assumed a friendship with Mr. Trump, but now are doing periods of time in a penitentiary for helping Mr. Trump? For Mr. Trump, loyalty runs in only one direction.
Do not allow yourself to think that Mr. Trump has friends. He has only transactional relationships of which he takes advantage. This will never change. He cares not for his friends, and he cares not for the American people. Why should Mr. Bolsonaro expect him to care about people in Brazil or Argentina? That's one foolish expectation.
58
@Che Beauchard
Trump must have an army of enemies out there. The impeachment could really turn into an avalanche of disclosures of Trump and the family crime syndicate.
6
Seems like the US dollar is getting stronger against the South American currencies.
Does anyone know why?
@Independent
Yes. There is more demand for dollars in countries where the economy goes badly. It's a result of bad things happening to local economies, like the burning of the Amazon or the return of spendthrift Peronism to power in Argentina.
I don't doubt that Trump's Bad Neighbor Policy will further damage Brazil and Argentina's economies, which may further weaken their currencies.
9
@Southern
And so is our debt.
Trump has a tariff fetish. What he doesn't have is a clue.
"..Because of Tariffs we will be able to start paying down large amounts of the $21 Trillion in debt that has been accumulated, much by the Obama Administration, while at the same time reducing taxes for our people. At minimum, we will make much better Trade Deals for our country!"
- Donald Trump
12
Recently, In the middle of the nigh,t Iran doubled the price of oil to its citizens. Riots soon followed.
Now Trump , at 5:30AM , tweets a new tariff on Brazilian and Argentinian oil thereby enhancing those countries to cut rain forrest swaths to make up for the lost income by exporting cheap grains to China.
Maybe some world leaders should try to get a better nights sleep.
7
The president, that man of great and unmatched wisdom, sure works in strange ways.
5
Reality Check USA could feed whole world if wanted too. Insted we produce vast quantys of ethenol for fuel for cars. USA needs to end all fosil fuel buring an save planet Alot can be done to encourage farmers to produce food .One offer rebates to people to turn in old cars or pickups blue book price. I doubt it will ever see it no one cares about next generation.
3
@jerry lee
this country is all about money, my money, the only value Trump people know.
1
I will restore the Tariffs; ha, never were tariffs.
Manipulating currency. Nonsensical. Trust me, Brazilians would LOVE to have their currency rise.
It's unclear what prompted this move. Is it clear what prompts any move from Trump?
Who gets up at 3:00 AM to tweet. Maybe he rolled over in bed and the Mrs. was not there and it made him mad.
10
@Tom They have separate bedrooms, on different floors.
Ever the loving couple!
2
As a nation that has no friends, Russia would naturally want to ruin America's historic friendship with its allies and the nations of the western hemisphere. Where it fails in its power of attraction, Russia applies leverage through the dark arts of blackmail and bribery. In its quest to corner the oil market, Russia is grabbing Venezuela with the consent of Vladimir Putin's vassal in the White House. Russia's end game is approaching as you can see by its decision to dump dollars and hoard gold as it strips the U.S. of its longtime trading partners. Republicans must find a way to blame Obama. Doesn't have to ring true, just sound angry.
10
I get the picture now.
Let the markets close out November, so that he can go to Afghanistan stand in front of the military and crow about how great their 401K's are doing, fly back and lob another giant wrench out of seeming left field into the economy, and markets, just as a new trading month starts.
Sooner or later their (our) 401k's wont be doing so well.
But that wont be his fault, of course.
10
@Allan B My 401K did GREAT under Obama (stock market from 6500 to 20,000), and under Obama, we had an intelligent, sane, law abiding administration that inherited a country and economy in disarray, and actually did make America great again.
1
Trump is really saying he want Americans to pay more for various products. His tariffs have giving Americans a pay cut. It cost more to buy stuff. You buying power is tanking.
12
Again. Presidential lust for headlines over policy. Was this a 5 or 9 AM tweet? A distraction from the real issues before America: liberty, peace and justice for all? Improving our roads, tunnels, airports and harbors?
A distraction from Congressional Inquiry?
Where are Presidential higher goals: building a better, safer. thriving America?
Or, better to bully developed countries in South America. Next Presidential plan - to Build a Wall in Panama?
32
As we enter the election year Trump is trying to deflect responsibility for the consequences of his tariff wars to anyone other than himself. It will be years before we know the full damage this administration has caused to our national security, economy and environment. He will not go lightly, but go he must!
