Tag Archives: china

Alternet: Trump’s clown car cabinet is driving off a cliff | Opinion

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UPS, the United Parcel Service, just announced that it is laying off 20,000 employees and closing 73 of its buildings by the end of June. It attributes the downturn to reduced shipping volume from its largest customer, Amazon, due to Trump’s tariffs.

When a division of Amazon considered telling consumers the truth, by posting the costs tariffs added to the price of each imported product, the mere possibility set the White House on attack mode. Trump immediately called Amazon owner Jeff Bezos, who reassured him Amazon would never do such a thing, while Karoline Leavitt accused Bezos of a “political and hostile” act just for thinking about it.

When a presidential team of incompetent egoists calls truth-telling a “hostile act,” we’re in trouble.

Trump’s clown car cabinet is driving off a cliff | Opinion
UPS, the United Parcel Service, just announced that it is laying off 20,000 employees and closing 73 of its buildings by the end of June. It attributes the downturn to reduced shipping volume from its largest customer, Amazon, due to Trump’s tariffs. When a division of Amazon considered telling consumers the truth, by posting the costs tariffs adde…

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-s-clown-car-cabinet-is-driving-off-a-cliff-opinion/ar-AA1E5ReC

Wall Street Journal: First Canada, Now Australia: The Trump Factor Boosts Another World Leader in an Election

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Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was returned to power in an election Saturday, the latest left-leaning leader to achieve a comeback victory as President Trump roils global markets and upends international affairs.

As of about 11 p.m. Sydney time, Albanese’s Labor Party was projected to win at least 87 seats in the nation’s House of Representatives—where governments are formed—defeating the conservative bloc of the Liberal and National parties, which was projected to win at least 40, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corp.

The result was a decisive win for Albanese, whose party expanded its majority in the 150-seat chamber. Before the vote, polls showed Albanese leading, but not by much.

First Canada, Now Australia: The Trump Factor Boosts Another World Leader in an Election
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was returned to power in an election Saturday, the latest left-leaning leader to achieve a comeback victory thanks partly to President Trump.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/first-canada-now-australia-the-trump-factor-boosts-another-world-leader-in-a-close-election/ar-AA1E671D

Huffington Post: The Trump Administration Thinks You Should Be OK With Being Poor

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But even as the bad news piles up, the Trump administration has decided to reassure panicked consumers with a chilling talking point: Poverty is good, actually.

Last month, as economists warned of the harm Trump’s tariff policies could cause, including drastically increasing the price of goods, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent attempted to dismiss those concerns by insinuating that being able to afford things is not important to Americans.

“Access to cheap goods is not the essence of the American dream,” Bessent said to a crowd of economists. 

It turns out this assertion was only the beginning of the Trump administration’s vision for a new American dream.

From Trump telling reporters that he’s not worried about empty stores to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick saying during an interview that in his version of America, multiple generations will work in the same factories, it sure seems like the Trump administration is trying to prime Americans for accepting and even enjoying a drastically lower standard of living.

The Trump Administration Thinks You Should Be OK With Being Poor
As the country’s economic outlook bleakens, Trump officials are trying to convince us that actually, being poor is a good thing.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/the-trump-administration-thinks-you-should-be-ok-with-being-poor/ar-AA1E4kNp

CNBC: Mattel CEO says toy manufacturing won’t come to America, but price hikes will

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  • Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz told CNBC he does not foresee toy manufacturing coming to America.
  • Instead, the company expects to raise prices in the U.S. to offset President Donald Trump’s 145% tariff on Chinese imports.
  • By the end of the year, less than 40% of Mattel’s product will be sourced from China, with a goal of reducing that to below 25% in the next two years.

One of the goals of President Donald Trump‘s 145% tariffs against China is to drive manufacturing back to America. But the odds of that are low, at least when it comes to toys.

“We don’t see that happening,” Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz said on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” on Tuesday, less than a day after the company withdrew annual financial targets.

“We need to remember that a significant part of toy creation happens in America,” he said. “Design, development, product engineering, brand management all happens in America. Making product, producing product in other countries, allows us to create quality products at affordable price points.”

Mattel CEO says toy manufacturing won’t come to America, but price hikes will
Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz says toy manufacturing will not come to America, but price increases will.

