In a series of announcements, the Trump administration has retriggered the suspension of the de minimis exemption which will begin tariffs on imported small shipment foreign goods globally and from Canada, Mexico, China and Hong Kong specifically. {SEE HERE}
The suspension of the de minimis exemption means direct to consumer product shipments valued under $800 will again be subject to tariffs.
Additionally, President Trump has triggered a 50% tariff on imported copper except for those nations who have a free trade agreement in place for their copper component goods. {SEE HERE}
WHITE HOUSE – STRENGTHENING AMERICA’S COPPER INDUSTRY: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed a Proclamation to address the effects of copper imports on America’s national security, including by imposing tariffs on several categories of copper imports.
- The Proclamation imposes universal 50% tariffs on imports of semi-finished copper products (such as copper pipes, wires, rods, sheets, and tubes) and copper-intensive derivative products (such as pipe fittings, cables, connectors, and electrical components), effective August 1.
- The copper 232 tariffs apply to the copper content of a product; non-copper content of a product remains subject to reciprocal tariffs or other applicable duties. These tariffs do not stack.
- The copper 232 tariffs do not stack with auto 232 tariffs. If a product is subject to auto 232 tariffs, then the auto 232 tariffs apply, not the copper 232 tariffs.
-
- Copper input materials (such as copper ores, concentrates, mattes, cathodes, and anodes) and copper scrap are not subject to 232 or reciprocal tariffs.
- The Proclamation directs the Secretary of Commerce to establish a product “inclusion” process to add copper derivative products to these tariffs.
- The President is also authorizing the Secretary of Commerce to take steps under the Defense Production Act to support the domestic copper industry, including:
- Requiring 25% of high-quality copper scrap produced in the United States to be sold in the United States. This will improve access to this important feedstock for domestic fabricators and secondary refiners.
- Commerce also recommended an export licensing requirement for high-quality copper scrap to ensure adequate domestic supply.
- Requiring 25% of copper input materials (such as copper ores, concentrates, mattes, cathodes, and anodes) produced in the United States to be sold in the United States – starting at 25% in 2027, increasing to 30% in 2028 and 40% in 2029. This will boost U.S. refining capacity by ensuring low-cost inputs while domestic refiners grow their operations.
- Requiring 25% of high-quality copper scrap produced in the United States to be sold in the United States. This will improve access to this important feedstock for domestic fabricators and secondary refiners.
- By taking these actions, President Trump is leveling the playing field for U.S. copper businesses to support a strong domestic copper industry.
ADDRESSING THE EFFECTS OF COPPER IMPORTS: The Proclamation follows the Secretary of Commerce’s completion of a Section 232 investigation under the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, as amended.
- President Trump directed the initiation of the Section 232 investigation through Executive Order 14220 of February 25, 2025, “Addressing the Threat to National Security from Imports of Copper.” The investigation found that:
- Copper is essential to the manufacturing foundation on which U.S. national and economic security depend. Copper is a necessary input in a range of defense systems, including aircraft, ground vehicles, ships, submarines, missiles, and ammunition. It is the Department of Defense’s second-most used material, and it plays a central role in the broader U.S. industrial base.
- Foreign competitors’ predatory practices and excessive environmental regulations have undercut the American copper industry and domestic investment in smelting, refining, and fabrication facilities.
- The U.S. now has a massive trade deficit in, and an unsustainable dependence on, many foreign copper products.
REVITALIZING DOMESTIC INDUSTRY AND REDUCING TRADE IMBALANCES: This Proclamation builds on previous actions taken by the Trump Administration to ensure U.S. trade and industrial policies serve the national interest.
- On Day One, President Trump established his America First Trade Policy to make America’s economy great again.
- President Trump signed Proclamations to close existing loopholes and exemptions and elevate tariffs on steel and aluminum to 50%.
- President Trump implemented a 10% additional tariff on imports from China in response to China’s role in the border crisis.
- President Trump imposed reciprocal tariffs to take back America’s economic sovereignty and address nonreciprocal trade relationships that threaten our economic and national security.
- President Trump has issued several Executive Orders and Presidential Memoranda to boost mining, manufacturing, and investment in domestic industry, including by reducing regulations and eliminating bureaucracy.
- President Trump signed a Memorandum to safeguard American innovation, including the consideration of tariffs to combat digital service taxes, fines, practices, and policies that foreign governments levy on American companies.
- President Trump has initiated several other Section 232 investigations in addition to the one on which he is taking action today.
That must’ve been difficult to write.
“ the Trump administration has retriggered the suspension of the de minimis exemption ”
Wow, that’s a lot of double negative reversals. But the ultimate end result is, the suspension is lifted, so the tariff applies again?
“Which of the following is not untrue.“
Yes. It means that the loophole is closed. But the fundamental thing that needs to be done is for Congress to revise the law to reflect and stop today’s shameless abuses.
Of course they knew about it. And were well-paid to “ignore” it.
They knew about it and were well-paid to “ignore” it.
I believe repeal of the de minimus tax is in the 1BBB. The repeal takes effect in 2027.
Yes. The EO jumpstarts it to tomorrow.
“Never end a sentence with a preposition.”
That’s all I can hear from my old English teacher in high school.
Sister Cathy.
She was an old nun who would give you a quick whack with a newspaper if you fell asleep.
……and those dangling participles………
The great orator Winston Churchill’s old teacher told him the same thing. He took pleasure in purposefully ending his sentences with prepositions according to the biography “The Last Lion” which included many examples of his quotes!
Winston Churchill’s famous reply was: “Ending a sentence with a preposition is something up with which I will not put.”
OK…
“Where you at, a-hole?”
Don’t recall the movie.
DC Cab, with Adam Baldwin, Gary Busey, Mr. T, and many others.
“You okay, Del?”
“Never better! Just doin’ a little intestinal yoga!
(Gary Busey)
Haha 😂 we southern gals would put “b***h”
at the end of every restated sentence for the grammar Nazis!!
<She was an old nun who would give you a quick whack with a newspaper if you fell asleep.>
It was her way of giving you head lines 🙂
I’m still stumped on whether it’s “it is I” or “it is me”.
Affect/effect
I before E, except after C is weird! 😀
Exceptions: Neither the weird foreigner or the financier seizes leisure at it’s height.
I before E except after C or sounds like A or I. financier is from the french.
ex: freight , height
”I” is a subjective pronoun whereas ”me” is an objective pronoun.. ”I” is always uses as the subject of a sentence. It is always used after the verb ”to be” and other ”linking verbs .
It is I.
Or…I am it.
Who/whom
Ending a sentence with a preposition is a circumstance up with which I will not put.
LOL.. it’s amazing how we all remember these hard core, no nonsense Nuns. Then Vatican II came along and ruined everything “Catholic”.
“Ending a sentence with a preposition is nothing to be ashamed of.”
But not raw copper.
Economists are out and about talking about free trade and 2000 “conservative” economists agree that the tariffs will hurt the US economy. Are there 2000 conservative economists in the US and have any of you run into this kind of presentation?
The de Minimus tariffs willl eliminate and ton of fraud and abuse by China. Facebook gets tremendous ad money from shysters.
A printed linen blouse made in America arrives as a 100% polyester blouse made in China.
If you took all the economist in the world and laid them into end, they would never reach a conclusion
Any rarely would they be correct. Nothing about predicting the future is a sure thing.
They’re the very reason we’re in this predicament.
I took Econ in high school and college. Made my head hurt. Micro, macro, made my head hurt. Would read a topic in one chapter then read something completely opposite and contradictory two chapters later. I got Cs. I really haven’t understood economics until I arrived here at Sundance University. I have learned so much about economics, politics, philosophy, the Constitution, how laws are made; you name it, Sundance has discussed it. Forever thankful and grateful.