49
Inertia. The world will always change and some changes are intentional while others are consequences. A normal government, or organization, try to look at the consequences of decisions. In the decision process, there are people with different opinions, with different roles. There are those that like quick changes and dynamics who say "yes, that would be great, let's try that!" and those who say: "hey, wait a minute, if we do that, this will happen". Inertia in politics is a bit like shock absorbers in a car.
In Trump's government, there was very little inertia to begin with and now, when all who dared to disagree with him are gone, there is next to nothing. The vehicle that is the USA will have a bouncy ride with plenty of tank-slappers. Your driver is not stable.
9
In one breath Trump brags about how well the economy is doing and how low the unemployment rate is. In the next breath he claims were being taken advantage of and American businesses are suffering so badly it's a national security issue. Which is it Don? If metals imported from Argentina and Brazil are a national security threat please stop pretending that our economy is doing so well.
66
Tariffs have already spooked American businesses into rethinking their supply chains, and into moving some manufacturing back to the US. The sellers of industrial machines are loving the tariffs - despite the higher cost of steel, If the revenue from tariffs offset taxes, that is not a bad idea (particularly if they offer relief to lower incomes with higher standard deduction, say an additional $6000). If after moving manufacturing to the US, American firms can lower costs because they have implemented high tech process engineering (say robotics, automation), then this is a win win. If we lose our hysteria with nuclear power and focus on renewable energy; it might be a serious win.
There will be tremendous critique of tariffs too; they are blamed for WWII and what not, and all of them are valid to a point. Of course tariffs are dangerous if they lead to shoddy, overpriced goods for Americans (see any third world country with high tariffs designed to help local manufacturing).
Then there is another factor. All new tariff-induced manufacturing, logistics and energy production (if that happens) will require an educated, disciplined, 'free of addiction,' psychosocially vibrant workforce (I suspect). Where does that leave the MAGA?
5
None of the manufacturing is coming back. None.
20
Revenue from tariffs? You do realize that “we” pay them on this side of the border? It is a tax!
12
I hadn’t known that “Hooray,” was spelled with quite this many, “ifs,” in it.
As in, “This is great, if I get a pony for Christmas.”
1
Because the tariff gambit has been so easy and has worked so well?
14
currency manipulation? Ha! this all amounts to a hill of beans...... soy beans...... the ones not sold to china and the ones not being planted because there is no market. he is less a cadet bone spurs and more a Captain "Wrongway" Peter Peachfuzz.
9
The one hurting our farmers is Trump. He is giving the big farmers all the dollars, while the little family farms are filing for bankruptcy. Isn’t this the socialism that Trump is always complaining about? Trump said he is the best deal maker, so where are the great deals? When all else fails, hit another country with tariffs. Trump needs to go back to his tower in NYC, but he knows he isn’t liked there. How much more damage is he going to do to this country? Will we ever recover from his actions?
36
Oh well. Since the SA countries have wisely ducked the bullet of western ownership of water and electricity which has struck Costa Rica squarely between the eyes, this is the retaliation.
I have noticed the increasingly more desperate attempt to draw attacks from the occupied Middle East inhabitants now that Russian gas is in the offing and Chinese commercialism is available; more possibilities than the continuing endless war we're offering.
What would you choose?
3
Please, the biggest soybean trading company in Brazil and Argentina is the American company that dominant here. They stand to gain by recouping investment into Brazil and Argentina.
5
Please reference that Brazil and Argentina have massively increased future purchases of American soybeans. See Bloomberg futures report. So in effect China is merely adding a middleman and increasing futures prices. Over the short haul China has no where to go but American farmers.
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As the world's biggest customer (i.e., consumer), I understand that we can wield power in the form of tariffs to drive more revenue. This said, will all of these tariffs balance our budget, or bring us any closer to doing so in any meaningful way?
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@Bob The answer to your question is an emphatic "no"! The tariffs will not cause our budget to improve an any meaningful way. The higher likelihood is that the trade war will cause the next recession, which will decrease incomes and make the budget deficit worse.
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America is a rudderless ship heading into a cataclysmic storm. The captain is watching TV and drinking Diet Cokes.
Reminds me of Nero.
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It doesn't soothe my fears any that Brazil and Argentina are listening to their best economists and taking into consideration all the moving parts of international trade, while here at home we have a president tweeting from the toilet at 5 AM and patting himself on the back because no one else was consulted.
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The phrase "one-trick pony" comes to mind.
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That @massive amount of revenue” yeah that comes from US consumers.....
