[Politics] Donald Trump, US President

[Hugo Rune]

Does anyone have the data on current EU Vs US tariffs? I keep reading that the EU imposes more tariffs for the US than vice versa. Is that true ?

I don’t think we’re in trade deficit with the US. That seems to be Trump’s big concern. They are in trade deficit with the EU by £350bn. Also a trade deficit with Canada and Mexico. He want’s those reversed. I don’t think we are in his sight line in terms of that.

 

[slartibartfast]

So..... "Give me Greenland, and I'll stop the tariffs" ? Is that likely to be his line? Will the EU cave on that? I hope not. Somebody has to stand up to this blowhard and punch him on the nose.

 

[Greg Bobkin]

Trump has said Sir Keir is ‘very nice’ so we’re not getting tariffs just yet.

Keir is the first PM to attend an EU council meeting since Brexit. Seems like we’re making progress there too.

Trump is full of shit.

 

[Triggaaar]

Now making comments on whether or not he’ll place tariffs on the UK.

Thank goodness Sir Keir is joining an EU meeting today. Hopefully they can come up with some joint thinking about how we can resist this orange idiot.

Trump is more against the EU, because the US have a trade deficit with them. He's more likely to be friendly with us as our trade is more equal. Not sure we want to be in the same boat as the EU.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Trump is full of shit.

Agreed.

However, do you think it would be better if Trump had singled out the UK and Starmer as a special case of disgrace (like he has for the EU), and that Starmer had told the EU to f*** off WRT future arrangements?

Well, I can imagine that the Brexit monkeys would love the latter (while describing it as "Too Near Kier" or some-such shite). What about the former?

You know the story about the tent and the man who needs to urinate I take it?

Of course, if Corbyn were PM he'd be telling Trump and the EU to f*** off.
And if Sunk were still PM he'd . . . actually I have no idea what he'd be doing. Nothing, most likely.

 

[Triggaaar]

With Europe, yes?

With both

 

[dwayne]

I don’t think we’re in trade deficit with the US. That seems to be Trump’s big concern. They are in trade deficit with the EU by £350bn. Also a trade deficit with Canada and Mexico. He want’s those reversed. I don’t think we are in his sight line in terms of that.

Oh so @Herr Tubthumper article is nonsense then

I can kind of see where trump is coming from if it really is 350bn.

 

[beorhthelm]

this isnt about trade deficits. its about other issues, just heard White House economics diector say it's a drug war not a trade war. they want Canada and Mexico to do more, or at least say they will, on border control. thats the "win" condition for Trump. obviously there's no drug aspect with EU so look for the other "win" Trump wants, that'll be higher defense spending.

 

[Triggaaar]

I can kind of see where trump is coming from if it really is 350bn.

You can? Blimey.

Trump says the EU are out of line because the US have av trade deficit. What utter nonsense. They have a trade deficit because people in the US want to buy stuff made in the EU, and people are less interested in what the US make. That's it.

If they want to reduce the deficit then make better stuff.

 

[JBizzle]

Trump has said Sir Keir is ‘very nice’ so we’re not getting tariffs just yet.

Keir is the first PM to attend an EU council meeting since Brexit. Seems like we’re making progress there too.

Oddly, we might actually be able to see THE FIRST EVER BREXIT BENEFIT!!!

As a relatively independent trading country, we can negotiate a "good deal" with the US, and negotiate in isolation for the UK with EU on cross-European trade.

Trump's issue is that he has a perceived "bad deal" with the EU. As long as we don't join any trade agreement with the US as part of the bloc, we might get away with it.

 

[pb21]

this isnt about trade deficits. its about other issues, just heard White House economics diector say it's a drug war not a trade war. they want Canada and Mexico to do more, or at least say they will, on border control. thats the "win" condition for Trump. obviously there's no drug aspect with EU so look for the other "win" Trump wants, that'll be higher defense spending.

I heard this was just the official line / an excuse. Saying there is a drugs emergency means the President can unilaterally increase tariffs on those countries, otherwise this would be subject to Congress etc.

 

[dwayne]

You can? Blimey.

Trump says the EU are out of line because the US have av trade deficit. What utter nonsense. They have a trade deficit because people in the US want to buy stuff made in the EU, and people are less interested in what the US make. That's it.

If they want to reduce the deficit then make better stuff.

