New York Times (October 16)
China is trying “to beat U.S. at its own game” by imposing rare earth restrictions. “Beijing’s latest effort to weaponize global supply chains is modeled on the American technology controls that it has long criticized.” This new thrust was in some way catalyzed by “Mr. Trump’s aggressive actions — including new fees for Chinese-owned ships that dock at U.S. ports.” Some analysts believe that “with its dominance over the production of these rare earth minerals and its control of other strategic industries, China may have an even greater ability than the United States to weaponize supply chains.”
Tags: Aggressive actions, Analysts, Beat, China, Dominance, Fees, Imposing, Ports, Rare earth, Restrictions, Ships, Supply chains, Technology controls, Trump, U.S., Weaponize
Washington Post (July 24)
With import tariffs capped at 15%, Japanese autos look set to “benefit more than their rivals” due to the recently concluded U.S./Japan trade agreement while cars manufactured in their American plants may be able to escape tariffs completely. In contrast, many U.S. automakers have supply chains that “cross multiple borders, particularly in North America, where goods from Mexico and Canada are subject to 25 percent tariffs.” This may leave domestic automakers at a disadvantage. “Vehicles assembled in Mexico,” like the Chevrolet Equinox and the Ford Maverick, are expected to pass on “the highest costs to consumers.”
Tags: 15%, 25%, Assembled, Automakers, Autos, Benefit, Canada, Cars, Chevrolet, Costs, Ford, https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/07/23/automakers-tariff-japan/ Japan, Import tariffs, Mexico, Multiple borders, North America, Rivals, Supply chains, Trade agreement, U.S., Vehicles
Wall Street Journal (July 12)
“Would Tariff Man please take a summer vacation for the good of the nation? Stocks tumbled on Friday after President Trump announced he will raise tariffs on Canada to 35%, starting Aug. 1.” Following this, Trump “floated increasing his current 10% across-the-board tariffs on many countries to 15% or 20%.” Tarriff Man “seems to think that his unpredictability is a negotiating advantage. But keeping trading partners guessing—along with investors and U.S. companies with global supply chains—isn’t a recipe for economic strength.”
Tags: 35%, Advantage, Canada, Companies, Economic strength, Investors, Negotiating, Stocks, Summer vacation, Supply chains, Tariff Man, Trading partners, Trump, Tumbled, U.S., Unpredictability
New York Times (July 8)
“China has overtaken Detroit as the center of the global auto industry. America can embark on an all-out push to rebuild world-class manufacturing and supply chains, or our carmakers can hide behind tariffs, continue making gas-powered trucks and S.U.V.s and fade into irrelevance.”
Tags: Auto industry, Carmakers, Center, China, Detroit, Gas-powered, Manufacturing, Overtaken, S.U.V.s, Supply chains, Tariffs, Trucks, U.S.
New York Times (May 20)
The Chinese century “may already have dawned, and when historians look back they may very well pinpoint the early months of President Trump’s second term as the watershed moment when China pulled away and left the United States behind.” China “already leads global production in multiple industries — steel, aluminum, shipbuilding, batteries, solar power, electric vehicles, wind turbines, drones, 5G equipment, consumer electronics, active pharmaceutical ingredients and bullet trains.” China is “laser-focused on winning the future.” In contrast, “Mr. Trump is taking a wrecking ball to the pillars of American power and innovation. His tariffs are endangering U.S. companies’ access to global markets and supply chains. He is slashing public research funding and gutting our universities, pushing talented researchers to consider leaving for other countries. He wants to roll back programs for technologies like clean energy and semiconductor manufacturing and is wiping out American soft power in large swaths of the globe.”