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The U.S. doesn't collect massive amounts of money from foreigners when it imposes tariffs. The massive amounts of money are paid by American firms and consumers.
Also, have a look at the impact on the U.S. stock market today, Trump, you dope! But keep it up! A recession will be be your undoing, which is what we want in the final analysis.
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Another example of how Trump is a part of the problem, not part of a solution.
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The only question left unanswered is whether trump's caddy suggested this to him on the seventh hole on the thirteenth tee box.
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@RNS Unlikely that Trump's caddy or anyone's caddy would be this ignorant of basic high school economics.
Caddies are not dopes. More likely it was the stable genius himself.
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So we open up to Russian oligarchs while worrying about poorer southern countries that pose no threat?
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One assumes the Russians desire to further increase trade with Brazil and Argentina.
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This is sheer lunacy, and once again shows that Trump does not understand trade. The call for tariffs is also another distraction tactic in Trump's arsenal. More of these will surface in the coming months.
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Aluminum is not a major export of the two countries, both export 800-900 million dollar worth per year, which is a bit more that 1% of Argentinian export and under .5% of Brazilian. The whole premise is questionable if not absurd. Countries can intervene to achieve some exchange rate or leave it totally to markets, and this is normal activity that is not prompting sanctions. But under "America First", we should think what does it imply for American consumers and businesses.
Retail consumers will not notice much. Aluminum producers will not notice much either since these are modest exporters. Importantly, there is no increase of domestic production in sight, because that would require a new source of cheap electricity, say, a big hydro project. But businesses using aluminum must be under strain as aluminum sanctions revolve in all directions and vary frequently.
5
@Piotr Berman I count at least 7 facts in your comment that never even occurred to our President. Piotr for President 2020.
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Enforcing a fair playing field when it comes to global trade is not easy, and I am happy to see a US President actually take a stand against unfair trade practices.
4
Soon there will be a takeback with a "great new deal with Argentina and Brazil."
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More...taxes for us, yay!
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For every accidentally good thing he does, he does 10 or more bad things deliberately. Let's not fan the coals by paying more attention to his tariff tirades and trade gimmicks.
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He has absolutely no idea what he is doing. None at all, and that gets clearer and clearer every day.
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Gee, I wonder if Trump's trade warr with China has anything to do with this?
Trump is only capable of thinking in one dimension at a time. He has no clue that in a complex web of interactions, when you disrupt on lynchpin it will set off reactions throughout the system.
And i thought that he promised us that isolationism was the answer to everything? And that he would negotiate the "best deals" of any president ever?
Yet, 40% of our citizens support him, and think that he's a better president than Lincoln?
Who wins from all of this? Russia and China, of course!
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'Trade wars are good' said the boy-in-chief. Look how well we are doing with China.
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So trump's on the hopper this morning with his phone being presidential...
If he hadn't started a trade war our farmers, manufacturers, and fishermen would be in a better place, and so would much of the country.
He must have just figured out where China is getting it's veggies.
President Stable Genius...
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China is never going to let themselves become reliant on the US farmer again. They would be fools to do so. Currency is a third order issue.
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@deepharbor , a lot of countries are turning away and developing trade and other relations that leave us out. Even if we can restore sanity and responsibility after Trump is gone, there's the chance we could end up in four or eight or twelve years with another despot--maybe even worse than Trump, maybe as mean and crazy, but smart. The loss of trust as dependable in alliance of any kind will isolate us perhaps permanently.
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I was in Argentina at the time of their recent election. I don't believe that the government has intentionally weakened their currency, the peso. However, on the other hand I don't believe that anyone in the public believes that the official rate of about 60 pesos to the Dollar represents the true value currency. Service people there were very happy (big smiles!) to receive tips in crisp, new US dollar bills.
2
Trump is unable to negotiate a trade deal with China-he keeps teasing that one is about to be signed.This is another lie.Argentina and Brazil,are supplying China with soybeans because Trump is trying to punish China with tariffs.They in turn are trying to get to Trump by withholding their large imports of American soybeans.Trump is caught up in a trade war which is widening and will sooner rather than later crash the economies of the United States and other important trading partners.
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Congress which has the constitutional authority to impose tariffs does nothing
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@dave, why should they? tRump gets fleeting thoughts and acts on them. Congress uses logic.
2
More tax increases on Americans, courtesy of Trump. To Trump lovers and other trade haters, please note that tariffs on imported goods are paid for by consumers in higher prices.
All the winning. It’s hard to take.
