The world is laughing.

[Alan Klein]

The concept of negotiation is understood. Now, this is just a theory of yours that will only be backed up by facts the moment Trump lowers those he has been raising.

I understand also the urge for you to try to look at his decisions as if they were aligned with the fundamental Republican values, but again... it is nothing but wishful thinking at the moment.

Cheers,
Bernard

I'm sorry.   But I don't understand your points.   Could you elaborate?

[BobShaw]

>  The world is laughing.

There was a time when the US was one of Australia's largest trading partners. It is now 6th at under 4%. So when someone from the US pops downs and says we need to stop trading with China at 30% then they may well get laughed at.

Our biggest trade deficit however is with the US. That means that we import a lot more than we export. That probably has a lot to do with trade barriers on exports such as agriculture. We import a lot of iPhones, but they are probably made in Malaysia anyway. We also import a lot of defence stuff, like a missile defence system that nobody knows if it even works.

http://www.worldstopexports.com/australias-top-import-partners/

[Rob C]

>  The world is laughing.

There was a time when the US was one of Australia's largest trading partners. It is now 6th at under 4%. So when someone from the US pops downs and says we need to stop trading with China at 30% then they may well get laughed at.

Our biggest trade deficit however is with the US. That means that we import a lot more than we export. That probably has a lot to do with trade barriers on exports such as agriculture. We import a lot of iPhones, but they are probably made in Malaysia anyway. We also import a lot of defence stuff, like a missile defence system that nobody knows if it even works.

http://www.worldstopexports.com/australias-top-import-partners/

You can safely bet that Rubber Man will either ignore or change that to a positive - for everyone - and yet another example of how Mr T has got it right, and the rest of the world is stupid. And in a sense he is right: not only does he manage to sell war toys to NATO, he wants us to pay increasingly more on top of the purchase for the privilege of playing with 'em.

Broadly speaking, I guess that if I had been born into billions, I'd probably also still have a few billion left, no matter what an incompetent asshole I was and how many other lives I had ruined by going serial bankrupt at convenient times!

As for those stand-up Pressie guys we were talking about some time ago: the one I think did put his money where his mouth was, was the late J Kennedy. Cuba was the step too far for the Opposition to attempt. He faced them down. We had Churchill and Thatcher - and nothing since, much as has been your own fate. Obama: he did try to save America from shooting itself and its kids into oblivion, but the lobbies defeated him; he did tell the UK that post-Brexit they would stand last in the queue for trade deals becaue the US prefers to deal with the Big Boys. Quite bloody right, too! So at least he was blunt enough to be honest with "our best friends" and say what was always glaringly obvious. Today, best friends can be Germany, France, the UK, NK, SK, Japan, Russia - wait for it Oz, your turn is somewhere on that flexible list! Of course, if by best you also mean you do not have a list of priorities in mind, I guess any old nation you communicate with can be best friend. Showbiz "darling", then.

[Robert Roaldi]

So now we have a currency crisis on top of a tariff dispute.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-07-20/currency-war-erupts-as-trump-blasts-china-eu-for-manipulating

You state this as if the tariff dispute and possible currency problems just happened to happen. Trump created them out of thin air. The US economy was humming along fine. There were no major problems to fix and those, whatever they were, could have easily be dealt using the existing international mechanisms that were put into place for exactly that purpose.

[Alan Klein]

You state this as if the tariff dispute and possible currency problems just happened to happen. Trump created them out of thin air. The US economy was humming along fine. There were no major problems to fix and those, whatever they were, could have easily be dealt using the existing international mechanisms that were put into place for exactly that purpose.

OF course they'r related.  Some background.

They have been manipulating their currency for years against the world to get an economic advantage against all of us.  China ignored three WTO "lawsuits" we made against them under Obama that we won.  Even Obama imposed tariffs but did it half way and the Chinese ignored him.  China has been stealing all our intellectual property, and yours too, at a cost of hundreds of billions of dollars. They gleefully signed the Paris Accords that somewhat binds the rest of the world to spending more on energy.  This raises the cost of manufacturing for the rest of the Paris accord signer (except us since Trump dropped out).  It makes Chinese products more competitive since they don;t have to meet any standards until 2030. It's another arrow in their quiver to make everyone else economy less competitive.  When a foreign company opens a factory in China, they are required to turn over all design of their products.  That theft saves huge research and development costs.