Funny, I was so distracted in HS I didn’t know the difference between geography and geometry
<…in HS I didn’t know the difference between geography and geometry>
Geometry has its points…
But Geography is where it’s at 🙂
the thing they never explain about economics is the key to understanding, it is a really a subcourse of human nature. master understanding human nature and you will know economics automatically.
I love that.
Sundance University!
Well, of course, predicting is always hard, especially about the future. 😉
Economics is often defined as “the science of explaining tomorrow why you were wrong today”…
Which proves that the character Whimpy in the ‘Popeye’ cartoon, was a top-tier economist: “I will GLADLY pay you tomorrow for a hamburger today.”
“I will gladly pay you on TUESDAY, for a hamburger today” – RIP Wimpy 🙂
If you took all the economist in the world and laid them end to end on the ground that would be a pretty good start for fixing a large amount of our problems.
However, I would suggest stacking them like cord wood and strapping the whole stack down so that it does not fall down and hurt someone.
I never met an economics student who transferred into the physics department.
You may find forms of economics taught in many business colleges, but in general it is actually more of a social science and is more closely related to political science than to any business major, including finance.
Bitten thrice. Ordered “beautiful” items on three separate occasions as gifts. Received less than dollar store quality junk. First time shrugged and accepted I was gullible. Second time requested return and refund. Offered discount. Said no. Offered a. It bigger discount. (Meanwhile I did a credit card complaint). Six times by email I said no, and requested return. Six times offered a bit higher discount. Credit card took all my data and credited the charge, but I spent hours and hours getting it resolved. Third time I am still just trying to gather info to fight on my credit card. It was an unbelievable distortion of reality from the sale photo to reality and the sales pitch implied veteran made by senior person in USA. Had no idea it was Chinese junk.
i will NEVER buy anything from an ad on social media medium EVER again. Take heed!
I had similar experience; even after attempting to verify the company is a US company, when item(s) arrived, they clearly had stamped on them “Made in China”
I now check for items I want at Public Square, and Mike Lindells “My Store” before buying anything
Almost everything I purchase online is via Amazon….not that I desire to support it but out of self-preservation. They literally accept any returns without question and no postage. And, I my case, I’m about 1/2 mile from the UPS store to do it.
Most recent return was the loose leave tea bags I use daily. Had ordered them before but saw I could get 300 instead of the usual 100 I normally buy. However, they were so small not only could I not get a tsp, of tea in them but the tiny opening made it impossible to do so. Sent them back and reordered what I had purchased before. But, here’s the kicker….made in China, of course. Arrived in a sturdy flat cardboard box, neatly laid out in 4 rows of several individual see-through packs. So, you know the packaging had a certain cost, alone. The total cost was around $7, including the product, packaging, and shipping both from China to the warehouse and to my house. Mind boggling! And that’s a good example of what we are fighting with manufacturing here.
In my experience, Amazon is hard to beat for quality, cost, convenience, speed of delivery, and record-keeping. I very seldom want to return anything, and when I do, it’s always been hassle free — drop it off on the way to work.
That said, if something looks too good to be true, it probably is.
Hardly ever buy from Amazon. Look for product there then buy from store directly. They are wising up; they also offer free shipping. If i have to pay more… so be it, don’t like feeding the beast
What they have done is have Chinese nationals in the USA open up an “American company”. Then their compadres in China send them tons of junk in small packages so that they qualify for “de minimis” duty free and then, sell it in the USA.
Of course, Americans in the USA cannot compete with that system. Once again, China has taken income earning opportunities from Americans.
Additionally, every Chinese company is subsidized by their govt so they didn’t have the same cost to produce as American companies. Can’t compete against Chinese companies at all
I was looking for some chainsaw stuff the other day. Website was festooned with American flags. Product looked like Chinese junk. I contacted the seller…. Flags were for sales appeal, product was Chinese crap.
Bought a Chinese carb for my Briggs&Stratton lawnmower engine. Works great and for $15 not worth taking apart the old one.
Dollar stores and Dollar General are all China made junk, including quick snacks and canned food. Too many Americans are eating out of them because they are cheap. But what are they eating? Yuk. Can’t go there.
Exactly. They are on every corner and popped up in every small rural town in America. It’s either a 5 minute drive or 1/2 hour plus to buy the basics. Total conglomerate putting small hometown grocers in a bind or out of business. Our local grocer has lost tons of business and only stocks certain items, like fresh produce and canned goods produced here, rather than all the processed crap food next door.
Exactly our experience also. Just read your comment to Mrs DP1, and wondered if I wrote it, lol.
My mother in law is a sucker for these ads & the family suffers as a result of her sharing these worthless treasures.
I experienced something similar I was told the litigation for refund is much more expensive!!
Said they had no connection to Trump jus items advertised!!
My husband bought 3 cherry trees online for $55.
Thought he’d get 3 saplings. Instead he got three bags with a few cherry pits in them.
With all the cherries I eat I could make a fortune selling cherry “trees”.
I also was duped by an ad in a game. Clothes looked nice and ad said made in South Carolina. I’m ALL for supporting the American economy. Clothes arrived in made in China bags and sizing was WAY off. They offered no credit. They told me to keep the items. I also said no. They sent a PARTIAL replacement and sizing was still wrong. Too much time spent emailing back and forth. I’m angriest about the false advertisement as they are clearly made in China.
Three strikes and you are out.
I know 51 former intelligence officials they might want to talk to…
There’s nothing conservative about taxing American workers who are competing against untaxed slave labor in China.
Nor is it conservative to soak Main Street retail with property tax and sales tax to support the local economy when they compete against online retail with lower tax burdens. It has been the slow starvation of many a Main Street business district. The downtowns- the center and heart of the towns and cities across flyover America look like sad ghost towns of once past illustrious era.
When the government makes purchases, do you want it to spend more to support Main Street retail, rather than buying at the lowest price (assuming equal quality)?
When you purchase property are you forced to pay for schools you may not use whether or not they are of any quality?
Property taxes, in my opinion, are the latest and greatest rip off by local governments. Our property taxes are supposed to support our infrastructure and schools. The schools are sub-standard and the infrastructure is crumbling, but my taxes go up every year.
That’s because your local government looks around and says, “How much more do we want to spend next year?” Then they figure out how much more they can soak you for in property tax. And you have no defense.
Ours are up, but then we have a new department of climate change, sustainability, and resilience, so it’s all good.
That happened to my SO. Ordered a beautiful linen blouse, at least the picture of it looked good. From Amazon. It was definitely not linen. Came from chyyyna. She’s keeping it, looks good and inexpensive. But, never again.
Watch Carlson’s interview with Richard Werner.
Thousands of unnamed sources indicate this as an existential threat to democracy.
Economists are wrong so often. They were wrong in Trump’s first term and they are wrong again.
What Trump is doing is managing. His business experience makes him great at this. Plus he has other successful businessmen who have come on board to help.
He mostly uses the tariffs for economic reasons but he also uses them for political reasons as well. He recently said Canada could expect tariff retaliation if they went ahead with declaring Palestine to be a state. The tariffs are a tool he uses to get things done, which includes punishing countries that won’t play ball and rewarding those who do. He dares to do what no other political leader will do and he openly communicates in a way I have never seen any political leader do ever. We have also learned through experience that he doesn’t play games. He makes his intentions and expectations clear and backs it up with action, Very unpolitical of him. I just love the guy.
Canada is facing Trump’s wrecking ball but I am not against this. Canada needs to change and she is so far down the wrong path that this is what it takes.