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It is worth noting, Argentina is currently in transition. Trump's old buddy, center right Mauricio Macri lost the election. A left wing, Peronist new president, Alberto Fernandez, assumes office on December 10th, 2019 So does, incredibly, as his V.P., Cristina Kirchner, who is facing multiple corruption charges.
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@La Rana Worth noting that two countries were targeted and that the other country is Brazil which is run by what the media have termed a mini Trump.
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@Louis del Valle I was just in Argentina. I see no connection in that regard between the two countries. Argentina's economy is hurting, and the election of Fernandez and Christina is not helping in the minds of the business community or the public in general, outside of the ghettos.
1
@Garth I never heard the shanty towns around large cities in Argentina referred to as ghettos. The slums are called "villas" for short, when referring to a"villa miseria".
1
Another incoherent policy decision from our President. No real facts needed to implement the policy save for a 5am twitter rambling.
Combine that with the belief that the tariffs will be paid by Brazil and Argentina (and then given to farmers as welfare), and you have Trump's "winning" formula.
This is truly scary how he fools his followers.
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Mr. President: Stop pretending that you didn't cause this mess. You want farm votes? Let's bring back $12 beans. Then we'll see.
36
Big win for Russian Aluminum. Sanctions and Tariffs removed by Trump.
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This is going to end badly. You can't continually beggar your neighbors to increase your exports.
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@Glenn Argentina has a very closed economy to begin with. And they're poor now. Their imports from the US aren't likely to increase much in the near future.
3
The President's Bad Neighbor Policy against Latin America revs up. This move suggest that U.S support for democratic change in Venezuela is for show. We can't work with Latin America effectively when we call their citizens "rapists and murderers", cut off aid to Central American countries which desperately need it and refuse to grant TPS to Venezuelans whom we claim to support.
As the article indicates Argentina and Brazil have taken away much of our agricultural exports to China because of Trump's agricultural tariffs, which continue to impoverish America's family farmers. If this goes on much longer, only BigAG, which gets a good slice of the compensatory subsidies, will survive Trump's presidency.
The last time we had such a miserable policy toward Latin America was the early 1900s. Then SecState Philander C. Knox called it "Dollar Diplomacy".
16
Brazilian and Argentinian currencies are in free fall because of their terrible economies. The only way to raise their value is to reduce the outstanding currency. The only way to do that is to use hard currency to buy it back or to issue bonds (which no sane person would buy).
4
".....hurting American farmers."
If the President hadn't started these trade wars in the first place, our farmers wouldn't be suffering as they are now. Unfortunately, these farmers and millions of other Americans continue to cast a blind eye and support Trump no matter the actions he takes and the adverse ramifications that result.
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@cherrylog754 They support him as long as he "subsidizes" their losses due to the trade war (alos known as socialism). He claims that this support is for the short term, and his true believers still think this will happen 2 years later despite the facts disproving all of his theories. My tax dollars at work allowing Trump to buy his votes.
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@cherrylog754
Given the dreadful food produced by famers, subsidized by taxpayers, and then presented to school children in the USA , the substandard fruits and veggies (and now we don't even grow avocados) in the grocery store-- part of the 280 billion in food that gets tossed annually... the destruction of waterways by various dairy farmers-- frankly Virginia... I wish I had a veggie plot.
Suffering farmers or suffering shareholders (about whom I don't care a whit)? Let's say what is really true. I know nothing about farm bills and who benefits in the US, but it's quite likely it's a scam l(as it is in Poland) benefitting the rich and powerful..
Glad to hear the stock market is down. (It produces nothing -- if you get my drift....)and we are addicted to its principals and think it's something real. Stop worshipping Wall Street and Amazon, etc.
12
@cherrylog754
As some farmers have observed China has moved to find new sources of the agri products that they need. It will be hard if not impossible to get them to re-establish the previous supply chains they had wit US farmers especially if they feel that those will always be vulnerable to trumps irradical behaviour. We may all be eating soty cakes her routinely in the future.
16
Five in the morning, Trump tweets the imposition of taxes on Americans and nobody knows why, roiling markets and setting the US on another trade war..how many it that now?
That’s how Trump uses the power delegated to the President.
369
"and nobody knows why"
No, we all know why. Carl Icahnfireyou wanted another insider trading opportunity, and the loser's more than happy to roil the "market" (casino) to make one for 'em.
Of course they're against gun control—they are all for bump stocks! Or at least stock bumps...
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@Yeah
Does anyone know if Mr. Trump's advisers and election contributors - who happen to be big investors - have shorted the market on Friday?
