'Trade wars are good, and easy to win,' Trump tweets

[robkelk]

New tariffs pulling a wild card on Ottawa's gamers

Retaliatory tariffs imposed on the United States are now in full effect, and one item on the list is causing concern in Ottawa's gaming community — playing cards.

The tariff on playing cards — which came into force July 1 — applies a 10 per cent charge on a standard deck of cards, but trading cards like Magic the Gathering, Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh cards are also hit.

"Our prices may be 10 per cent higher, but we're not making 10 per cent more, and then if our sales drop, obviously that's a concern," said Dave Tellier, owner of Wizard's Tower.

So, yeah - no more CCGs for me for a while.

[Dartz]

Meanwhjile, Global trade is now just sort of Routing Around the breakdown with the EU and Japan shaking hands on a deal that's been in the works.

The deal, which is five years in the making, will virtually scrap import duties on Japanese goods into the EU, including machinery parts, tea and fish, when it takes effect by late 2019. A 10 per cent tariff on passenger cars will be abolished over seven years.


Europe successfully nudged Japan to face down its powerful farm lobby by cutting tariffs on imported wine, pork, cheese, chocolate and other food products. Japan will eliminate tariffs of more than €1 billion on about 94 per cent of European imports into the country before phasing them out almost entirely, said the European Commission.

You remove your tarrifs on our X and we'll remove tarrifs on your Y.... we'll both shake hands and everybody will be better off.

Amusingly, many of the concessions Japan offered were apparently originally destined to be offered to the US until somebody ruined it. And, a good chunk of the dairy products on the list are suspiciously similar to those normally exported by Ireland to the UK....

It's also been presented as a win for everybody. Farmers have a new market, and can now get access to cheaper cars and spare parts in return.

The only loosers are the ones who don't take part. Like the UK who'll probably loose plenty of car factories if WTO rules suddenly and surprisingly apply to them next April.

[robkelk]

Oh, the UK already knows that WTO rules will apply to them. I strongly suspect that the realization finally sinking in is why there are so many Cabinet resignations lately - as a minister realizes what's actually happening and (s)he'll be blamed for it in 2019, (s)he resigns.

[hazard]

One of the biggest threats to the UK's economy is Europe's tariffs that are maintained against all outside the EU's shared market.

And the UK should be well aware it's at risk of being put outside it.

[classicdrogn]

The UK literally demanded to be put outside it. Back when the referendum was being conducted I watched some interviews with people on the street, and even the ones for it pretty much all said that yes, they were were expecting it to have a negative impact on the economy. They were just convinced it was the right thing to do from the perspective of maintaining national autonomy. I remember being amused that the one with the bright green mohawk and hooliganwear was also the one who went into the most detail about the whole thing, but he was undoubtedly chosen to get more airtime on that very basis.

[hazard]

On which side was he?

Also, in that case? Load both barrels and give them what they want.

[classicdrogn]

I'm honestly not sure which side he was on at this point. It was a while back, obviously. As fir the rest, well, it's disheartening how many UK folks don't seem to make the connection that leaving the European Union means that they're leaving the European Union and will therefore need to make deals with EU members like a nation that isn't part of the European Union.

(insert shrug and/or facepalm emoji here)

[Dartz]

Or, the even funnier part...

Outside of the EU, they need to make deals very quickly or else be severely punished for it. And the rest of the world knows this so the result is very much "It does not matter what you want, this is what you will accept".

Or how the backstop is merely Britain being out of the EU and its rulemaking process - but still being subject to its rules. Y'know, like a colony.

No there is not a hint of nationalist schadenfreude in that.

[hazard]

Britain could've done a Brexit that's much less painful for Great Britain if they'd been negotiating this for a decade or more and made sure they had all their ducks in a row before pushing the button. It still wouldn't have been as good as promised, but there'd be much fewer hurt feelings and much less pressure. It doesn't help that both the vote and the British government were very much divided on Brexit, which makes it a weak position in negotiations.

And yes, I'm sure few Irishmen aren't feeling like that. Most of the EU is kind of feeling like that I think, seeing how one of the stronger nations in the EU is hamstringing itself in a desperate attempt to get away from the EU despite the fact that it's only going to get worse for it after leaving. The UK can recover, but it's going to be decades.

