Trump manages to anger another major ally

The Independent reports, "Donald Trump and Shinzo Abe have failed to reach a deal which would exempt Japan from the US’s steel and aluminium tariffs."

Trump said the current trade deficit between the two countries was too high to merit an exemption right now.

"Japan remains the only major US ally which is not exempted from the 25 per cent tariff on steel imports and a 10 per cent tariff on aluminium imports.

"Most other key allies, among them the European Union, Canada, Australia and Mexico, have already been granted exemptions to Mr Trump’s protectionist measures.

"Mr Abe argued Japanese imports “would not exert any negative influence” on the security of the US,. He added that the high quality of Japanese steel and aluminum products would be difficult to replace."

Mr. Abe may have a point. Take the case of CP Industries as an example.

The New York Times writes, "CP Industries just got an expensive lesson in the unintended consequences of protectionism.

"Based in McKeesport, Pa., the company makes seamless vessels to store gases at high pressure — steel cylinders of up to six tons that it sells to the likes of the Navy, NASA and T. Boone Pickens’s Clean Energy. It has received the first bill from the 25 percent tariff that President Trump placed on steel from China and a few other countries [Japan]: $178,703.09 assessed on a steel-pipe shipment scheduled to arrive at the Port of Philadelphia on Thursday.

"That’s equivalent to about two weeks’ payroll. Over all, tariffs on steel pipe that the company has ordered from China — some already on its way across the Pacific — will add more than half a million dollars to raw-material costs over six months alone."

“How long can we last?” mused Michael Larsen, the company’s chief executive. “I don’t know. We could go down relatively fast.”

"What most sticks in the executive’s craw is that he will probably end up losing business to the company’s main rival in China, Enric Gas Equipment Company of Shijiazhuang, which also makes jumbo vessels."

In other words, Trump wants his tariffs to protect the American worker. Instead, the liberal, archaic, protectionist tariffs hurt the American worker. Which is why the Republican Party is opposed to his tariffs.

 

Our "allies", You know the countries that bitch about our politics behind our back and then kiss our ass so we will continue to keep a military base in their country and cover all their defense costs, need a good solid kick in the ass.
Thank God for a president that recognizes this fact.

 

You do understand the US gets a big security benefit from helping to pay for Japan's defense, right?

But last Friday, Defense Minister Tomomi Inada updated the information for the first time in more than 10 years, saying Japan paid about ¥191 billion in 2015, about 86.4 percent of the total cost.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2...pay-host-u-s-forces-depends-ask/#.Wtkf5tT4_cs

 

Good, I'm still pissed over Pearl Harbor.

Not going to lose any sleep if they get a little ruffled.

 

That doesn't begin to cover the $69 billion trade deficit with Japan. Any other of the 70 countries you care to discus?

 

I was in Mckeesport the week before the 2016 election. There was a Trump sign on everything that didn't move, and a lot that did.

Talk about people being conned into voting against their own interests!

 

So we're going to lose jobs WHY?

 

What are you talking about?

 

Our companies got more back in tax breaks than they are paying in tariffs.

 

Lucky you ...if that's true...

Course we all paid for that but...

And you're not typical

 

Trump is negotiating.

 

Yea, and the stock market will crash . Trump saying rocket man will cause nuclear destruction on the Korean Peninsula. China is going to pummel Trump in tariffs. Trump and Putin are working together ... do you guys ever tire of your BS. Because I'm tired of it !

 

The stock market has been on a wild ride since Trump signed the budget deal, insuring gigantic deficits for no reason at all, and since he started his trade war politics.

Rocket Man now has ICBM's and is in the driver's seat in his talks with Trump. He knows it. I doubt that Trump is smart enough to figure it out. (evidence suggest he isn't).

China is pummelling the US on tarriffs. Ask any soybean farmer.

Trump and Putin aren't working together. But Trump never misses and opportunity to kiss Vlad's butt, even as the Russians continue their cyber war against the US.

