Trudeau sounds alarm - Steel, Aluminum Tariffs by US

[Murphy]

The feds should understand negotiations. Are Trudeau's Liberals losing the at the bargaining table too? Are they as incompetent here as they are with international relations?
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Trudeau sounds alarm
The Canadian Press - Mar 2, 2018

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau describes it as baffling that the United States might be on the verge of using national security as an excuse to impose heavy tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum.

He reacted Friday after the U.S. indicated that it was leaning toward using a rarely invoked provision in American law that allows a president to unilaterally declare tariffs to counter threats to national security.

As the No. 1 supplier of both steel and aluminum to its southern neighbour, Canada is lobbying hard for an exemption. Canada has hinted at retaliatory action, as have the European Union and Mexico in what could morph into a global trade war.

''It just makes no sense to highlight that Canada and Canadian steel or aluminum might be a security threat to the United States,'' Trudeau said during an event in Barrie, Ont.

''That's why this is absolutely unacceptable and it's a point we've made many times, that I've made directly with the president. It's one that we're going continue to engage with all levels of the U.S. administration on.''

That lobbying effort is facing an uphill battle, if signs Friday are any indication.

U.S. President Donald Trump has a campaign-style rally scheduled March 10 in Pennsylvania, which is the historic heart of the American steel industry and which is now the site of an unexpectedly hard-fought special congressional election.

The rest here:
https://www.castanet.net/news/Canada/220160/Trudeau-sounds-alarm

 

[Danbones]

Yes "national security".

Some NATIONS might like to build say a battleship, and would like to not have to ask their enemies for the steel, or oil, or food, or backdoor free chips, or whatever...

Like the U$ HAVING to buy rocket engines from russia...

HaHaHaHaHa! How LIMP is that?

If trudie doesn't get that, we should get a NATIONALIST, not a maurice strong / george soros GLOBALIST (commie), fronting prime minister who does.

 

[pgs]

You are on a roll this morning . Beating Mentalfloss at his own game . Maga .

 

[Murphy]

It needed to be done.

 

[Danbones]

You are on a roll this morning . Beating Mentalfloss at his own game . Maga .

You can agree with MF all you want too and (haha ) murph too

maga

Next time we go to war you can walk to it in your trudeau socks.
If the chinese let you have some.

Don't forget to check YOUR phone for those chips too while you are at it.

 

[Murphy]

Maga

 

[Danbones]

lol You are so smart murph!...and original!

learn that at school?

Betcha you had help.

You are on a roll this morning . Beating Mentalfloss at his own game . Maga .

yeah it would be MaCa where you live...but dream on about THAT ever happening.

 

[Twin_Moose]

I was thinking about this morning all the tariffs are actually going to do is bring U.S. company profits down, the Iron tariff is forcing there companies to buy from Canada @ par with their dollar. Aluminum will still see a 15% savings to U.S. companies. Anybody thinking this will slow the purchases down are just being negative, Canada will just not see an increase of purchase due to a big savings on our devalued dollar.

 

[Cannuck]

You are on a roll this morning . Beating Mentalfloss at his own game . Maga .

"Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery" - Charles Caleb Colton

Flossy is so in your heads

 

[White_Unifier]

The US needs to be careful. If it imposes tariffs on every other country and every other country retaliates against the US, just remember that they'll still be trading with one another. The US will hurt a lot if it goes down that path.

That being said, I would oppose Canada retaliating against the US at all; but if it must retaliate to feel good or to pander to foolish voters, then impose an export tariff by weight and kilowatt. Even that would hurt Canada, but less than other retaliatory actions would in that we'd be making American consumers rather than Canadian ones pay that tax into Canadian revenue.

I was thinking about this morning all the tariffs are actually going to do is bring U.S. company profits down, the Iron tariff is forcing there companies to buy from Canada @ par with their dollar. Aluminum will still see a 15% savings to U.S. companies. Anybody thinking this will slow the purchases down are just being negative, Canada will just not see an increase of purchase due to a big savings on our devalued dollar.

You're correct, reduced exports to the US will just push other countries' currencies down relative to the US'. Then what? Will the US just raise tariffs even more? It could do that only for so long before no one can afford to buy US products anymore as other currencies keep declining. Meanwhile, US consumers will be paying through the nose for everything. By all means. By all means. That's why Canada need not retaliate.

 

[Twin_Moose]

The US needs to be careful. If it imposes tariffs on every other country and every other country retaliates against the US, just remember that they'll still be trading with one another. The US will hurt a lot if it goes down that path.

That being said, I would oppose Canada retaliating against the US at all; but if it must retaliate to feel good or to pander to foolish voters, then impose an export tariff by weight and kilowatt. Even that would hurt Canada, but less than other retaliatory actions would in that we'd be making American consumers rather than Canadian ones pay that tax into Canadian revenue.



