Do E U S S R Delusions Know No Bounds?

[ToraToraTora]

https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/967665/US-trade-war-EU-Donald-Trump-steel-aluminium-tariffs-Manfred-Weber-Germany

[Old_Geezer]

The issue is that he doesn't seem to have the image of someone who can negotiate, but one of someone who does whatever he wants with neither subtlety nor regard, and hang the consequences; presumably because he doesn't believe all won't go as he wishes. We'll have to see how it all pans out.

[Peter Pedant]

Whilst ignoring the usual anti(or Vichy as TTT rightly dubbed them) British gainsayers. :))

o god who let the dogs out?

interesting point on tee vee
the steel in transit to amerikee has become 25% more expensive ( at 0501 ) and you wont be able to wind back the contract - more US bankruptcies ....

[ichkeria]

Now we see the truly awful consequences of a Trump presidency. With even top republicans condemning this insanity. Here is a man plainly out of his depth also in international diplomacy, as the humiliating uncertainty over N Korea talks, for one thing, demonstrates.
A few ‘respected’ commentators seem to think his posturing over NATO is a positive thing. I’m struggling with that one I have to say

[jim360]

YMB: I get that this is essentially a campaign promise (not a manifesto promise, as no such thing exists in the US), but that still doesn't make it a good thing. It's also not quite a campaign promise per se, because during 2016 he was mostly ranting at China (not entirely without justification, to be fair). So it's odd that his first targets should include the EU and Canada, which are, or ought to be, seen as allies of the US.

I am somewhat out of my depth when it comes to economics but historically it's fairly clear that trade wars don't bring about the "balancing of books" that The Donald is trying to achieve. It's a bad decision, according to almost everyone else both in the US and the world. One analysis suggests that up to about half a million american jobs could be lost because of this decision, and while that's likely to be a worst-case scenario and therefore not likely to happen in reality it's still probably in the right direction.

Carrying out a bad decision, against advice and all common sense, just because you said you would isn't something to be commended.

[Spicerack]

'I am somewhat out of my depth when it comes to economics'

Don't sell yourself short, jim.
Anyone who can construct a sentence including,

'One analysis suggests that up to about'
and,
'and therefore not likely to happen in reality it's still probably'

is a shoo-in for the aBBC's Economics Editor.

[Spicerack]

That's if the Political Editor doesn't snap you up first.

'Carrying out a decision just because you said you would isn't something to be commended.'
(^Extraneous drivel removed)

[jim360]

Aww, thanks, spicerack :)

[New Judge]

Pots and kettles spring to mind.

The EU was set up as a protectionist organisation to shield European countries from the nasty competition that abounds across the globe. It still has that as its principle aim and the main beneficiaries are the German manufacturing industry and French agriculture. It achieves this protection by the imposition of tariffs on otherwise competitive imports which might eat into the EU's share of any particular market.

The EU imposes hefty tariffs on many US exports including cars, pharmaceuticals and agricultural products. The US administration (before Trump) has been trying to persuade the EU to ease some of these tariffs but to no avail. This is because, as always, EU political dogma trumps pragmatism.

Yes, a tariff war will ultimately benefit nobody, least of all the consumer, but the President Trump is only now proposing what the EU has been doing on a global scale for forty years or more and it seems they don't like it up 'em. The sooner the UK fully extracts itself from this ridiculous and highly pernicious organisation the better.