Op-Ed: Does this weird America want to do
business, yes or no?
By Paul Wallis
March 14, 2025
By Paul Wallis
March 14, 2025
DIGITAL JOURNAL
New US tariffs against China come in force prompting Beijing to vow counter-measures. - © AFP STR
It had to happen. Australia was hit with 25% tariffs based on totally false information about Australian imports to the US.
The $368 billion AUKUS defense contract for nuclear subs is also looking more than a bit dubious. Apparently they want to focus on the Indo-Pacific and South East Asia regions.
We know Americans are terrible at geography, but where do they think Australia is? The US is also having issues with defense shipbuilding, which is way behind schedule. Some unborrowed money might be useful, right? Apparently not. So they’re well on the way to losing $368 billion worth of trade.
All this is making a lot of noise in Australia, but the overall reaction is getting angry. The reflex action is to tell the US where to go.
Let’s start with the basics of US trade with Australia.
We have a trade deficit with the US according to official US documentation.
US goods exports to Australia were $34.6 billion.
Australian exports to the US were $16.7 billion.
For an excuse for tariffs, we’re accused of “dumping” in the US market by way of Sky News Australia, which obviously doesn’t research these things.
This trade is truly peanuts. We have a GDP of roughly $1.2 trillion. Our net exports per month average $40 billion.
No, we’re not going to do retaliatory tariffs. Hardly worth the paperwork at this point.
We don’t need this hot dog stand.
Far less impressive is this edict about “compliance” issued to our universities:
Some researchers who receive funding from U.S. federal agencies had been asked to assess their work’s compliance with U.S. President Donald Trump’s agenda in a 36-point questionnaire, said the universities.
Oh, yeah?
“Compliance”?
Don’t get run over on your way out of Australia, will you?
No go. Not on. Never.
You would have to be totally ignorant of the entire international research dynamic to ask such stupid questions.
These facts have been common knowledge in the various trade, scientific, and defense sectors for many years.
We’re now being asked by absolute nobodies who do not resemble any Americans we’ve ever met or wanted to meet to “comply” with whatever comes out of the moron factory and pay tariffs based on total BS?
Here’s another perspective for the gerbils.
These are not questions:
Find some adults in that ridiculous sycophantic no-talent scheissergarten who know what they’re talking about.
You will conduct trade and all other business with Australia at official levels, not by press releases.
You do not run the world.
New US tariffs against China come in force prompting Beijing to vow counter-measures. - © AFP STR
It had to happen. Australia was hit with 25% tariffs based on totally false information about Australian imports to the US.
The $368 billion AUKUS defense contract for nuclear subs is also looking more than a bit dubious. Apparently they want to focus on the Indo-Pacific and South East Asia regions.
We know Americans are terrible at geography, but where do they think Australia is? The US is also having issues with defense shipbuilding, which is way behind schedule. Some unborrowed money might be useful, right? Apparently not. So they’re well on the way to losing $368 billion worth of trade.
All this is making a lot of noise in Australia, but the overall reaction is getting angry. The reflex action is to tell the US where to go.
Let’s start with the basics of US trade with Australia.
We have a trade deficit with the US according to official US documentation.
US goods exports to Australia were $34.6 billion.
Australian exports to the US were $16.7 billion.
For an excuse for tariffs, we’re accused of “dumping” in the US market by way of Sky News Australia, which obviously doesn’t research these things.
This trade is truly peanuts. We have a GDP of roughly $1.2 trillion. Our net exports per month average $40 billion.
No, we’re not going to do retaliatory tariffs. Hardly worth the paperwork at this point.
We don’t need this hot dog stand.
Far less impressive is this edict about “compliance” issued to our universities:
Some researchers who receive funding from U.S. federal agencies had been asked to assess their work’s compliance with U.S. President Donald Trump’s agenda in a 36-point questionnaire, said the universities.
Oh, yeah?
“Compliance”?
Don’t get run over on your way out of Australia, will you?
No go. Not on. Never.
You would have to be totally ignorant of the entire international research dynamic to ask such stupid questions.
These facts have been common knowledge in the various trade, scientific, and defense sectors for many years.
We’re now being asked by absolute nobodies who do not resemble any Americans we’ve ever met or wanted to meet to “comply” with whatever comes out of the moron factory and pay tariffs based on total BS?
Here’s another perspective for the gerbils.
These are not questions:
Find some adults in that ridiculous sycophantic no-talent scheissergarten who know what they’re talking about.
You will conduct trade and all other business with Australia at official levels, not by press releases.
You do not run the world.
_____________________________________________________
Disclaimer
The opinions expressed in this Op-Ed are those of the author. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of the Digital Journal or its members
French finance minister calls trade war ‘idiotic’, plans US trip
By AFP
March 14, 2025
US President Donald Trump announced sweeping tariffs that sparked trade war fears - Copyright AFP/File -
France’s Finance Minister Eric Lombard called the escalating US-EU trade war “idiotic” on Friday and said he would soon travel to the United States after Washington threatened huge tariffs against French wine and champagne.