Sorry I misread / misunderstood the point. I thought it was 350bn difference in equivalent tariffs.

 

[beorhthelm]

I heard this was just the official line / an excuse. Saying there is a drugs emergency means the President can unilaterally increase tariffs on those countries, otherwise this would be subject to Congress etc.

that's an interesting extra twist.

thing is the tariffs will cause inflation and then interest rate rises which Trump is also promising to lower. some pundits saying prices will be seen later this week as they hit fresh produce that cant be stocked and low margin so cant absorb. can't make more tomatoes or avacados, lumber or metals appear suddenly in the US.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Oh so @Herr Tubthumper article is nonsense then

I can kind of see where trump is coming from if it really is 350bn.

You asked about tariffs? Not the deficit?

 

[Greg Bobkin]

Agreed.

However, do you think it would be better if Trump had singled out the UK and Starmer as a special case of disgrace (like he has for the EU), and that Starmer had told the EU to f*** off WRT future arrangements?

Well, I can imagine that the Brexit monkeys would love the latter (while describing it as "Too Near Kier" or some-such shite). What about the former?

You know the story about the tent and the man who needs to urinate I take it?

Of course, if Corbyn were PM he'd be telling Trump and the EU to f*** off.
And if Sunk were still PM he'd . . . actually I have no idea what he'd be doing. Nothing, most likely.

I think I'd refer you to my previous comment. I don't believe a word he says, so anything he DOES say has zero meaning.

That's not to say I don't think he will act, but I doubt all the bluster that goes with whatever word salad comes from his mouth or stumpy KFC-ridden digits onto 'Truth'. For example, some of the wall got built. Did Mexico pay for it? Did they fack.

He'll probably introduce tariffs on every market the US trades with. Will it work completely to his advantage – and to the benefit of the US people, y'know the people he is meant to be representing and helping? Hugely doubtful.

I've not looked or read up much about it, but I could imagine that, until he was properly briefed, he would've forgotten about Brexit and thought the UK was part of the EU. And therefore he would've been prepared to fack us over too.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Agreed.

However, do you think it would be better if Trump had singled out the UK and Starmer as a special case of disgrace (like he has for the EU), and that Starmer had told the EU to f*** off WRT future arrangements?

Well, I can imagine that the Brexit monkeys would love the latter (while describing it as "Too Near Kier" or some-such shite). What about the former?

You know the story about the tent and the man who needs to urinate I take it?

Of course, if Corbyn were PM he'd be telling Trump and the EU to f*** off.
And if Sunk were still PM he'd . . . actually I have no idea what he'd be doing. Nothing, most likely.

Selling the US our NHS so they can introduce health insurances - Aaron Banks.

Fortunately Sunk isn't the PM anymore.

 

[Brian Munich]

The US markets are going to take a kicking today

It's not been anywhere near as bad as I thought it might be. Main US indicies are about 1.5% down and similar across Europe; I was expecting something like -5% at least.

 

[pb21]

that's an interesting extra twist.

thing is the tariffs will cause inflation and then interest rate rises which Trump is also promising to lower. some pundits saying prices will be seen later this week as they hit fresh produce that cant be stocked and low margin so cant absorb. can't make more tomatoes or avacados, lumber or metals appear suddenly in the US.

Reading around a bit more, while it is correct that these increases are under the guise of national security (section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962), national security isn’t defined…

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

I think I'd refer you to my previous comment. I don't believe a word he says, so anything he DOES say has zero meaning.

That's not to say I don't think he will act, but I doubt all the bluster that goes with whatever word salad comes from his mouth or stumpy KFC-ridden digits onto 'Truth'. For example, some of the wall got built. Did Mexico pay for it? Did they fack.

He'll probably introduce tariffs on every market the US trades with. Will it work completely to his advantage – and to the benefit of the US people, y'know the people he is meant to be representing and helping? Hugely doubtful.

I've not looked or read up much about it, but I could imagine that, until he was properly briefed, he would've forgotten about Brexit and thought the UK was part of the EU. And therefore he would've been prepared to fack us over too.

Yes, you are probably right.

In which case it probably doesn't matter what we say to him.

So for purely pragmatic reasons it is probably best that Starmer give Trump the impression we 'like' him.

I am surprised Trump has proposed anything, frankly. He is now able to dodge the courts and can sit back as his money and freedom are no longer taken away from him. One assumes he is simply having a bit of a larf.