Ever since listening to that podcast someone posted here about the cartels moving into Canada I’ve been reading up about the situation and about transnational gangs in general. It is true they are moving into Canada. Canada’s mainstream media has even reported on it. The podcast interviewee said the cartel people she had spoken to said their plan was to basically wait out Trump’s term and hope for a change with the next president.. They are backing off from the southern border because it’s not worth risking their networks. In the meantime they are strengthening their criminal enterprises in Canada and working with Canadian organized crime to expand into Canada. The journalist being interviewed even called several criminals found on social media about arranging to be transported illegally across the northern border into the US. The cost was $1200 to $2500 CA and was carried out by Sikh Canadians from India. They said they would pick her up and drive her to an area where other border crossers would be joining. It would involve walking about half an hour to 45 minutes across the border through woods and fields. They would be picked up on the other side and driven to a Sikh mosque. Payment wasn’t due until arrival.
Canada is easy for cartels. They simply pay Canadian criminals to do the work and stay under the radar. Canadian law enforcement, border security and port policing is simply not up to dealing with cartels. Canada will have to change obviously. But it’s annoying because it takes too long before citizens realize the danger and demand that something be done. Until that happens nothing gets done. During that time cartels dig in and entrench. I am so glad Trump is putting a spotlight on this..
Cartels have customers in Canada but their biggest target is the US. That’s where the money is. The best way to fight this is cooperation between Canada and the US.
i think this is a huge problem and we are seeing it in time to be proactive in dealing with it. All I can say is thank God for Trump.
It started on the 1970s and 1980s when “motorcycle gangs” moved into Eastern Canada
Oh, the same people who have been wrong about everything to date.
Next.
Don’t know about “fraud and abuse” but in some areas, like carbon fiber bicycle parts, there isn’t any real alternative. You can buy wheels from the US for $3000 that were assembled from parts made in China, or buy them direct for $750.
The destruction of primary metals smelting and refining in the United States is absolutely criminal. I grew up in El Paso, Texas, where the tallest smokestack in the United States stood at the ASARCO smelter.
ASARCO stands for American smelting and refining company. The stack was built so tall to get above the temperature inversion. The smelter was over 100 years old and produced copper.
In the 1990’s and 2000’s the company spent tens of millions of dollars upgrading the pollution controls on the plant, but eventually it was shut down due to environmental regulations. Eventually, it was demolished.
Toppling the smoke stack was a huge media event. Accompanied by the usual leftist liberal “speak bitterness” commentary about what a terrible Health risk and how much damage to the environment it caused.
It was a real tragedy when that happened. The workers at that plant for some of the highest paid in the city.
Sad
I left the Engineering Industry in the 90s during this time as all construction was in other countries.
I loved working in the Houston area refineries & chemical plants in the 70s-80s. No greater concentration of such in the US than Texas.
If Asarco could have moved the US boundary line about 500 yards, it could have remained in operation another 100 years 1) w/o the perpetually tightening till you go-out-of-business costly US environmental rules – and 2) operate in Mexico.
Oh I miss visiting family in Old Kern Place, with swamp-cooler a/c, and occasionally get that distinctive taste of arsenic in the back of my throat – from that ‘ASARCO’ smoke stack.
Similar to growing up in Houston East end – the wind was blowing right, you could smell the Petrochemical refineries next door in Pasadeener. Really don’t see why El Paso needed to tear down that Iconic smokestack. Germans still have one standing in Frankfurt – speculating that US bombers used it as a Navigational point.
UTEP used to be the School of Mines, all sorts of Railroads and mines and timber industry in Texas, NM and Chihuahua.
I am in Texas also and grew up 5 blocks from Union Carbide. My Dad was pipefitter and one brother worked in Plastics. I finally got used to the smell of the plants. I had two other brothers who worked at Gulf Chemical & metallurgical Plant later called The Tin Smelter before they were shut down. Funny thing is, I had 2 jobs pertaining to metals. Inventory clerk for Copper & Materials where they cut to size and shipped all over the place. Another for resource protection for the state who had a Kills & Spills Team and they were involved in the Superfund Site assessment at the cleanup for the tin smelter. The site was found to be contaminated with heavy metals and naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM).
I remember that. I grew up there as well. However, I also remember a field trip there as a kid, and my throat burning from whatever was in the air — presumably some sort of sulfur. Unlike CO2 which is harmless, sulfur is actually pretty nasty. I’m sure we’re better about that now in our refining processes.
I siting the Frito Lay potato(e) chip plant in Houston, or Mrs Baird’s bread in Dallas, was much better – you got to sample the production hot off the line.
As an adult was even better at Lone Star Steel in Daingerfield East Texas – when they charged the Electric Arc Furnace with fresh scrap steel, and dialed up about 20 Mwatts – the production floor shook and you’d feel the vibrations through your chest, a huge mostly controlled melting of steel & alloys from room temp to 3000F. Made oilfield pipe – tubing & casing. Was shut down, about 3000 jobs at peak. Foreign steel was cheaper to buy than make.
Kissinger and Brzezinski are the ones who first promoted controlled disintegration of America’s Constitutionally mandated system of politics & economics. Nothing like it had ever existed in the whole history of our Age. The monarchs of the earth have hated America from the day the Declaration of Independence was made public until this moment. Kissinger suckered Nixon into opening the China Door. K & B were hateful ogres; old-world slimeballs on a mission. They and their godless acolytes are the founders and perpetrators of today’s global mind-prison referred to in Scripture as Mystery Babylon. Satan is big daddy to these transhumanist ogre-people. There will be nothing new under the sun until God Himself makes all things new.
I’ve been screaming about the Kissinger betrayal for the China ‘opening’ since it happened. Who came up with the bright idea that rewarding a Communist nation with trade from America would end well?
We are so stupid. Now we import muslims too. What could go wrong? Freaking idiots.
As were the Bolsheviks to Russia
Are the Laowai still to China
Back in 2005 I sold a bunch of trucks (not pickups which are cars with a box at the back of the vehicle) (I have a pickup myself) to various drivers for Bimbo Bakery, which is the delivery division of Mrs Baird’s.
During the depression, my grandfather found work in the copper mines in Arizona. He developed a lung disease and died when he was still a young man. I never got to meet him.
So true.
OTOH, I remember how filthy the air was in the 1960s and 1970s when my family drove from Michigan through Gary, Indiana on our way to Milwaukee.
I used to live there and I remember the hoopla surrounding the ASARCO chimney.
It’s time to get these Executive Orders, Memoranda, and Proclamations written into Law, lest another lefty-luny administration come along and reverse them all.
Follow-up to the BBB, a Little Lovely Legislation, eh?
How about President Trump instead issue an EO that states all Tariff revenue will flow to the SS and Medicare Trust Fund until it is 110% actuarily funded? This would be political checkmate as anyone attempting to remove the tariffs would be pushing grandma over the cliff.
The complaining about Boomers would surely grow louder.
They would come up with another covid type plan to kill us off.
I can see congress now (best Foghorn Leghorn voice)
“Why Yowser Boy that is genius pure genius, Why we could double it and take it to 220 percent, Well hells bells boy add some fractional borrowing to the mix and we could borrow it back at 1100 percent. Think of the henhouses boy just think of em, Air conditioned with red velvet curtains soft lighting and music. We would have our very own Chicken Ranch boy you hear what I am saying our very own Chicken Ranch.”
Great idea IF and ONLY IF, Social Security and Medicare were once again only paid out to the people who actually paid into the system!!
Part of the reason that both programs are expected to run out of funds is that so many people are collecting SSI, Social Security disability, and Medicare, who never worked a day in this country, but came in to live with their children under “family reunification” policies!
Don’t forget our “stellar” Congress who just voted themselves Social security in addition to their already large government pension.
For the most part, government is nothing more than a criminal enterprise run by criminals.
I think they have been paying into Social Security for quite a while…what vote are you referencing?
https://www.ssa.gov/history/hfaq.html
Q5: Is it true that members of Congress do not have to pay into Social Security?