“We need to talk to the Americans to bring the tension back down,” Lombard told the France 2 television channel.
US President Donald Trump has launched trade wars against competitors and partners alike since taking office, wielding tariffs as a tool to pressure countries on commerce and other policy issues.
On Thursday, the billionaire Republican president threatened to impose 200-percent tariffs on wine, champagne and other alcoholic beverages from France and other European Union countries.
His threat was a response to the EU’s unveiling on Wednesday of tariffs on $28 billion in US goods, starting in stages from April, which include bourbon, boats and motorbikes.
That followed US tariffs on steel and aluminium imports taking effect the same day.
“By doing this, the United States is hurting itself,” Lombard said, describing what he called an “idiotic war”.
He said he would travel to the United States “in the coming days” to meet with US counterparts.
France’s Finance Minister Eric Lombard said he would visit the United States ‘in the coming days’ – Copyright AFP/File Hector RETAMAL
Lombard and French Foreign Trade Minister Laurent Saint-Martin had a “frank and clear” phone conversation with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Thursday, the French finance ministry said.
Europe exported nearly $5.2 billion worth of wine and champagne to the United States in 2023, according to the World Trade Organization.
European Commission head Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday said the European Union would defend European interests but was also “open to negotiations” with the United States over escalating tariffs between the two economic superpowers.
By AFP
March 14, 2025
US President Donald Trump announced sweeping tariffs that sparked trade war fears - Copyright AFP/File -
France’s Finance Minister Eric Lombard called the escalating US-EU trade war “idiotic” on Friday and said he would soon travel to the United States after Washington threatened huge tariffs against French wine and champagne.
“We need to talk to the Americans to bring the tension back down,” Lombard told the France 2 television channel.
US President Donald Trump has launched trade wars against competitors and partners alike since taking office, wielding tariffs as a tool to pressure countries on commerce and other policy issues.
On Thursday, the billionaire Republican president threatened to impose 200-percent tariffs on wine, champagne and other alcoholic beverages from France and other European Union countries.
His threat was a response to the EU’s unveiling on Wednesday of tariffs on $28 billion in US goods, starting in stages from April, which include bourbon, boats and motorbikes.
That followed US tariffs on steel and aluminium imports taking effect the same day.
“By doing this, the United States is hurting itself,” Lombard said, describing what he called an “idiotic war”.
He said he would travel to the United States “in the coming days” to meet with US counterparts.
France’s Finance Minister Eric Lombard said he would visit the United States ‘in the coming days’ – Copyright AFP/File Hector RETAMAL
Lombard and French Foreign Trade Minister Laurent Saint-Martin had a “frank and clear” phone conversation with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Thursday, the French finance ministry said.
Europe exported nearly $5.2 billion worth of wine and champagne to the United States in 2023, according to the World Trade Organization.
European Commission head Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday said the European Union would defend European interests but was also “open to negotiations” with the United States over escalating tariffs between the two economic superpowers.
By AFP
March 14, 2025
BMW joins other German automakers in reporting sharply lower profits amid a choppy transition to electric vehicles and slowing demand in key market China - Copyright POOL/AFP/File Kenny HOLSTON
German premium carmaker BMW warned Friday of continued challenges in 2025 from trade tensions and weak demand in China after reporting a plunge in profits last year.
For 2024, the group’s net profit fell 37 percent to 7.7 billion euros ($8.3 billion) while revenues were down over eight percent to 142.4 billion euros.
The Munich-headquartered group joins other German automakers in reporting sharply lower profits amid a choppy transition to electric vehicles and slowing demand in key market China.
BMW said it expected earnings before taxes in 2025 to be at the same subdued level as in 2024, while warning that much depended on rapidly changing trade policies.
“The continued challenging situation in China and tariff increases… are expected to provide headwinds,” the carmaker said in a statement.
As part of his aggressive trade policy, US President Donald Trump has threatened to hit the European Union with 25-percent duties, which could hammer the region’s automakers.
He also hit Canada and Mexico with tariffs before partially rolling them back, including a temporary exemption to most auto imports after an outcry from US carmakers.
US tariffs on Canada and Mexico could also hit European carmakers, as the region’s auto supply chain is highly integrated.
BMW said its latest guidance takes into the account of tariff moves made so far and warned that further increases in duties “could have a negative impact”.
Weakness in China, where European automakers have been struggling to compete with local rivals like BYD, was a major drag on BMW’s 2024 earnings.
Vehicle deliveries in China were down 13.4 percent last year, while total deliveries of BMW group, which also includes Mini and Rolls-Royce, fell four percent.
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