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/06/mattel-ceo-toy-manufacturing-trump-tariffs.html

CNN: The first boats carrying Chinese goods with 145% tariffs are arriving in LA. Shipments are cut in half. Expect shortages soon

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American consumers are on the cusp of tough choices because of President Donald Trump’s trade war.

Ships now pulling into US harbors from China are the first to be subject to the massive tariffs that America is imposing on most Chinese imports. That means, in a matter of weeks, consumers will face higher prices and shortages of certain items.

Imports from China have fallen dramatically since Trump imposed steep tariffs – particularly since last month, when the tit-for-tat trade war sent the tariff on most Chinese goods up to 145%.

“This week, we’re down about 35% compared to the same time last year, and these cargo ships coming in are the first ones to be attached to the tariffs that were levied against China and other locations last month,” Gene Seroka, executive director of the Port of Los Angeles, told CNN Tuesday. “That’s why the cargo volume is so light.”

The drop-off in imports from China on the boats now coming into port is more than 50%, Seroka said. Many importers have canceled previous orders because US businesses aren’t interested in paying the steep tariff, which can more than double the price of Chinese goods.

The Port of LA had expected 80 ships to arrive in May, but 20% of those have been canceled, Seroka said. Customers have already canceled 13 sailings for June.

The first boats carrying Chinese goods with 145% tariffs are arriving in LA. Shipments are cut in half. Expect shortages soon
American consumers are on the cusp of tough choices because of President Donald Trump’s trade war.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/economy/ar-AA1EgCdN

Barron’s: Global Shipping Is Grinding to a Standstill. It’s a Matter of Time Until Americans Feel It.

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There aren’t shortages of goods in U.S. stores yet, but if the deterioration in global shipping is any indication, they are on the way. That could complicate the White House’s pleas for Americans to be patient as trade officials rush to strike dozens of deals.

Cargo has dropped, or is expected to, at major ports including those of Los Angeles; Long Beach, Calif.; and New York-New Jersey, primarily on shipments from China, which exports more than any other country to the U.S.

U.S. import booking volumes have dropped 35% since late March, according to the shipping data company Vizion, including a 26% drop between the week ended April 21 and the following week. Shipments from China dropped nearly 43% in the last full week of April, the sharpest decline of the year. During April, several weeks saw China import bookings down by more than half, Vizion said.

The potential impact on companies and consumers is broad. Imports of Chinese electronics, plastics, vehicles, steel, and textiles have all fallen by more than half.

Perhaps just as concerning for some farmers and 

Global Shipping Is Grinding to a Standstill. It’s a Matter of Time Until Americans Feel It.
There aren’t shortages of goods in U.S. stores yet, but if the deterioration in global shipping is any indication, they are on the way.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/ar-AA1EhmJR

The Hill: Opinion: Trump is tanking with Ohio independents — a new poll shows why

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Trump won Ohio by 11 points in 2024. But the news among Ohio independents today is not especially good.

According to the latest Bowling Green State University-YouGov poll of 800 registered Ohio voters, Trump is underwater among independents. Just 40 percent approve, while 47 percent disapprove of his job performance. Just five months ago, 56 percent of Ohio independents reported voting for Trump.

Potential trouble among independent voters is apparent throughout the survey. More than half of Ohio independents (53 percent) think the country is on the wrong track, with nearly half (48 percent) saying that inflation or the economy in general is America’s most important problem and another 13 percent saying threats to democracy.

Asked about their personal economic situation, more than half of Ohio independents (52 percent) believe it has worsened. Their assessment of the U.S. economy is more dire. Nearly three-quarters (73 percent) believe it has gotten worse.

Asked about the Trump administration’s tariff policies, more than half of Ohio independents (51 percent) believe they hurt the U.S., and 53 percent believe they will hurt them personally. Specifically asked about a 25 percent tariff on Mexican and Canadian imports, 61 percent of Ohio independents are opposed.

Opinion: Trump is tanking with Ohio independents — a new poll shows why
President Trump is underwater among Ohio independents in a new poll.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/opinion-trump-is-tanking-with-ohio-independents-a-new-poll-shows-why/ar-AA1E4T08

The Atlantic: Don’t Look at Stock Markets. Look at the Ports.