I'm a free marketeer.  I believe the government should only provide an even playing ground to do competitive business.  The government is also responsible of protecting our industries as well as your government protects yours.   I don't know if raising tariffs are the way to force a better situation or not.  It may turn out worse.  But Trump ran on correcting it and is doing what he thinks is the only way to correct it.  I hope it works.  If his way is wrong,  what should be done about China's theft, currency manipulation etc?  They refuse to comply with world standards and rules.

[Alan Klein]

It seems Macron and Trump will be comparing notes soon as the French leader faces criticism.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny-news-macron-beat-07222018-story.html

[Alan Klein]

OF course they'r related.  Some background.

They have been manipulating their currency for years against the world to get an economic advantage against all of us.  China ignored three WTO "lawsuits" we made against them under Obama that we won.  Even Obama imposed tariffs but did it half way and the Chinese ignored him.  China has been stealing all our intellectual property, and yours too, at a cost of hundreds of billions of dollars. They gleefully signed the Paris Accords that somewhat binds the rest of the world to spending more on energy.  This raises the cost of manufacturing for the rest of the Paris accord signer (except us since Trump dropped out).  It makes Chinese products more competitive since they don;t have to meet any standards until 2030. It's another arrow in their quiver to make everyone else economy less competitive.  When a foreign company opens a factory in China, they are required to turn over all design of their products.  That theft saves huge research and development costs.

I'm a free marketeer.  I believe the government should only provide an even playing ground to do competitive business.  The government is also responsible of protecting our industries as well as your government protects yours.   I don't know if raising tariffs are the way to force a better situation or not.  It may turn out worse.  But Trump ran on correcting it and is doing what he thinks is the only way to correct it.  I hope it works.  If his way is wrong,  what should be done about China's theft, currency manipulation etc?  They refuse to comply with world standards and rules.

Oh I didn't mention tariffs.  China imposes a 40% tariff on BMW cars built in America that we try to sell in China.  How does that help America, BMW or Germany? 

[Bart_van_der_Wolf]

How Ivanka Trump’s fashion line was exempted from her father’s war on Chinese goods
https://www.news.com.au/finance/economy/world-economy/how-ivanka-trumps-fashion-line-was-exempted-from-her-fathers-war-on-chinese-goods/news-story/fe2eb5ccd567062defe1e8dab68dc5a7

QUOTE "In a press release, the Office of the United States Trade Representative explained that the goods affected were chosen based on what would impact the US economy and American customers the least.
Donald Trump’s trade war on China has begun, but Ivanka has escaped the firing line.

“Trade analysts from several US Government agencies identified products that benefit from Chinese industrial policies, including Made in China 2025,” the release said.

“The list was refined by removing specific products identified by analysts as likely to cause disruptions to the US economy, and tariff lines that are subject to legal or administrative constraints.

“The remaining products were ranked according to the likely impact on US consumers, based on available trade data involving alternative country sources for each product. The proposed list was then compiled by selecting products from the ranked list with lowest consumer impact.

In other words, banning the categories Ivanka’s goods fell into would have a greater impact on American shoppers than those that Trump has threatened, which includes fish, electronics, produce and beauty goods."”

Cheers,
Bart

[Alan Klein]

How Ivanka Trump’s fashion line was exempted from her father’s war on Chinese goods
https://www.news.com.au/finance/economy/world-economy/how-ivanka-trumps-fashion-line-was-exempted-from-her-fathers-war-on-chinese-goods/news-story/fe2eb5ccd567062defe1e8dab68dc5a7

QUOTE "In a press release, the Office of the United States Trade Representative explained that the goods affected were chosen based on what would impact the US economy and American customers the least.
Donald Trump’s trade war on China has begun, but Ivanka has escaped the firing line.

“Trade analysts from several US Government agencies identified products that benefit from Chinese industrial policies, including Made in China 2025,” the release said.

“The list was refined by removing specific products identified by analysts as likely to cause disruptions to the US economy, and tariff lines that are subject to legal or administrative constraints.

“The remaining products were ranked according to the likely impact on US consumers, based on available trade data involving alternative country sources for each product. The proposed list was then compiled by selecting products from the ranked list with lowest consumer impact.