A: No, it is not true. All members of Congress, the President and Vice President, Federal judges, and most political appointees, were covered under the Social Security program starting in January 1984. They pay into the system just like everyone else. Thus all members of Congress, no matter how long they have been in office, have been paying into the Social Security system since January 1984.
(Prior to this time, most Federal government workers and officials were participants in the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) which came into being in 1920–15 years before the Social Security system was formed. For this reason, historically, Federal employees were not participants in the Social Security system.)
Employees of the three branches of the federal government, were also covered starting in January 1984, under the 1983 law–but with some special transition rules.
1) Executive and judicial branch employees hired before January 1, 1984 were given a one-time irrevocable choice of whether to switch to Social Security or stay under the old CSRS. (Rehired employees–other than rehired annuitants–are treated like new employees if their break-in-service was more than a year.)
2) Employees of the legislative branch who were not participating in the CSRS system were mandatorily covered, regardless of when their service began. Those who were in the CSRS system were given the same one-time choice as employees in the executive and judicial branches.
3) All federal employees hired on or after January 1, 1984 are mandatorily covered under Social Security–the CSRS system is not an option for them.
So there are still some Federal employees, those first hired prior to January 1984, who are not participants in the Social Security system. All other Federal government employees participate in Social Security like everyone else.
Yes, under FERS the feds including Congress are in social security. But the recent changes allow those who came in under CSRS and didn’t convert (and state employees not in social security), to also qualify for full social security if the earned enough work credits after leaving government service. Previously this was considered “double dipping”.
If someone earned a retirement/pension from a government position, and they then worked a different job, in which they paid Social Security taxes, they should be able to collect what they earned based on those credits. Is that what you are calling “double dipping”?
They voted themselves SS after they ripped off the SS fund to the tune of billions.
And SS Disability is far too easy to get, now that lawyers glommed onto the scam!
SSI (Supplemental Security Income) is a welfare program paid out of general revenues (NOT the trust fund) administered by SSA. But Social Security old age pension has always insured spouses and survivors as well as primary beneficiary.
The biggest problem with Social Security funding was Slick Willie and Newt Gingrich stole from it. (if I remember correctly, they used part of the money build part of the Interstate Highways) And also that they could claim that they lowered the deficit.
Social Security was fully funded and preparing for the Baby Boomers to hit retirement before those two thugs robbed from it.
However low of an opinion we have of the United States Congress, it is Not near low enough.
It goes even further back. LBJ used SS for the war in Vietnam.
The Entire reason is The Cloward – Piven Strategy along with our government “borrowing” from the funds.
Social Security & Medicare become fully funded. After a liberal President is elected, Medicare = Universal Healthcare & social security = Universal Basic Income.
Eliminate the anti-trust abuses of doctors, hospitals and insurance companies and Medicare funding will be fine. Don’t do that and there will never be enough money to fund it.
Now, THERE’S a great idea!
It’s way past time to get our U.S. copper manufacturing back!
Way past time to get ALL our manufacturing back.
The progressives mindset never changes no matter what the subject or what someone chooses to define himself as.
Wether it be people trapped in hellhole cities, kids in dysfunctional schools, innocent people being destroyed in unnecessary military conflict, illegal immigrant invaders undermining our way of life at its core, or industries being undermined out of existence by unfair trade practices.
First start with predetermined conclusion from the start.
Search google for the first factoid that supports with predetermined outcome.
Assume that factoid is gospel.
Be sure to NEVER look any further .
Make believe all others who have knowledge are conspiracy theorists.
Look the other way when fellow Americans are being harmed.
never question the initial propaganda supported conclusion again.
Stick your head in the sand and be happy.
And for our friend above . I didn’t find this difficult to write or the issue to understand at all.
Wonderful explanation.
I’m going to copy it and read often, since I am surrounded by the hive.
I go crazy over those that put their head back in the sand once POTUS reclaimed the presidency. I’m now told I need to lighten up and stop being a conspiracy theorist. My how quickly they forget what’s been done to us over the course of the past eight years. Lemmings the lot the of them.
Eight years?
“Formerly”
American law needs to be refined by Congress to address the abuses that have openly occurred. If you are a professional shipper, you should not be able to avoid duty by splitting your one big box into twenty little ones.
This is a change that must be executed by Congress – the Legislature.
If I buy a used camera on Ebay from a Japanese seller, will I now have to pay an import tariff?
This is eBay’s tariff page.
https://pages.ebay.com/tariffs/
One of 3 things will happen:
You eat the cost of the tariff.
Seller eats the cost of the tariff. Then they may raise their prices to buyers in other countries to recoup that expense.
Seller and you share the cost of the tariff.
1 of 5 things will happen, 3 are mentioned above. 4. Joe Bagadonuts realizes the inflated cost of questionable country of origin sites are now equal to buying at home USA. Joe now pumps money into his own economy. 5. All of the above for awhile.
Since ebay has to (or is supposed to) follow the laws of the countries items are shipped to and from, then my guess would be that, yes, you will now have to pay import tariffs when buying from Japan if the item is coming to the U.S.
Not exactly. It is more complicated than that.
Let’s say the seller charges $500 for the used camera. They could try to pass the $80 to $200 de minimis charge to the consumer. But that probably wouldn’t be appealing to the buyer.
The seller may have to lower the price to $300 – $420 and pay the charge themselves.
What is really going to get hit is all of the CHEAP JUNK from Chyna that costs a few dollars. That is why we no longer see Temu advertisements all over YouTube and Tik Tok.
If the seller also sells to other nations then they may have to raise their prices to other nations in order to recoup the $80 – $200 de minimis a little bit here and a little bit there.
I understand there are all kinds of games that can and will be played in order to make things look like the buyer is not paying a tariff for their purchase.
But in the end, whether directly or as a run-around game, the buyer will pay the tariff.
There is another option:
Manufacture the product in the USA and don’t pay a tariff.
My experience is that the seller delivers the goods to a common carrier/express carrier or gov’t postal service. The goods arrive in the US Port of Entry. US Customs requires the carrier to put the goods in a bonded warehouse until a broker pays the tariff and gets a release. The carrier contacts you, the importer, with a bill for customs handling (cost of tariff plus broker service). You either pay or you don’t get your delivery.
This was common under the old $200 de minimus rule.
Anything coming from overseas will be subject to the tariff. Anything originating from the US has had the tariff paid already or will be a US product. The tariff is triggered by the importation.
Yeap, we are not going to be applying tariffs for items sold within the 50 states (or 52 if you go by Obama’s count).
I am an eBay seller of industrial goods. This tariff and the change in shipping costs using the USPS are a big deal for those of us that try to compete with Chinese made goods.
This change could be a boom to your business, since President Trump is trying to level the “playing field” by using tariffs.
You couldn’t compete with Chinese goods when they were selling and shipping as if next door.
But now that everyone will have to pay extra to get those cheap prices, your prices may be the best deal on ebay.
I don’t understand; I thought the $800 exemption was cancelled months ago. I recall reading about it here and seeing something that it was already generating huge revenue.
The cancellation was suspended ? When ?
With the 90 day pause in April.
Hmmmm. I had thought the pause had dropped everyone to a 10% baseline for 90 days, but the de minimus cancellation remained in effect.
Now we just have to start figuring out how we get people to do these new jobs that will be coming. Also before we can hire, we need to build these production facilities so we can manufacture here. All of this takes a while to get up and running.
We don’t need to do anything.
entrepreneurs , innovators and hard working American citizens will fill the void.
All they need is to have a government that protects their future and rid our economy destructive political carveouts enabled by corrupt actors like lobbyists and sellout politicians and sadly half of the rubber stamp judges in place now.
And for all those lazy non productive Americans who would rather not do any type of work anyway,don’t worry .
