Wall Street Journal (August 26)
“Americans are now paying roughly 75% more for aluminum than the rest of the world. Steel prices in the U.S. are also about 64% higher than in northern Europe.” This is partly because the “metal tariffs are stacked on top of other tariffs on China, which is the world’s largest producer of steel and aluminum.” Under Trump, “the metal tariffs (including copper) have raised some $46.9 billion in revenue for the government during the current fiscal year through June, plus $21.8 billion in 2025. That’s … a nearly $70 billion tax on Americans.”
Tags: $70 billion, 75%, Aluminum, Americans, China, Copper, Government, Metal, Northern Europe, Producer, Revenue, Stacked, Steel prices, U.S.
Wall Street Journal (July 19)
“As China’s factory-gate prices soared this year, investors worried the country would become a new source of inflation for the rest of the world. Instead, the world’s second-largest economy has helped alleviate some price pressures caused by the pandemic.” Many Chinese factories have been “absorbing higher costs for raw materials like copper and iron ore themselves.” It appears this will continue “at least for a while.”
Tags: Absorbing, Alleviate, Copper, Factories, https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-china-is-helping-to-damp-global-inflation-11626616802?cx_testId=200&cx_testVariant=cx_10&cx_artPos=5#cxrecs_s China, Inflation, Investors, Pandemic, Price pressures, Prices, Raw materials, Worried
Bloomberg (October 10)
“Kobe Steel Ltd. unleashed an industrial scandal that reverberated across Asia’s second-largest economy after saying it falsified data related to strength and durability of some aluminum and copper products used in aircraft, cars and maybe even a space rocket.” Following on the heels of the Takata scandal and Nissan Motor’s unauthorized vehicle inspections, “Kobe Steel’s admission raises fresh concern about the integrity of Japanese manufacturers.”
Tags: Aircraft, Aluminum, Cars, Copper, Falsified data, Integrity, Japan, Kobe Steel. Scandal, Manufacturers, Nissan, Takata
New York Times (March 18)
Markets ranging from copper to treasuries and currencies to the S&P 500 are being driven by the events unfolding in Japan. The impact is now extending to overseas supply chains. “In a sign of the spreading global economic impact, General Motors on Thursday became the first U.S. auto maker to close a U.S. factory because of the crisis in Japan.” GM will halt production at a Louisiana pick-up truck plant due to shortages of components from Japan.
Markets ranging from copper to treasuries and currencies to the S&P 500 are being driven by the events unfolding in Japan. The impact is now extending to overseas supply chains. “In a sign of the spreading global economic impact, General Motors on Thursday became the first U.S. auto maker to close a U.S. factory because of the crisis in Japan.” GM will halt production at a Louisiana pick-up truck plant due to shortages of components from Japan.
Tags: Copper, GM, Japan, Markets, S&P 500, Supply chain, Treasuries