In other words, banning the categories Ivanka’s goods fell into would have a greater impact on American shoppers than those that Trump has threatened, which includes fish, electronics, produce and beauty goods."”

Cheers,
Bart

Well, she is his daughter.  Can you imagine her phone to her father if the US trade division included her stuff.  "Daddy.  You are the President.  Can't you do something?"

In any case, Trump will be putting tariffs on all Chinese products.  So I doubt if she'll be immuned much longer. 

[jeremyrh]

Well, she is his daughter.  Can you imagine her phone to her father if the US trade division included her stuff.  "Daddy.  You are the President.  Can't you do something?"

Can I imagine her calling and asking him to help?  Yes, I can. Can I imagine him declining because it would be unethical to do so?  Nope.

[Alan Goldhammer]

In other words, banning the categories Ivanka’s goods fell into would have a greater impact on American shoppers than those that Trump has threatened, which includes fish, electronics, produce and beauty goods."”[/i]

Cheers,
Bart

I know that Lord & Taylor, a major American clothing store, has stopped carrying Ivanka Trump branded items.  It may be that sales of her clothing line are dropping because of lack of demand and tariffs would be insignificant in terms of sales loss.

[Alan Klein]

I know that Lord & Taylor, a major American clothing store, has stopped carrying Ivanka Trump branded items.  It may be that sales of her clothing line are dropping because of lack of demand and tariffs would be insignificant in terms of sales loss.

You must be reading the fake news from the Washington Post again.  Lord and Taylor seems to be selling it.
http://www.lordandtaylor.com/Ivanka-Trump/Women/Clothing/Skirts/shop/_/N-1z138o7Z4ztezc

[jeremyrh]

You must be reading the fake news from the Washington Post again.  Lord and Taylor seems to be selling it.
http://www.lordandtaylor.com/Ivanka-Trump/Women/Clothing/Skirts/shop/_/N-1z138o7Z4ztezc

Perhaps Alan misspoke and meant to say Nordstroms.

[Farmer]

They have some pretty significant discounts on some of the items.  Not selling very well, perhaps?

Trump cares about Trump, and, to the extent that it reflects on him, his family.  He demonstrably makes  constant mistakes and lies, and resorts to infantile name calling and abuse.  He's a disgrace, and he's doing nothing to help the US.

[jeremyrh]

I'm sorry.   But I don't understand your points.   Could you elaborate?

Maybe the bot needs a software upgrade!

[Alan Goldhammer]

You must be reading the fake news from the Washington Post again.  Lord and Taylor seems to be selling it.
http://www.lordandtaylor.com/Ivanka-Trump/Women/Clothing/Skirts/shop/_/N-1z138o7Z4ztezc

My wife shops at the local Lord & Taylor a lot and when she was in last week she was told that the store is no longer carrying Ivanka branded clothes.  That is the only data point I have and it's not fake news as my wife always tells the truth.

[RSL]

So, assuming it's true, Alan, what do you suppose is the reason?

[Alan Klein]

My wife shops at the local Lord & Taylor a lot and when she was in last week she was told that the store is no longer carrying Ivanka branded clothes.  That is the only data point I have and it's not fake news as my wife always tells the truth.

Well Trump gets his news from the media and they always tell the truth too.   

OK we'll give you a pass and accept that you misspoke and did not lie.  Would you be willing to accept the Trump misspeaks at times and give him a pass?  Frankly, I think Trump has a touch of dyslexia mixed with New Yorker hyperbole and often gets his words mixed up and the liberal press takes advantage of that. 

[RSL]

Actually, Alan, he does it on purpose to keep the left-wing media off balance. Works like a charm. They always go off baying after his mechanical rabbits.

[jeremyrh]

Well Trump gets his news from the media and they always tell the truth too.   

OK we'll give you a pass and accept that you misspoke and did not lie.  Would you be willing to accept the Trump misspeaks at times and give him a pass?  Frankly, I think Trump has a touch of dyslexia mixed with New Yorker hyperbole and often gets his words mixed up and the liberal press takes advantage of that.

I think that comment is offensive to dyslexics. There is a difference between trouble with letters and being a horrible liar.