30
@Yeah Perhaps if congress would do their job and get a trade deal done? Trump would have to do these things. Meanwhile, Nancy Pelosi and the other Democrats are in Spain at a climate conference. You can decide, which is more important.
1
Brazil and Argentina are now suppling the soybeans and wheat to China that U.S. farmers used to. Brazil is burning down large areas of the Amazon forrest to do so. This paradigm will be with us long after Trump is gone. And the U.S. taxpayer bailouts of farmers hurt by Trump's actions will not go on forever.
U.S. farmers bought a bunch of "promises" (incoherent ramblings) from a well documented liar and con artist in 2016. Will they be so gullible in 2020?
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@Will.
I believe the answer to your question is "yes". I've not seen a single interview or written piece with any farmer indicating they are taking their support away from the con-artist in chief. Never assume they understand the true meaning of "for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”
173
Aren’t a lot of these small, independent farmers evangelicals, awaiting the so-called Rapture?
If so, perhaps they will continue to support Trump simply because they see his impenetrable and hurtful policies as just another step along that “hoped-for” outcome. Never mind about the country, the planet, or the rest of us.
75
Yes they will. Fox and Sinclair are their news sources.
93
Isaac Newton, it is better for you to take notice and voluntarily amend your law to F=ma/2.
3
Dear Wharton,
Who is the PhD Economics professor who gave Trump a passing grade?
Asking for a friend.
64
New "Trump tariffs" on steel and aluminum imports from Brazil and Argentina? Totally ridiculous "I can do anything I feel like" behavior. First, it's using more crazy "national security" justifications to unilaterally raise tariffs. Second, it's blatant politically motivated action by the president, aimed at improving his personal chances for reelection (e.g., votes of "American farmers"). Talk about abusing executive power in search of personal gain! Third, I don't think Trump understands (or else he deliberately misleads) how foreign exchange rates fluctuate based on currency markets vs. official government actions to "manipulate" rates. And finally, this time he's picking on the two largest countries in South America, with whom we normally have very good relations -- Brazil and Argentina will have a few choice words for Senhor Trump and Señor Trump! But on the main point, abuse of power, what more evidence do we want to argue impeachment?
29
Given that we struck a trade deal with these countries for aluminum and steel, where are our manufacturers now going to buy those products? How will they, if no other markets are readily available, raise their prices? No doubt someone could have created a well designed strategy, no doubt Trump cannot.
A question for Republican senators from the rust belt and farm belt states, how long will it take you to see you must vote for impeachment in order to save your donors?
9
Never textiles, though, isn't that right Donald. We never see any tariffs imposed on your clothing line - manufactured in China, Mexico, and Argentina, do we.
121
There are many reasons Brazil's currency is in crisis. I doubt Bozonaro would purposely betray the man he once declared his love for.
4
Think of all the quid pro quo opportunities Trump just created. Everything Trump does should be viewed through the lens of "what's in it for Trump."
1) Brazil - "I would like to remove the tariffs, talk to Rudy"
2) U.S. Manufacturer - "If your company needs an exemption to the steel tariff, talk to the Wilbur Ross."
3) U.S. Farmers - "If you want me to keep the pressure on Brazil's farmers, I need your votes and support."
36
American farmers, at least big farmers, will support Trump as long as he gives them money, tax money, to protect them from the consequences of his policies like tariffs. I guess when the money goes into your pockets it isn’t socialism or a handout. Whether you think “socialist” Obama helping the auto industry was a good idea or not, the money was a loan, which was paid back.
216
This has nothing to do with steel and aluminum. This is a revenge play to punish Brazil and Argentina for exporting agricultural products to China. Trump is getting a lesson in how international trade works. Cut off one supply and another supply steps in to fill the void. Trump thinks he can control the world. He cannot. He thinks that because we are the largest economy, all other nations will bow to his will. They will not. He thinks his executive orders can dominate international exchange rates. They cannot. But he sure can cause a lot of trouble
534
@Bruce Rozenblit
That sounds too logical. The Mad Hatter is not logical, just corrupt.
16
@Bruce Rozenblit
trump's attempt to destroy China's economy backfired, depressing the price of copper, blowing a hole in Chile's budget and sending Chile's economy toward recession. All it took was a spark, and Chile is in shambles and Pinera's agenda is finished . trump seems determined to also bring down Bolsonaro, who unbelievably looks almost sane compared to trump. Macri and Pinera are toast, and Bolsonaro will be next to fall. Kirchner and Madero must be toasting each other while plotting how to fill the power vacuum trump is creating across South America.
