Morning Bluesky.
China has just raised tariffs on US goods to 125%, matching the US tariff inc.
Who blinks first?
China has just raised tariffs on US goods to 125%, matching the US tariff inc.
Who blinks first?
Comments
The dollar is blinking like mad.
Apparently they have also forgotten that China holds $759bn of US bonds. Or they are such great economists, that they don't understand the implications
Now normally someone in The State Department who understands these things would warn the White House, but these people are idiots, and wouldn’t listen anyway.
There was a plan in place to flip-flop the tariffs and make personal gains playing the market. May sound conspiratorial but it sure looks like it.
China holds almost a trillion dollars in US bonds, which haven't even been factored in yet.
China really just has to sit back & watch Trump/ Vance continue to destroy the US reputation & standing.
Countries will move closer to China & away from the US.
Yet Labour insist they can do a trade deal with trump. Deep sigh..
Oh well, at least I've got some booze lined up for this evening.😂
I think it all boils down to, which nations citizens can take more financial hits, US or China?
My money is on China...
It feels like a bit of a shift.
The UK is still on the outside looking in though..
Yup.
China got done with being under anyone's thumb after that.
They complied with US demands, preempted US pressure, avoided open conflict.
Starting 2016, they changed their tone. Now they know they're strong enough to push back.
Everyone's got some friend with nukes and submarines, so all out war is off the table, nobody wants to end the world.
China is doing what the US has been doing for a very long time. Proxies.
I wish I didn't live in interesting times. I'd like the world to be boring and curious.
vice president, plump of course
It's gone full tit-for-tat (feel free to add Ws into that phrase as you wish)
https://edition.cnn.com/2024/10/31/tech/google-fines-russia/index.html
Some disaster capitalism, anyone? A little insider trading?
#tariffs #china
Their plan is to eventually take over much (if not all) of the world, to restore their former empire, plus. And they have the stuff to do it.
DJT....I don't know
https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2025/4/4/the-trade-surplus-that-trump-never-mentions
Tough call
Oh...
😏
In 2024, the US trade deficit with China reached $295.4 billion.
https://ustr.gov/countries-regions/china-mongolia-taiwan/peoples-republic-china
Ursula von der Leyen is threatening taxes on US tech giants if a deal is not reached.
And the markets are on course for their worst week since the global financial crisis. (The Times)
Same for UK obviously.
So obviously you have to wonder why successive conservative governments (yes I include this one) ignore that.
https://bsky.app/profile/atrupar.com/post/3lmhygfmix42p
https://bsky.app/profile/timothysnyder.bsky.social/post/3lmivwbfvo22b
It’s now at a ten-year low against the Swiss franc too.
This is far from over.
The problem is increasingly no longer seen as tariffs but Trump.
Although Trump wants two things that are diametrically opposite.
1. Lower USD
2. US to still be the world financial leader
China was an isolated secretive country with little outside connections...US is fast heading that way.
@ecfrasia.bsky.social @asianstudies.org @unpga.bsky.social @wto.org @weforum.org @oecd-ocde.bsky.social @euosce.bsky.social @ec.europa.eu @europarl.europa.eu
https://www.baha.com/EU-leaders-allegedly-plan-July-trip-to-Beijing-for-Xi-meeting/news/details/63900018?internal=1
@unpga.bsky.social @wto.org @weforum.org @oecd-ocde.bsky.social @euosce.bsky.social @ec.europa.eu @europarl.europa.eu @consilium.europa.eu @coe.int
He’s currently meeting Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez. Xi called on China and the EU to jointly "oppose unilateral bullying practices.
“Going against the world will only lead to isolation.”
The USA is being led down a blind alley
Going with Trump's free will.
(although I hope this is not only far from over, but will result in him, well, departing the office in some fashion or having most everyone turn on him)
We need to sort our tax havens out too.
The queue outside my local MaccyD's drive thru remains as long as ever but then ~45% of the voting population think Reform or the Conservatives are the solution.
That’s why I’ve created a “Tariff Blues Playlist” on Spotify to remind us who really gets hurt by tariffs, our true values and character, & to add some encouragement when we get down.
Please Follow, Listen, & Share.
#tariffs #elbowsup
#canada #hope
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4L60BDkw9ms4VHuZoj6kph?si=CqHehVf4Sq-kYhmX8dzcPg&pi=Uj3saQTGRniuA
Well, that
https://www.aol.com/news/china-hits-back-us-tariffs-115321234.html
Period.
Americans will be revolting *years* before China's people.
Also, China is making friends while Trump's America is making enemies.
In America, individuals will suffer. In China, the state will suffer, and the pain will be much more evenly spread.
The outcome is inevitable.
- no extradition treaty
- large city with labor pool
- golf for Trump
- what else?
Breeding pool for Musk.
Or he could be busy extorting paid guests at a gaudy Mar-a-Lago party. Or perhaps fronting running trades on volatility in the futures market, covering his short positions. But more likely than not he will be out cheating on the golf course. A productive day for Trump.
Xi isn’t going to back down because his people have no say. Americans can protest until Trump breaks. Trump is actually a coward hiding behind his bully exterior.
He still hasn’t learned that you catch more flies with honey. Everyone hates a bully.
replacing the dollar is what China has been trying to do for years, Trump is just helping them. I hate us, but I HATE to see @vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu making deals with China without DEMANDING they stop supporting Russia's war on Europe
Beside govt tariffs (formal), there is consumer behaviour (informal). Consumers are people & people don't like bullies. I expect a massive slump in the consumption of US goods through 'people power'.
I have a feeling it will be on US bonds.
And that will be absolute disastrous to the US. It will go from trade war to much worse.
It’s a scorched Earth campaign.
This is Xi's secret Weapon.
Making trade agreements with EU.
They play the long game and Trump just plays with himself.
It’s going to skyrocket.
Latest score
145 vs 125 ?🤔
China is not stupid.
They won't blink.
To be honest they can screw America royally if they really want to. They hold the cards.
What will happen if they sell their share of US T bonds?
Will #TraitorTrump still hang on to his stupid tariffs??🤔
Trump doesn’t have the cards.
We have leverage, if we want to use it.
And he started this fiasco in the first place.
...
And I have been driving Fords all my life.
There is virtually no trade left.
And who do we think needs the other one more?
Clue, I don't think China needs any US imports. Sure, it will hurt. But it's not like Chinese people have a say...
China has 4 times as many people, they hold $759bn US govmt debt; they own large positions in US companies all across the country and industries…
PLUS: China indicated they will NOW (more than b4) ignore all US patent rights+intellectual property restrictions🤯
Trump and all his greedy, grifting fam/cronies have lots of assets in China, too. Patents and what not. What is driving this fool now??
It was Japan selling bonds forced the last back track and China hasnt even started yet
There are many other measures they can employ.
I read somewhere that they won’t increase the tariffs any more as it’s just beyond silly, now that the numbers are at 125% vs 154%?…
…BUT they would use all available means at their disposal to STOP being bullied by #Shitler.
https://open.substack.com/pub/deanblundell/p/carneys-checkmate-how-canadas-quiet?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Great write-up. Thanks for sharing!!!
It’ll be interesting to see how China will proceed.
It’s also interesting to see the extent to which people’s sympathies are with China in this matter..
Turns out 9 hours sleep dulls my brain! 🤣
…because both our posts ended up saying the same about China✅
That’s a very big quarter of this very big ocean💥
Beware #AngloState propaganda!