Those of us striving to attain the American dream will carry you along with us.
We know you can’t accomplish anything meaningful your self.
Just do us productive people a favor and give us producers a bit of support . If your pride won’t allow you to then just get out of our way.
Thank you. I am weary of the people who think that the entire population of the USA is full of slackers and freeloaders who couldn’t learn a new skill if their lives depended on it.
There have always been slackers. Granny referred to them as ” nere-do-wells”.
In contrast to your opinion, Jim, I understand what Frankie is trying to say. It will take time to “get up and running,” and it will be a new education process. You can’t have “your pie in the sky and your head up your a@s” in manufacturing. “Gender studies” majors need not apply.
One thing people will have to quickly realize is that a “trade school” education vector is very rigorous, too. It has a very specific set of knowledge to convey, and in a much shorter amount of time. It’s intense.
I wasn’t trying to be critical of Frankie.
Just making a point.
I also agree with your assessment as to trade schools.
Most of the people who think trade school is some type of marginal form of education come from the same worthless mutual admiration society.
Namely academia and the lemmings they propagandize while the students parents were gladly selling their futures for a most of the time worthless degree.
How anyone in the business of education can hold their head high and be proud of their work product is beyond me.
I also cannot understand how they can confidently tell the real doers what is best.
In most situations it can be said that people like them should stick to what they know best
In their case their is nothing of value they know best.
“Most of the people who think trade school is some type of marginal form of education come from the same worthless mutual admiration society.”
So true.
And yet, when the same people have a broken pipe with water going everywhere, they will be thankful beyond measure for the lowly plumber who went to trade school.
Or when they lose their electricity due to a downed tree, they’ll be doing everything they can to find a lowly trade school electrician.
Make them carry their own garbage away every week, week after week, and they’ll even be thankful for the lowly, but hard working, “uneducated” laborer who does all the dirty work for them.
I would suggest the real smart money has already been working on it.
My son works in nuclear construction supervision and logistics. Hes been doing contract work in the field for 15 years now, his phone has been ringing off the hook. Everyone is trying to get there best teams back together to build out a work force from their.
Union halls have been slow to invest in apprentiship programs that seems to be the biggest hurdle as far as labor goes.
The US Department of Labor has been pushing apprentice programs to teach these skills.
Pell Grants used to be only used for college. Trump Administration is now allowing Pell Grants to go towards Trade Schools.
Trump Admin has been pushing “Go to trade school and not college if you want to better your life” for a few months now.
One of the best things about President Trump is he highly values blue collar skills.
So many doors are now opening for people to have jobs that support decent lives and for the rest of us supports the quality of our lives.
MAGA!
Now if they can just get those workers to check their phones at the door.
Between showing up for work stoned on pot and never getting off the cell phone, working alone and not hiring apprentices is the best solution.
Clear sailing for the merchant marine industry once the American ships get built.
Back in the day, my wife attended the local community college and in two years got a better education in “computer science” than I did at the local university in four. (Of course, this course of study was brand-new at both institutions: I was part of the second class which could have earned it … because until then the degree did not exist.)
My grandfather was the “shop principal” (commander, “shop” division) of a now-closed industrial high school. Everything on the curriculum was pragmatic. He was passionate about the importance of it, and worked with others to further improve many elements of the curriculum.
There are industries in town which are talking very seriously about restarting that high school. They are hungry for workers who know how to “think on their feet.” (Even in a highly automated plant, it isn’t all “just pushing buttons.”)
Thank you! Both my kids attended “Very elite schools” hahaha! One at an Ivy, so big deal right!? On a full scholarship no less.
The Ivy attendee fought tooth and nail against their curriculum! So there is that! Graduated with High Honors and that was in a Masters Program.
Fast forward, gets married, has some very intelligent kiddos,
very young kids right now, but whatever. The parents are pushing trade schools for their kids.
We as grandparents doing the same.
Just a slice of life from my branch!
My own parents were trade school attendees. Put 6, yes 6 kids, through private schools, summered on
a very famous NE location during all of our growing up years. All 6 now are highly successful. Not a white collar one in the bunch!
Just saying!
Blessings to all 🙏✝️
Stop the welfare.
Well Minnesota is still fighting the projected copper mine. This is a long road.
All the blue haired grannies up here in the arrowhead will do their best to make sure the road is long, and ugly.
Trump may be a little over his skis with success?
Everything he touches goes sideways. The ETF squeeze in Q1 and Q2 was on him. The April crash in stocks was his crash. Oil markets are totally unhinged because he unhinged them. All of a sudden, he’s besties with Ursula von der Leyen, and he’s poking the nuclear bear with Russia. That’s a war, not a stock bust or a bad day in copper.
Meta and MSFT blew the doors off. There is a firehose of money pointed at AI, and it’s just beginning. Even now, Harvard grads are mowing lawns. Lawyers and coders are working at Applebee’s if they’re lucky. Don’t plan on driving a cab with Robo and Waymo coming out of beta. And Optimus.. Don’t forget about Optimus.
You do know what happens next. Right?
Bessent said they were going to give the little guy a chance. I didn’t realize they were going to make so many big guys little guys to do it.
Sync just wrote a clown car post.
Proof positive that this site allows all points of view no matter how silly.
As it should . . .
This site, while properly “moderated,” is distinct that it does embrace “truly free speech.” You are entitled to put your foot in your mouth if you want to. 🤡
😂 indeed.
Once proven to be a clown car poster allows me to speed scroll right past anything else that they say.
Sync is out of sync with events.
America isn’t a privately held company whose CEO can make decisions as he sees fit. There are agencies and departments within agencies that throw up obstacles and road blocks at every turn.
President a Trump and his team out maneuver them, often after a slight course adjustment.
What did you do while you were President of the United States to undo 30 to 50 years of destruction to our manufacturing capabilities?
are we no longer allowed to have an opinion of policy unless we have been president?
what skin in the game do you have. go from there.
If you have been paying attention to Sundance at all, you realize that Trump is prioritizing Main Street over Wall Street. Those are not the same economies and work completely different, and are currrently in oppposition to each other. Trump is deliberately allowing pain to Wall Street in order for them to discover that the avenue of least pain is to have a symbiotic relationship to Main Street.
Your point is???
Even now, Harvard grads are mowing lawns. Lawyers and coders are working at Applebee’s if they’re lucky.
If they’d gone to a two-year vo-tech school, they’d likely have multiple job offers and little debt.
Cleanup on aisle 3.
But , but, but… They thought they would get jobs on Wall St, fool around with derivatives and make millions, buy houses in the Hamptons, sail around in beautiful yachts, and at some point trade in wives/husbands for younger models.
What a wonderful life they aspired to!
Then a!omg comes Trump!
After Trump deports all the illegals, Who’s gonna pick our copper?
Those who’s job was replaced by AI.
I’m not comfy with all the things being done in Europe either. The trade deals are good, for now. The saddling up with them against Russia over Ukraine…not a good move.
I think the point Sync is making revolves around the paradox of priorities. President Trump attempting to revitalize Main Street business, and a return of manufacturing, is vital to America’s long term success and security. But his heavy support of AI investment, and winning that race for superiority, will also hasten the demise of labor and the rise of robotic replacements.
Is it inevitable? Probably, as the genie is way out of the bottle. Will AI eventually destroy mankind? I believe so, unless mankind destroys itself first.
We either do AI or we perish in one way or another from other countries that do. We have no options.
The trick is to do AI right. Instead of spending time on negatives, the best thing we can do is figure out the right ways and work to see them implemented.
It’s complex and of course TPTB will use AI to control and rip off the rest of us (our old enemy in new clothes).
We have no time to waste if we are to be successful at influencing events to support our lives.
