Trump Tariff Watch

Yep. That is still happening as well.

Canada posts a global trade surplus in September including healthy exports to the US despite tariffs.

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US trade picture has also improved. Our monthly deficit has shrunk to “only” a bit over $50 billion.

https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/us-trade-deficit-unexpectedly-narrows-september-exports-surge

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Seems that it shrunk primarily due to non-monetary gold exports (when you see gold being exported on this scale its usually a concern. Some degree of capital flight is usually not far behind).

Have been tracking the gold situation for a while now and it looks like China is building up a very significant position in gold while selling off their US treasuries. They are doing this now because there was always a risk that their foreign exchange reserves held outside of China might be seized if it came down to it (like what happened to Russia) which is why they are buying up gold in such large quantities.

The concern here, is that from a purely financial risk standpoint, China is getting stronger while the US is getting weaker.

It’s interesting to me not only that China is accumulating gold on a big scale, but also that it’s being done unofficially. How much of the rise in gold price in recent years is due to China’s actions?

And China is managing well despite Trump’s tariffs.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/07/business/china-trade-surplus.html?unlocked_article_code=1.708.9ivA.IHWHgyHKEF02&smid=url-share

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Hit Canada with tariffs (Potash)

Then remove sanctions on Belarus to get access to cheap Potash.

Getting some serious Manchurian Candidate vibes now.

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And the US doesn’t have tariffs on Russian lumber and has lower tariffs on some of their other goods whereas they are trying to destroy our industry.

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https://www.politico.com/news/2025/12/14/why-inflation-angst-may-temper-trumps-trade-threats-to-mexico-canada-00689322

I read this and thought that several people interviewed in this article seem to have their heads up their asses. Trump doesn’t care about norms or consequences.

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Keep in mind, however, that our Glorious Leader is someone who hears an idea pitched by whoever holds his attention at that instant, and then starts parroting it out as gospel.

So the question becomes: what do those folks think?

Maybe Canada needs to have political prisoners in its jails so that we can release them in return for the US lifting its punitive tariffs against us?

Agree with this.

But at the same time, it is impossible to ignore that the sample path of all the chaotic decisions that are being made end up being a net positive for Russia.

The latest Belarus decision makes this abundantly clear.

The convoy people and ostrich lovers?

You may have something there! We could rescind such arrests for Trump favours!

Imported from Vietnam. Tariff damaged it.

Competition killed it, IMO. Many other brands are out there now building similar machines that are just as good. Their stock had dropped over 90% from pre-COVID levels to the start of 2024. Tariffs may have been the nail int he coffin, but they have been struggling for a few years now.

But their story should be a signal to the Trump administration - US companies that manufacture their products in China and have strong foreign competitors are all going to go broke.

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Agree with this. They are going to fall one by one like dominos.

The much-heralded US-UK trade deal is unravelling. Starmer’s charm offensive was not enough. Or maybe they should have had a trade agreement approved by Congress. These Trump deals are meaningless.

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Pretty much.

IFYQ

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