Tags: 5G, Aluminum, Batteries, Bullet trains, Chinese century, Clean energy, Consumer electronics, Drones, Electric vehicles, Endangering, Global markets, Innovation, Laser-focused, Manufacturing, Pharmaceutical ingredients, Research, Semiconductor, Shipbuilding, Solar power, Steel, Supply chains, Tariffs, Trump, Wind turbines, Wrecking
Financial Times (April 23)
“While company leaders have generally avoided public criticism of the US president, they have been forced to confront his tariffs — which include levies of 145 per cent against export powerhouse China — on quarterly earnings calls with analysts this month.” Through Tuesday, “tariffs were cited on more than 90 per cent” of earnings calls while “recession” arose on 44 per cent. Corporate leaders also spoke of “escalating expenditures, gummed-up supply chains and a hit to the world’s largest economy.”
Tags: Analysts, Avoided, China, Confront, Criticism, Earnings calls, Economy, Escalating, Expenditures, Export, Leaders, Rrecession, Supply chains, Tariffs, Trump, U.S.
Professional Pensions (April 17)
“As political tides shift in the US, many firms are pulling back on their DE&I commitments, restructuring or scrapping entire departments in response to legal challenges and cultural pressure. And the ripples are already reaching UK shores.” The appropriate response is not “about virtue signalling, it’s about smart governance.” US backsliding presents “a real, tangible issue that UK organisations, especially those working with global partners, need to pay close attention to.” They should secure their values and their supply chains as Transport for London did “by cutting ties with Accenture … after the consultancy ‘sunset’ key DE&I policies.” TfL disallowed Accenture “from bidding on a creative contract because it no longer met TfL’s diversity criteria, stating ‘We are proud to hold our suppliers to account… making sure they are aligned with our commitments on diversity and inclusivity.’”
Tags: Accenture, Cultural pressure, DE&I commitments, Legal challenges, Political tides, Restructuring, Smart governance, Suppliers, Supply chains, Transport for London, U.S., UK, Values, Virtue signalling
Wall Street Journal (January 31)
“President Trump’s advisers are considering several offramps to avoid enacting the universal tariffs on Mexico and Canada that he had pledged.” Even if Trump implements tariffs, the “frantic negotiations with Canada and Mexico” might continue, hoping to reach a resolution before the measures come into effect. Increasingly, North American businesses and labor groups are arguing that “across-the-board tariffs would snarl continental supply chains, drive up prices, and increase reliance on trade with adversarial regimes such as China and Venezuela.” Still, “the situation is fluid and Trump still may go through with his vow to slap 25%, across-the-board levies on imports from America’s two largest trading partners.”
Tags: Advisers, Businesses, Canada, China, Fluid, Labor, Mexico, Negotiations, Offramps, Prices, Supply chains, Trump, Universal tariffs, Venezuela
New York Times (November 27)
“The inflation risk stalking the markets eased over the summer,” but is now “front and center again as investors contend with a Trumponomics crackdown on immigration, a rising trade-war risk and a potential bonanza of tax cuts.” Trump’s “latest trade threats show how uncertain the outlook could be”. Since he vowed “to impose tariffs on Canada, China and Mexico…analysts have been gaming out the potential impact.” It could be an opening gambit of little consequence, but “economists fear that it could add bottlenecks and costs to supply chains and reignite inflation, and that it could scramble the Fed’s policy on interest rates.”
Tags: Bottlenecks, Canada, China, Costs, Crackdown, Fed, Immigration, Inflation, Interest rates, Investors, Markets, Mexico, Risk, Supply chains, Tariffs, Tax cuts, Trade war, Trumponomics, Uncertain
Reuters (October 2)
“Tensions between the West and China are rising, from tit-for-tat trade tariffs to tech rivalry and spying allegations. The ramifications for global markets are significant, with Washington and Beijing’s determination to loosen dependence on each other fraying long-established supply chains. That could help keep inflation and interest rates elevated. Still, there are gains for emerging nations and tech giants on the right side of the power battle.”
Tags: China, Dependence, Emerging nations, Fraying, Global markets, Inflation, Interest rates, Ramifications, Rising, Spying, Supply chains, Tech rivalry, Tensions, Tit-for-tat, Trade tariffs, West