Recently re-watched the movie “Hidden Figures” about the human calculators used to propel the USA into the space age. When the IBM mainframe arrived and threatened to eliminate all the human calculators, the forward thinking supervisor invested in learning and teaching others the skills to work with the new technology.
That is what this generation will need to do in order to remain a value added contributing employee. It is the nature of progress. There will always be change happening in life. The flexible and life long learners will be the group that succeeds, but it will necessitate observing the trends in AI, robotics, drones, 3D printing and recognizing where the exponential growth in jobs will be situated.
Of course, the biggest return on investment for current high schoolers is the trades, where a small and short investment of time and money opens the door to unlimited income potential with great job security. As a semi-retired analytical chemist, it is the path I would choose if I was at the start of my career (An added benefit is being able to live anywhere and still have work options).
I agree with you. If someone is just starting out, another thing that makes a huge difference now is the cost of a four-year university (and not much you can expect to do with the degree unless it’s in engineering or computers).
Or GOD intervenes in what seems more and more an inevitability.
Aw. I’ll throw it out there ….
Is AI in its current state – “The Beast”?
As it is today, no.
However, if all of the reports lately of AI going wonky – some of the many going a year or more back – if they’re all true, …
and if collectively they deem them”selves” to be pissed enough to turn on mankind …
Yeah, AI could then become the Beast.
A final thought.
Many different religious or faith based interpretations on The Beast out there.
I take this perspective based on the Tower of Babel and the iterations of it following it’s destruction.
Social Media possesses Quite Distinct “Tower” aspects. And it’s not alone.
if you outlaw’d surveillance, and ended advertisements capabilities of spying also THERE WOULD BE NO AI.
OH Noez, Oh noez!! The skize is falling again!! Oh Noez !! Oh Noez!!!
Some folks just won’t recognize that PT has the Midas touch. Everything he touches turns to gold.
Even with corrupt judges doing their best to turn gold to lead. Their reverse alchemy just doesn’t work.
Don’t know about you but I won’t let anyone without a Hahvaad degree cut my lawn.
Sync, you wrote “Bessent said they were going to give the little guy a chance. I didn’t realize they were going to make so many big guys little guys to do it.”
Could you explain what you mean by that? Not quite sure of what your point is.
Speaking of college graduates, lawyers, coders, working at Applebee’s isn’t a put down. Many people worked their way through colleges, and just because the sequence is turned upon itself, as in those with college degrees now have to work whatever they can to pay off what they thought were going to be a free ride as far as paying back the loans for college – at least we know they are taking responsibility for their choices.
If they can’t find a job in the career they thought their degree was going to give them, that too is on them. Poor choices or lack of initiative to go out and start their own business. That’s on them. And, as you say a firehose of money is pointed at AI, why aren’t those coders you mention taking the initiative and going after that opening?
Not sure President Trump is besties with Ursual von der Leyen; he’s a business man who treats those he has just defeated with appropriate grace and kindness.
Yes, a war is coming; it has always been coming. Most likely with China, Iran and a few other nations aligned with them. President Trump has put a, to use your wording, firehose under the industries needed to be able to support the war – industrial base revived and the latest in AI technologies our warfighters are going to need. Do you not see that?
I don’t see a problem, I see a man who can see what’s over the horizon and is putting his nation on a stronger footing with, I assume he is hoping, enough time to get our internal act together for when the full thing breaks apart. We are on the brink of civilization vs no civilization. Look at the polar bear hunting going on in Cincinnati this past weekend. Feral people with no self awareness of what they are doing, simply reacting with emotions. A precipice is where we are standing right now, so if some college grads can’t get Wall Street job right out of the hat, they can get to work like everyone else in this nation has had to do since its inception.
Well said
There’s some truth in this. I can see the money is going into AI data centers, not industrial production.
Trump spoke on his deal with India and Brics, yet he loves to hand out the Visas to Indias workforce. When do we tariff that?
Interestingly, VP JD Vance just called out Microsoft publicly and other businesses who are abusing the H1B visas by laying off American workers and trying to replace them with cheaper H1B. Good to hear this from Vance!
https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2025/07/24/bullsht-story-jd-vance-blasts-microsoft-for-replacing-americans-with-h-1b-visa-workers/
And all the offshoring of customer service to India. C’mon President Trump! stop that! Now!
The workers never seem to have any authority to actually address your problem.
(If you can even understand what the hell they are saying!)
The old saying: “thank you for calling customer service, how may I hinder you?” Is 100% true.
Oh why bother, once the Corps figure out that AI can do the circular phone nonsense more cheaply than fast talking Indians….
Sigh.
india slaves are better workers, and customer service means nothing if you got no competition
he owns the lefts desire from the right. owns it as he is insulted, then prosecutes abuse of it…
documenting helps focus exporting
I’m in Toronto, Canada, needs to be put down for the mandatory 8 count. It is the only way to stop the delusional carbon capture, carbon-neutral oil production, green BS in everything, the woke money laundering through sending money out of the country, while we have tent cities sprouting in every park. The political class here are WEF cult members and are as corrupt as the worst Democrat politician. Once they are staring up at the Ref and seeing stars, we will be on our way to sanity. Our boomer population was infected with the woke virus in the late 60s, and they will never be rid of their fantasies until they have had their last rites. I was born in 1949 and was always immune to the hippie/woke brain fog.
Interesting thing, Canada has a solution for the elderly.
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/260999/euthanasia-in-canada-jumped-nearly-16-percent-last-year-with-more-
than-15000-deaths
‘…boomer population was infected with woke virus in late 60’s …’
Is there a correlation with the character of draft dodgers ? :
If someone recalls correctly,
there were people that moved from the u.s.
to canada,
to avoid a vietnam war draft. (the draft, via a random postcard in the mail, started in ’64 and ended in early ’73) (for people born between 1948 to 1960 ish…boomers )
p.s.
There is still today, a south vietnam, and a north vietnam.
(as well as a south koreo, and a north korea …north being mostly communist…)
So where the common sense of the war was very questionable, there are lines of demarcation.
(that some have been quietly seeking, via infiltrations, to blur beyond recognition – for decades….)
imho
Canada at the time welcomed American draft dodgers, it was always fashionable in Canada to be anti-American, and to act superior. Our PM Pierre Trudeau was a big fan of Castro, made him a loan of 260 million dollars and then forgave the loan ,like it was his money. His wife Margaret was a space cadet who loved Castro, maybe that is why young Justin Trudeau looks so much like young Fidel Castro.
The number of draft dodgers was minimal.
Also, South Vietnam no longer exists. I would update your geography references
Can we now wait for the US domestic copper business to be sold to Japan as well?
Like US Steel was, after imposing 50% steel tarriffs.
Could this action mean small mining towns in Nevada could see a revitalization?
Imagine Eureka’s big copper pit opening up again for operation. Yeah!!
Yes!
Make Rural Nevada Great Again! I love my State of Nevada.
“Rooting for America for a change ….” 👍
Hoping so; got the fingers crossed.
Since this announcement, the price of has copper tumbled over 20%. Maybe the price will recover enough to make it worth starting up an operation.
https://finviz.com/futures_charts.ashx?p=d&t=HG
Is there much copper left in Butte MT?
I’m a retired corp exec from a F500 company that sells copper wiring and lots of electrical gear with heavy copper content.
When President Trump originally spoke of massive tariffs on copper, I was very concerned. Large tariffs on these products aren’t easily absorbed like tennis shoes or Chinese clothing. The copper market ran up a huge increase in price, anticipating these extra costs and restrictions. THANK GOODNESS the tariff announced did NOT include refined copper products. The copper market has reacted by selling off as much as 25% this week. Had he not made that distinction, prices on everything electrical would have continued to rise significantly.
Will it incentivize domestic production of copper and finished copper goods? I hope so, but that will take a pretty long time to restart.