[robkelk]

The UK can't enter into free-trade treaties until after they've completed Brexit - although I can't see why they haven't yet started discussions regarding said treaties.

(No, making noises about wanting freer trade within the Commonwealth doesn't count as starting discussions. Also, there are only so many negotiators to go around, and Canada's are busy with NAFTA and Japan at the moment.)

[hazard]

Sure, they can't enter in them.

But there's nothing you can't get those treaties prewritten and ready for signing the day Brexit actually happens.

[robkelk]

U.S. to review uranium imports on national security grounds

The USA hasn't been able to meet more than 50% of its uranium use for decades. If this goes through, you're shooting yourselves in the foot with a Davy Crockett.

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Analysis: U.S. carmakers could be next victims of Trump's 'easy to win' trade war
Live coverage: Auto industry gathers in Washington to discuss possibility of U.S. tariffs

When everybody who supposedly could benefit from you doing something is telling you that it's a damn fool thing to do, why do it?

[robkelk]

Sure, they can't enter in them.

But there's nothing you can't get those treaties prewritten and ready for signing the day Brexit actually happens.

Exactly my point. However, there's only one year left until Brexit - that isn't anywhere near enough time to write an agreement.

[hazard]

Actually I'm wondering, what did the major car manufacturing counties vote?

Because if they voted Democrat/Hillary this might be worth it to Trump.

[DHBirr]

Actually I'm wondering, what did the major car manufacturing counties vote?

Because if they voted Democrat/Hillary this might be worth it to Trump.

Wayne County (seat Detroit a.k.a. Motor City): 66.4% Democrat, 29.3% Republican
Genesee County (seat Flint, birthplace of General Motors): 52.0% Democrat, 42.6% Republican
Oakland County (seat Pontiac, formerly big in auto manufacture): 51.3% Democrat, 43.2% Republican

More can be seen (albeit in less detail) at: 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michigan#/...,_2016.svg

So, yeah, I could see him regarding this as a good revenge.

[Dartz]

Brexit has gone beyond clusterfuck and out to complete and total omnifuck.

The government is incapable of overcoming its own lunatics who have a personal financial interest in fucking everyone over and needed to be propped up by a bunch of racist nutjobs who have exactly one policy - demonstrating how absolutely British they are, even if they have to destroy Britain to do it.

Trade wars are easy to win when people have no alternative but to trade with you.

It looks like everyon's found an alternative to the US and UK..... each other

[robkelk]

Aluminum tariffs hit craft breweries

Presumably other canned-goods producers are also affected.

[robkelk]

Apparently, US companies can get exemptions to the tariffs. Apparently, companies with ties to Trump and various White House staffers are acting to block any other companies from getting those exemptions - and the process is sufficiently opaque that there's no way to know whether they're succeeding.

Folks might want to ask candidates about this during the midterms.

[Kilroy]

Looks like tariffs have caused another business closure.

announcement of CaseLabs shutdown

[Dartz]

The default of a large account added greatly to the problem.

Otherwise known as 'Were bigger than you, so we can just wait until you go titsup so we never have to pay you". Or. y'know, the people who intentionally crash their business into the ground to wipe its debts then start all over again.

[DHBirr]

The default of a large account added greatly to the problem.

Otherwise known as 'Were bigger than you, so we can just wait until you go titsup so we never have to pay you". Or. y'know, the people who intentionally crash their business into the ground to wipe its debts then start all over again.

Golly, I wonder to which multiple-bankruptcies person you might be referring?

[Labster]

So, Trump has negotiated a repeal and replace plan for NAFTA with Mexico, shutting out Canada so far.  The fact that this plan is basically the same thing as NAFTA, but with minor changes, is of no consequence.

I was wondering if Canada would get everything it wanted from the deal if they agreed to call it the Trump Free Trade Agreement?  Rob, feel free to pass that on to any politicos you know, it might save a lot of time.

[robkelk]

He's gone beyond "unreasonable demands" and into "greedy" (you've already got a trade surplus in milk, and you want more?), so we aren't in any mood to be nice to him - especially when he's threatened to kill the entire North American auto industry if we don't sign by Friday.

[classicdrogn]

Way to proctect those United Automobile Workers' jerbs, eh?

[Bob Schroeck]

They're union workers, after all -- stealing food from the mouths of good, honest millionaires, donchyaknow.