15
@Bruce Rozenblit - The man thrives on causing trouble - it's his fuel. He can't let a news cycle go by without creating a crisis - it gets him the attention he craves. If it hurts someone, even his supporters, all the better. He will lie to them, blame someone else - they eat it up and ask for more. He's a bored, malicious juvenile, playing games with other people's lives for amusement. I'm hoping the hamberders, steaks and KFC come to the rescue. And no, I'm not ashamed of myself for writing that.
24
Of all the reasons to do this to Brazil I would think currency manipulation would be the least egregious...
This is definitely a wag the dog moment.
13
Note to General Bone Spurs: Argentina and Brazil governments have to answer to the people in there countries. The Trade War with China will have consequences for US businesses that are dependent on that market, if you don't have the belly for the fight, you're not as tough as you claim to be on Trade.
9
"It is unclear exactly what prompted Mr. Trump’s message."
Try impeachment.
261
So the United States under President Trump wants to have ongoing trade disputes with China, Europe and Latin America? Leaving aside for a moment the merits of each case, there is something to be said for picking your battles or at least picking off your opponents one by one. This is insane.
89
Hey. We’re still good with Australia. For now...
11
Trump's alarm clock says: What can I do to annoy or offend somebody this morning?
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@Tom His second alarm clock says "What can I do today to please Putin?"
10
When we think of American farmers we picture actual farmers, not the industrial conglomerates that is the reality. Sad.
71
What this will accomplish is turn South America completely toward China, which has already been happening at an accelerated pace. That and more violence and chaos, now in the two largest democracies in the region.
132
China is our economic enemy that could easily turn into another kind of enemy.
5
@Olivia
Why seeing China as enemy at all? Outside of NATO, most country’s opinion of China isn’t any less than that of the US and China certainly isn’t as adventurous as the US on imposing regime change and sanctions.
10
He has to blame somebody and it won't be himself.
177
Trump is causing a big economy problem which at the end US will pay the bill. it would be easier handle the situation with China in a way that could be favorable for US and not allow the second biggest ( or might be the first ?) open new markets with different countries. who will pay the price ? Americans!
25
Trump's brand of revenge politics has poisoned the world and now is hurting his constituents.
171
@Bill More liberal, leftist, socialist nonsense. Trump’s constituents are not mega farm conglomerates. They are people who live middle class lives, not in gated/ privileged communities, like those who dictate how the rest of us should live.
4
@Olivia If you think his trade wars are going to affect those in gated/privileged communities, as opposed to the middle class, you're sorely mistaken. For the average American household, the effect of the trade war has been an increase of $460 this year in cost of goods before this latest addition of Brazil and Argentina. Trump's farm bailout is now twice the cost of the auto bailout, $28B and counting; those are our tax dollars being squandered by his ineptitude.
150
@Olivia Your comment is appalling and a non-sequitur. My comment has nothing to do with socialism, is not leftist, nor is it leftist. I'm frankly pro-business. My comment has everything to do with mercurial, rudderless, and feckless leadership which resulted in our loss of position as top dog throughout the World. Trumps tariffs cost average Americans and have not spurred on our steel industry as he promised. Our coal industry he promised to revitalize just had its' largest bankruptcy in history. Our farmers are receiving more subsidies than ever and are not planting as the spigot was turned off when he imposed tariffs on China. He has in fact instituted revenge diplomacy and politics, his diplomacy and negotiations are bankrupt and that's where we are today and it is not helping average Americans.
101
Trade wars easy to win quoted the US President. The proof of the pudding is in the eating and so the Chinese prefer Brazilian beans without tariffs. So US farmers have been sacrificed to help US industry.Fair exchange no robbery as the saying goes?
98
Yea. hurting American farmers.
All those tons of soybeans, how being grown in Brazil, because Trump started a trade war. But now it's those other markets that are "hurting" the American farmer, who today is mostly a factory, industrial-scale operation.
113
@matty - I agree with you on the fact that commercial farming is nothing less than a factory in operation at the dawn of the Industrial Era (when Thomas A. Edison never slept!).
Commercial farming = a low quality food product + cheap raw materials + unsustainable business models. It has no business in being in business anywhere in the world.
12
@Sightseer
I agree, but the point I was making is blaming the "new market" for the hurt bestowed on the American farmer, whether corporate or not (but probably corporate) is wrong. The blame for those new markets rests at the foot of Der Trumpf the person who started the trade war.
18