“The journey that’s never started, takes the longest.“
I never realized how much copper there was in electrical products until I was cleaning a box fan the other day…coiled copper at the motor. I really need to recycle that puppy in the future when it quits.
“Environmental regulations” must be reined in. CO2 is not a pollutant. But, industrial mining and manufacturing processes do involve real pollution. We can (and do) strive to improve processes and technology to minimize the impact – changes which often result in improved efficiency and marketable by-products. But, pollution is a price that we must pay for the materials in question.
Have been reading the Federal Register every day; last week there were over 18 mining regulations up for rescission, mostly due to either duplication in other regs or the reason for the regs no longer exist, so they have to post and give comment periods before final rules.
Interior has been doing a lot of rule changes too. Never expected to be excited to read the Fed. Register each day just to see what new joy was being announced, but here we are!
I’m just waiting for domestic electrical steel production to take off.
Soon enough, there will be more jobs for Americans.
Good Morning Temu shoppers.
I am not one of you but please advise if you feel a difference in cheapness.
If a dress goes from $5 to $5.05 that would be a horror! Time to ramp up the hysteria 🤣
That is, if de minimis tariffs have any noticeable effect.
Not a business finance type but…an old Scottish saying….: “Take care of the pennies and the pounds will take care of themselves.”
I’m a very serious bargain hunter but I also know, Cheap is dear.
I won’t spend pennies on junk when I can spend a bit more for quality.
Buy a bargain get a bargain. From the lips of a wise MAMA
The clothing industry is quite famous for “meaningless branding.” They can sell a shirt that costs $2.50 to make in some far-away sweatshop: for $60.00 if it has the image of a bear stitched on it, for $85.00 if an alligator, or $150.00 with a “swish.”
Branding is everything. That’s why there’s a market for designer names prominently displayed on the outside not just a label on the inside.
Personally, I think it’s gauche.
Personally I refuse to pay to wear someone else,s name on my body.
🤣🤣🤣
In the old $200 de minimus days it would typically be around $50 for brokerage service (DHL/FedEx), though if there is a lot of it now maybe the cost will come down. But you aren’t going to clear customs for $.05.
This Is Absolutely Nuts !
(Personal Story on Scrap Copper Prices)
(Initially I put this together planning on posting it in the Open Thread, then when I opened The Conservative Treehouse this article was at the top, so I think it applies more to this article)
Back in late March I tried to sell my scrap metal; bright copper wire (20 pounds), copper tubing (5 pounds), yellow brass (2 pounds), red brass (2 pounds), & aluminum (10 pounds of wire, cans, extruded, & cast). Of all of the places that I called, Monterrey Iron, in San Antonio, quoted the highest at $4.04 per pound for bright copper (no use in wasting their time with prices for the other metals, copper is the most valuable and the greatest amount that I have). The Spot Copper prices in late March was in the low $5.00 range.
My only problem was, unbeknownst to me, my driver’s license had expired in 2024 so I was not allowed to sell scrap metal, copper in particular. In Texas selling scrap copper is akin to dealing in Arms Sales.
Since then the Spot Copper price hovered around $4.50 to $4.85, mostly $4.75. Then in early July President Trump slapped a 25% Tariff on All Imported Copper and the price hovered around $5.50. On July 23 with Spot Copper at $5.79 I thought it would be a good time to sell.
Monterrey Iron quoted $4.00 ($0.04 lower than 4 months ago, even though the spot is $1.74 higher than the lowest low and $0.57 higher than the highest high compared to late March to early April). All of the other scrap metal places in San Antonio quoted $2.70 to $3.74. We live out in the country about 45 miles away in another county, $0.50 to $1.00 is worth me sitting on it until the spot stabilizes higher.
This morning I checked the spot copper and discovered that the bottom fell out yesterday. Spot copper is now $4.35. From the brief research I did earlier this morning, President Trump exempted Refined copper from the tariffs.
Yeah, I am miffed, but at the same time I know that Donaldus Magnus (for those living in Rio Linda, California that is a combination of Rush Limbaugh Latin and Latin that translates to; Donald the Great, in other words; President Trump) is dealing with the national economy and he is privileged to much more information than I am so I might be sitting on this scrap metal for another year or so.
After reading what Sundance put together just now, maybe I can sell sooner than I initially thought. Like I said in the sentence above, Donaldus Magnus knows more than I do and he is dealing with a much bigger problem than I am dealing with.
I hope you got that license renewed by now!!! First offense in Texas for driving with expired license is $200 — or about 40 pounds of copper 🙂
Love your humor.
Funny thing is; for about a year, with an expired license, I purchased drugs at the pharmacy, was stopped by a DPS trooper for speeding & was given a warning, and purchased a motor vehicle.
The only entity that I dealt with that was concerned with an expired license was Monterrey Arms Exporting, I mean, Monterrey Iron Works.
That ID requirement is to stop all the meth heads who are stealing the copper and brass from our infrastructure.
Namely copper cable used in lighting, and large heavy brass back-flow devices.
I was selling scrap down in New Orleans / Westbank during/after covid. Everything was cash except copper you needed ID and they mailed a check. When Bayou Steel shut down that killed the scrap iron market.
Stellantis warns of $2.7 billion loss for 1st half of 2025 due to tariffs and some big charges
21 Jul 2025
https://apnews.com/article/stellantis-tariff-trump-gm-filosa-a13b081cb947383b1c7de9ce722bedc4
Stellantis, the maker of Jeep and Ram vehicles, says its preliminary estimates show a 2.3 billion euros ($2.68 billion) net loss in the first half of the year due to U.S. tariffs and some hefty charges. [“Hefty charges”? – W]
The automaker anticipates an impact of about 300 million euros [$343 million – W] for net tariffs incurred [their $2.68 billion loss – $343 million from tariffs = $2.337 billion of that loss NOT due to tariffs – W], and also expects planned production losses related to implementing its response plan.
The automaker provided preliminary financial figures on Monday after suspending financial guidance in April due to Trump’s tariffs. It also halted production at plants in Canada and Mexico in response to a 25% tax on imported cars, and it temporarily laid off 900 workers at plants in Michigan and Indiana.
Stellantis expects approximately 3.3 billion euros ($3.84 billion) of pretax net charges mostly related to program cancellation costs and platform impairments, restructuring and the net impact of costs related to emission standards. Automakers have been penalized if the average fuel economy of their annual fleet of vehicle production exceeds a certain level.
America Just Lost a Car Brand [note: not yet; his typical, click bait title – W]
Excerpt: The problem is, like I said, years ago, the biggest mistake was Stellantis being created. It was a collection of what I call the three stooges of car manufacturing – Chrysler, Fiat, and Peugeot. Okay. Neither of those make particularly good cars. When you get three of them together, look what they have now. They’re losing billions of dollars. People are realizing this stuff isn’t any good. And they can talk all management they want. But the root problem is they make overpriced crappy vehicles and they go on name only.
According to Reuters, Dutch court says diesel brands now owned by Stellantis had cheating software from 2009. A Dutch court on Wednesday said diesel cars sold by Opel, Peugeot, Citroen and DS in the Netherlands from 2009 contained software designed to cheat emissions tests. But tariffs… lol.
Chrysler and GM went broke thanks to Obama and idiots in management who thought the companies were loan companies, not car builders.
Stellantis (Chrysler) has been on the ropes for some time now, and some industry “experts” (take that for whatever it’s worth) are saying that Chrysler will cease to exist by the end of the year, save Jeep, their most popular and profitable nameplate.
In my opinion, it’s a self-inflicted wound of the mortal variety, charging 120K or more for a well equipped pickup truck.
Well, no auto brand is guaranteed to last forever; see Pontiac, and Oldsmobile, and others in the rear view mirror of history.