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Stock markets plunged for days after President Donald Trump announced steep tariffs on imports from around the world. The sell-off ebbed only when he suspended most, but not all, of the new measures for 90 days. The ticker tape is just one indicator of an economy, and other signs are growing more and more ominous—including at the Port of Los Angeles, where high tariffs on China are crushing maritime traffic. “Essentially all shipments out of China for major retailers and manufacturers have ceased,” Eugene Seroka, the executive director of the port, said on April 24.

…

The Port of Los Angeles, the busiest containerized-cargo port in the Western Hemisphere, processes about 17 percent of everything the United States imports or exports in shipping containers. The adjoining Port of Long Beach accounts for another 14 percent. Over the years, a whole ecosystem has arisen to support the loading and unloading of the cars, clothes, electronic gadgets, and other things that people want. There are workers and warehouses, trucks and loading pads, security structures and rail lines.

Seroka estimated that cargo arrivals would soon be down 35 percent over the same time last year. At the moment, the drop in traffic seems likelier to accelerate than to reverse. The number of cargo ships canceling port calls or entire voyages is on the rise. A number of shipments now under way were instigated before Trump’s so-called Liberation Day tariff announcement, on April 2. According to Forto, a cargo-management and -tracking company, reservations for shipping products must normally be placed two weeks before a cargo vessel launches. The trip from China from California typically takes two or more additional weeks. In other words, the full effects of U.S. tariff policies on maritime traffic may not be apparent for some time.

Don’t Look at Stock Markets. Look at the Ports.
A drop in maritime traffic suggests that the worst is yet to come.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/don-t-look-at-stock-markets-look-at-the-ports/ar-AA1E6eR8

Associated Press: Trump brands his opponents as ‘communists,’ a label loaded with the baggage of American history

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For years, President Donald Trump blamed “communists” for his legal and political troubles. Now, the second Trump administration is deploying that same historically loaded label to cast his opponents — from judges to educators — as threats to American identity, culture and values.

If opposing King Donald makes me a communist, I’ll wear the label proudly!

In fact I have been a Republican for 50 of my 70 years. The current group of corrupt clowns who have taken over the Republican parts just aren’t my type of Republicans. I’ll cast my lot with any commie or lefty who can throw these bums out.

Trump brands his opponents as ‘communists,’ a label loaded with the baggage of American history
For years, President Donald Trump blamed “communists” for his legal and political troubles. Now, the second Trump administration is deploying that same historically loaded label to cast his opponents — from judges to educators — as threats to American identity, culture and values. Why? Trump himself explained the strategy last year when he describe…

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/trump-brands-his-opponents-as-communists-a-label-loaded-with-the-baggage-of-american-history/ar-AA1E6dVt

Daily Express: Temu halts Chinese shipments overnight as Trump kills tariff loophole in crackdown

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Temu, the Chinese e-commerce giant, has ceased shipping products from China to the United States, according to a company spokesperson last Friday as a key tariff loophole was cancelled by the Trump administration.

Now, all U.S. orders will be dispatched from domestic warehouses within America, and products that were once shipped directly from China and dominated the site are now listed as out of stock.

This shift follows the Trump administration’s move to to end the de minimis exemption that permitted Chinese-made goods valued at no more than $800 to enter the U.S. duty-free. The exemption, which President Trump denounced as a “big scam” harmful to American small businesses, expired on this morning.

Most business will never notice, except those order stock & office supplies from China. As usual, King Donald is screwing the consumers, the “Little People”, every day American citizens.

Incidentally, this de minimis exception helped my family get their N-95 masks during the COVID epidemic. I found a supplier in Shanghai whose N-95 mask had the proper U.S. certification and who would ship them direct from Shanghai to my front porch for a reasonable price.

Temu halts Chinese shipments overnight as Trump kills tariff loophole in crackdown
Temu announced they’ll no longer ship products from China to the U.S. after Trump closed a tariff loophole, with ‘Out of Stock’ notices across the site

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/news/temu-halts-chinese-shipments-overnight-as-trump-kills-tariff-loophole-in-crackdown/ar-AA1E4Ksu