 

Since when does our foriegn policy hinge on whether or not someone gets angry? This nonsense explains why the past few decades have been an across the board failure for foreign policy.

 

Oh, golly gee. I'm so happy we have a president that will kick Japan's butt. But. but how can this possibly cost jobs? Trump and his minions simply don't understand the current state of the global economy, but they sure do hate it. They do not understand the interdependency and links between businesses and nations that govern the reality of this global economy. Go back and reread the OP. A U.S. small business is facing possible bankruptcy because it's reliance on China for high quality steel has been delivered a body blow to its bottom line because of tariffs.

Are U.S. companies ready to pick up the ball? Apparently not. This is not an isolated incident, it is typical and it will spread. Let's take, for example, tariff on Chinese solar panels. Who will that affect. Consumers, solar system installation companies, key electrical and electronic system suppliers, and related support industries that live by consumer demand for solar systems.

Trump treats world trade and nations like it's a sleazy New York real estate deal. Worse, like it's a zero sum game. The world does't work that way, it never has and likely never will. Trump is merely a small time player that stepped on the third rail of global forces and international equilibrium.

 

Fear mongering by those who are terrified of a stronger America is a lame tactic. A global economy needs countries who are willing to negotiate and play by the rules. Placating the countries who do not is a good way to get slaughtered like sheep.

 

This is what channeling MSNBC looks like.

 

There's more to this than meets the eye.Japanese steel in the finest
in the world.Which explains how Japan took over where the U.S.
steel Industry once dominated.But it's certainly no piece of cake to
construct a steel foundry.
Pat Buchanan used to rail-on about Tariffs with his America First
platform when running for President.Tariffs were once about the only
way the Government could afford to operate.This being Before
the Income Tax.It's how America was built.Starting with 13 Agricultural
Colonies." Then becoming the Greatest Industrial empire the world
has ever seen.Outstripping Great Britain and all Europe together. "
" The last 25 years the United States has run $ 12 Trillion
in trade deficits with China,with Japan with Canada,Mexico
European trade unions.And that has been a vast hemmoraging
of factories,of jobs,of plants,of Investment of technology
Abroad " !!

 

Buchanan while on the Mike Gallagher Radio show stated that
in the first decade of the new century { 2000-2010 }
the United States lost 55,ooo factories.And 6 million manufacturing jobs.

 

Furthermore Pat Buchanan explains the founding of America.
Where Our Founders did not want to be beholden to Great Britain
for goods.Or Europe.Because in the late 1700's the America did not
build anything.To build a common economy because Who is the
Economy For.,? To build a common economy where Americans depend
on one another.That requires ending a reliance on Europe and others.
Especially China who Trump has spoken about repeatedly.
As Pat Buchanan explains when he visited *Shanghai with
Nixon in '72 and how it was dark,dank place and now a gleaming
place.Where what did Detroit look like in ' 72 compared to today.
In the 60's Detroit was considered a blooming flower of manufacturing
churning out automobiles and city was well preserved.
Look what years of Liberal management and policy's have yielded.
A City that certain sectors appear like Dresden after WW II.
A city,virtually on the brink of foreclosure.

 

I know, poor little America. She's getting slaughtered like sheep. Think of it, the poor country now only has 25% of global GNP. Does only 25% of global trade. And the poor bedraggled companies with a paltry 35-40% of overseas business. It's a damn shame.

 

The politics of envy at play in your post. So what if America is a successful place that does not mean it should give its success away.

 

The so called pro globalists are not true globalists. When someone correctly criticizes their stupid trade policies these faux globalists do not debate. They only yell "because globalism"!


The truth is countries still need to look out for their own interests. It is just the nature of global trade. There is no regulation to keep countries from violating agreements. Right now it is rule of the jungle, survival of the fittest that is at play. Looking out for one's own interests is the only way to play the game.

 

Yep, and they keep talking the same BS like nobody knows it's BS.

 

At the end of Obama's reign, his allies were Cuba, Hamas, France, and Venezuela. A lot of former allies came back when Donald Trump took office.