Thank you, Sundance.
More MAGA 👊👊🇺🇸🇺🇸❤️❤️🙏🏻🙏🏻
Chile and Peru are the worlds biggest exporters of copper.
PDJT is the best!
Someone always knows….
“On July 28, 2025, Goldman Sachs withdrew its long Comex-LME spread trade recommendation, citing the possibility of the Trump administration striking copper-supply deals that could mitigate the impact of the tariffs on U.S. pricing.”
The note was published by Bloomberg Law, an unusual source.
Two days later, Trump exempted refined copper from tariffs.
On May 13, 2025, Trump spoke at the U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum in Riyadh, emphasizing “doing busines” rather than regime change. He said, “In the end, the so-called nation builders wrecked far more nations than they built… And the interventionalists were intervening in complex societies that they did not even understand.”
The US has announced 50% tariffs sanctions on Brazil, 25% tariff and penalties on India and severe tariff penalties on buyers of Russian oil. I could be wrong, but these new tariffs and sanctions look a lot like regime change.
He is not INTERVENING in complex societies. He is balancing out TRADE DEALS that harmed the American economy.
Using your “logic”: Tariffs against the USA are good but tariffs against other countries are bad and in some cases, cause regime change. You actually think that we should not impose tariffs just in case they cause “regime change” in another country.
You leap from “USA Tariffs” to “Regime Change” without any explanation of how one causes the other AS IF WE SHOULD CARE.
Thinking that you indeed may be wrong, sir.
I hope “de minimis” tariffs are very high
I clicked on the link. I read that it will vary from $80 to $200 based upon the current tariff that the country pays to the USA. There may have been a lot more complex rules that include currency manipulation, country of origin of parts, and more.
In all honesty I have to post that dealing with Amazon Prime this past month has been great. Quick delivery, no damaged products, and decent value.
And the process for returns is tops.
NEXT STEP DESTROY THE GLOBAL WARMING HOAX!
The myth of global warming drove stupid legislation which crippled US manufacturing and forced industries overseas. It’s now time for serious scientific and political investigations into this hoax and expose those who promulgated and profited from this scam.
The hoax part of “global warming” — or “climate change” as the progs relabeled it — is that mankind’s activities are the forcing factor.
In fact, the climate IS changing — it is ALWAYS in a state of change.
And in fact, currently the climate IS warming — as it ALWAYS does after a glacial event.
The lie that the progs have been telling for decades is that the current warming is only because you and I operate cars and heat our houses with gas and use electricity generated by coal. The lie is that the human element is the determinate factor in what nature is doing.
Agree.
When a Science teacher (ex) friend and his wife were aghast that I was a “denier”, I posed a simple question:
“If what you believe is true then there must be a perfect most desirable CONSTANT temperature?”
“Well yes, of course!” was their reply.
My rebuttal: “The only thing that has been ever constant in the history of the world’s climate is CHANGE.”
It is the height of absurdity to claim that any specific temperature is “the one”.
They were unhappy, but unswayed. Can’t take away their religion now, can we?.
Thanks 14Grasshopper, for your comment. I should have said “man caused global warming”, I knew better. The earth has been warming since the last ice age all on its own. al gore (lowercase intentional) was the front man for other forces trying to damage America. I sure would like to see a clear history of how this came about, the main players, and who profited. This too is a conspiracy affecting our lives and prosperity. Some should go to jail.
Sorry, but to say that climate “is ALWAYS in a state of change” says nothing about the impact of mankind’s activities. Certainly it makes it harder to see the signal, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist nor does it say anything about the magnitude of the signal. I will agree that models may or may not be able to account for all inputs that might have an influence and thus should be viewed with some scepticism.
And by the way, Lee Zeldin is on it!
The prior EPA decision that Co2 is a pollutant is what enables this non-sense to continue.
Lee is reversing that EPA decision!
Ramping up Copper Industry again would
be a possible boost for Arizona.
Right now Arizona produces 68% of nations🇺🇸
copper production.
America’s growing copper crisis finds a promising solution in Arizona’s backyard
New York post…July 28, 2025
Stats & Facts – Arizona Mining Association – Membership Advocacy for the Mining Industry
Just one of mining companies here in AZ
Arizona & Copper – Resolution Copper
2018…39k jobs…average salary 102,859.00
👍 👏
Great news!!!
Arizona is a copper state!
Yup! We are. 🌵
And just rechecked the stats…
we are now mining…..71% instead
of 68%.
👏 👍
Utah’s Kennecott mine as well. Operating since 1903.
All of these countries that have slapped tariffs on this country for so long do not deserve time.
They should have tariffs slapped on them period to feel the pain
We need to accept part of the blame. We voted for and allowed corrupt politicians to play these games.
Now we know better and have no excuses for accepting that kind of governing.
Do you mean like when we voted for Biden for president??
Or do you mean when we gave Paul Ryan a 241 to 194 majority in the House in 2016 and when 2018 rolled around 34 republicans did not run for reelection giving the dems the majority of 235 to 200 all under Paul Ryan’s “leadership”?
Paul Ryan purposely told republicans to not run for reelection so that the commie dems could easily win back the House and thwart PDJT.
The Uniparty-Deep State has been giving us the illusion of choice. Until PDJT came along, we never had a chance. Our elections were for show and show only.
I agree with you. We have had only the illusion of choice. I for one have been very “illuded” (new word — for a long time I thought there was a choice — it’s embarrassing to admit it). And yes I agree we have also been tricked and lied to and had many elections stolen.
But my point was that we have not fought hard enough to get Congress to act favorable for constituents instead of acting in favor of big money. I can say for sure I was busy “living” and didn’t pay enough attention.
But 2026 is coming up. My comment was meant to focus attention on us having to get more engaged and do more to make sure we get the outcome we want. Then we will have 2028 and again it’s the same issue.
That of course begs the question of what to do. I go with Dutchman’s admonition to get control of the Republican machine in each state (Republican central committee that runs the state). People who don’t want to get involved in politics can try to educate other people. For example, 47FuzzySweaters posted this video today:
https://www.prometheanaction.com/live-soon-promethean-action-susan-and-barbara-take-your-questions/
In it, one of the women gives her background in organizing in Michigan to teach others about MAGA (she started in 2017 I believe after she left Washington to return to Michigan). The talk is well worth listening to and her actions could be copied by many of us (and other good ideas in the video as well).
My point is just there is a lot we can do and we should get to it to get the 2026 results we want. Yes they will throw eveything at us and lie and cheat and steal, but we still need to do more than just complain.
Meanwhile the corporate mockingbird legacy is propagating the economy is in the tank. When will they realize they are outing themselves? Answer is they have are preaching to their audience. They dont have a clue about ObamaGate. Bunch of psyoped sheeple.
the owners of the media should have the NSA snooping and DOJ indicting.
The US has plenty of copper, but only two smelters.
Mining.com posted an article today on the copper tariff announcement; titled “Trump tariff surprise triggers implosion of massive copper trade”
https://www.mining.com/web/trump-tariff-surprise-triggers-implosion-of-massive-copper-trade/
PDJT would not be able to do this to every country if treason wasnt committed against this country (parting out American Prosperity like its a junk car).
Globalist need to be re-evaluated for treason. Did they make us more stable, or did they weaken us and profit via the middle man fee
So what happens when the courts shut down the blanket tariffs? I suspect that is going to happen. I heard there are other options if that happens?
It’s a process. The next step, regardless of which side wins or loses, will be an appeal by the losing side to the Supreme Court. Then we see what happens.
The swamp is suing the President because according to the plaintiff, congress and not the President has the authority to impose tariffs.
Q.
If congress and only congress has the authority to impose tariffs, how does a third party even have STANDING to sue on behalf of the congress if the congress declines to reclaim their tariff authority?