You're correct, reduced exports to the US will just push other countries' currencies down relative to the US'. Then what? Will the US just raise tariffs even more? It could do that only for so long before no one can afford to buy US products anymore as other currencies keep declining. Meanwhile, US consumers will be paying through the nose for everything. By all means. By all means. That's why Canada need not retaliate.

I agree a retaliation would be silly since this government made a few decisions in 2016 to help de-value our dollar to help spur a surge in manufacturing exports to get us off that dirty petro economy and more of balanced economy. IMO the tariffs are only getting us back to par before the decision of devaluation which is why I say that the tariffs are only cutting into extra profit margins.

 

[Murphy]

As I've said before, Trump loves to negotiate.

First, he threatened tariffs and let that sink in. Now, he's saying we might escape tariffs. :lol: Don't you love negotiations? Those on blood pressure pills here must have been ready to explode. Relax. The talks continue.
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Canada, Mexico may be exempted from new U.S. steel, aluminum tariffs
New taxes could be introduced this week, White House spokesperson says
-AP

A White House spokesperson and two members of U.S. President Donald Trump's cabinet suggested Wednesday that Canada and Mexico might escape new tariffs on steel and aluminum.

White House spokesperson Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Canada and Mexico might get a "carve-out" for reasons of national security, and she said other allies might also ask for one, on a case-by-case basis.

Earlier Wednesday, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross told reporters that Trump has "indicated a degree of flexibility."

"If we can work something out with Canada and Mexico they will be exempted. It's not inconceivable that others could be exempted on a similar basis," Ross said.

The formal tariff announcement is expected Thursday afternoon. Hawkish White House trade adviser Peter Navarro suggested the exemption would come with a catch. He told Fox Business Channel that, at 3:30 p.m. ET, surrounded by steelworkers in the Oval Office, Trump will sign proclamations that impose tariffs that kick in within 15 to 30 days on most countries.

The rest here:

Canada, Mexico may be exempted from new U.S. steel, aluminum tariffs | CBC News

 

[Murphy]

What a surprise! I wish Flossy, OB and some others would learn little about the people the continually insult and berate. As I have been saying all along, Trump is a businessman and love the art of the deal.

Presto! No tariff for Canada. Trump's negotiators must be moving toward their goal. Evans, the author of this article, doesn't understand that any negotiation is subject to review or rescission.
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Canada and Mexico to be exempt from U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum
Both countries could lose their special status if White House changes its mind as NAFTA talks unfold
- Pete Evans, CBC News

Canada and Mexico will be exempt from tariffs on steel and aluminum imported into the United States, but there's no guarantee that will be the case forever.

A little after 3:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump signed off on two proclamations taking aim at the imports of two metals where the U.S. economy uses far more than it produces.

"The actions we're taking today are not a matter of choice," Trump said. "They're a matter of necessity for our national security."

One order imposes a 25 per cent tariff on imported steel, while another slaps a 10 per cent levy on aluminum.

"They drove our plants out of business," Trump said, speaking of foreign metal companies that sell their products in the U.S.

Trump first floated the proposal last week, which set off howls of opposition that the moves would kick off a trade war full of reciprocal shots from America's trading partners. The most notable is Canada, which supplies more than a sixth of all the steel that the U.S. uses and more than 40 per cent of its aluminum.

The rest here:

Canada and Mexico to be exempt from U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum - Business - CBC News

 

[petros]

Canadian media blew it creating a false panic.

WTG!

 

[Murphy]

I do not understand why professional negotiators, all of whom know Trump's background, could possibly think that his "threats" were anything other than a bargaining tactic. He has done this in his professional life, and as president. This just proves that the strategy works.

 

[petros]

He never made any threats. Cdn media went haywire.

 

[Murphy]

When I say "threats" I am referring to Trump saying that he would look into tariffs. They would be put into place with Mexico and the US unless the US got a fair deal. They weren't threats in the traditional sense. It was a negotiating strategy.

The media was upset, but no statements from our government were released. That didn't help at all. The closest we got was, "We are still negotiating. We are hopeful that everything will work out for all concerned."

 

[petros]

We are already exempt under NAFTA. There never was a threat on Canadian steel or aluminum.

 

[Murphy]

I think you fail to understand the art of the deal.

The first rule is to establish your dominance in the meeting room. Following that, you suggest that whatever it is that you are negotiating isn't working as it should. It has to be re-examined. If a satisfactory deal cannot be worked out, you will have to back out. Laws mean nothing. Perception of intent is everything.

 

[petros]

Not once was Canada brought up by Trump. Not until Canadian media faked enough news for Trump to mention NAFTA.

What's he trying to do? Get Canada to lower our 45.8% steel tarrifs to his 25%?