Here’s the audio of President Trump discussing his trip to Asia to attend the ASEAN and APEC summits in Malaysia and South Korea respectively.
President Trump is anticipated to meet with Chinese Chairman Xi Jinping in South Korea and there is a rumor that Trump and North Korea leader Kim Jong-un might meet somewhere. President Trump even made mention that if media put out the word, he would be willing to meet with Chairman Kim at the DMZ while he is in South Korea. Audio Below:
White House Chair of the National Economic Council (NEC), Kevin Hassett, walked out to the press pool to discuss the latest excellent inflation figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics today {BLS REPORT HERE}. However, the insufferable press pool wanted to talk about other things.
I’ll get to the BLS data below – with a gold nugget just for you, don’t share it. But first, NEC Director Hassett also let something slip in his responsive comments that most will miss.
When asked about Trump’s decision to terminate all trade negotiations with Canada, Hasset noted the discussions were frustrating, and “The Canadians were very difficult to negotiate with.” Then comes the key point (03:28), “The fact that we are now negotiating with Mexico, separately, reveals that it’s not just one add, there’s frustration that has built up.”
What Hassett just confirmed again, as if we needed more evidence, is that the trilateral trade agreement -the USMCA- is not going to exist once Trump opens it up for renegotiation. The USA team is already working on a separate bilateral trade agreement between the USA and Mexico, proactively. The USMCA is dead – we just have not made it official yet. WATCH (prompted):
.
On the inflation data, the September inflation rate was 0.3 percent, much lower than all economists and pundits predicted. The tariffs are having no impact on the rise of consumer prices. In fact, the sectors with the most imported goods are the sectors with the lowest inflation.
Sanae Takaichi, 64, won the Liberal Democratic Party leadership election on October 4, 2025, positioning her as Japan’s likely first female prime minister.
Takaichi is a conservative ally of the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and supports revising the pacifist constitution, boosting defense spending, and imposing stricter immigration policies. Her victory was unexpected and now she will face parliamentary confirmation potentially becoming Japan’s first female Prime Minister.
TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s governing party on Saturday elected former Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi, a hard-line ultra-conservative and China hawk, as its new leader, making her likely to become the country’s first female prime minister.
In a country that ranks poorly internationally for gender equality, the 64-year-old Takaichi makes history as the first female leader of Japan’s long-governing conservative Liberal Democratic Party. Takaichi is one of the most conservative members of the male-dominated party.
An admirer of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, Takaichi is a protege of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe ‘s ultra-conservative vision and a regular at the Yasukuni Shrine, seen as a symbol of Japan’s wartime militarism, which could complicate Tokyo’s relations with its Asian neighbors. (read more)
U.S. Customs and Border Patrol has discovered a massive network of Chinese shell companies, set up in Taiwan, South Korea, Vietnam and Indonesia, specifically to avoid U.S. tariffs.
…”Investigations into transshipping are ongoing, the CBP tells FOX Business with monetary recovery likely to grow beyond $400 million”…
Up to 250 shell companies have been identified in the Beijing network with boots on the ground going to look at manufacturing facilities in Southeast Asia that have no manufacturing activity, yet they generate products for shipment to the USA.
CBP is now on the trail of what CTH identified in January of this year with a visit to Vietnam {GO DEEP}.
ASEAN NATIONS – U.S. Customs and Border Protection has busted up a duty-evasion ring attempting to evade President Trump’s tariffs, FOX Business exclusively reports.
The CBP uncovered over $400 million in unpaid trade duties through investigations permitted under the Enforce and Protect Act (EAPA), a tactic used to police and stop illegal transshipments and other methods aimed at defrauding the U.S. government. That figure is expected to rise as the investigation deepens.
[…] A source tells FOX Business’ Edward Lawrence that one of the operations had boots on the ground in Taiwan and Indonesia to look at mattress factories and found that there was no production going on.
Additionally, over half, or $250 million, came from a network of 23 Chinese shell companies which funneled repackaged goods as if they were made in Asian nations, including South Korea, Indonesia and Vietnam, to avoid tariffs. (read more)
Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks to reporters at the conclusion of the ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. While the topic of trade and tariffs was not the intention of the assembly, the issues around trade with the USA and tariffs was obviously of keen interest. WATCH:
The details within the trade agreement are unique. President Donald Trump has announced a trade agreement between the USA and Vietnam. Interestingly Vietnam will face a 20% tariff rate (baseline) and a 40% tariff rate on transnational shipping.
The 40% transnational shipping rate is an interesting approach toward the process of China shipping goods to ASEAN countries to avoid direct tariffs. A transnational shipping tariff is a practical, pragmatic and honest way for the USA and Vietnam to face each other economically without masks and pretenses.
PRESIDENT TRUMP – “It is my Great Honor to announce that I have just made a Trade Deal with the Socialist Republic of Vietnam after speaking with To Lam, the Highly Respected General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam. It will be a Great Deal of Cooperation between our two Countries. The Terms are that Vietnam will pay the United States a 20% Tariff on any and all goods sent into our Territory, and a 40% Tariff on any Transshipping. In return, Vietnam will do something that they have never done before, give the United States of America TOTAL ACCESS to their Markets for Trade. In other words, they will “OPEN THEIR MARKET TO THE UNITED STATES,” meaning that, we will be able to sell our product into Vietnam at ZERO Tariff. It is my opinion that the SUV or, as it is sometimes referred to, Large Engine Vehicle, which does so well in the United States, will be a wonderful addition to the various product lines within Vietnam. Dealing with General Secretary To Lam, which I did personally, was an absolute pleasure. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
CTH was in the manufacturing base of Vietnam in January; their factories are loaded with component parts from China used to produce finished goods sent to the USA (and globally). President Trump previously told Vietnam they need to reduce their reliance on Chinese imported component goods, but China has spent billions in advanced positioning and contracts, influencing Vietnam.
Vietnam is a very poor country, and their population cannot afford to purchase the products they manufacture. They do not have a domestic consumption base. They are reliant on exports to more wealthy nations to keep their manufacturing base afloat. Practically, it is easy to have sympathy for Vietnam due to their economic dependence on both China (for imported raw materials) and the USA (for exported finished goods).
I am not promoting the group, I am promoting the message within this video. As you watch Susan Kokinda discuss the events from the recent G7, and put the remarks by President Trump into context, you might find what she’s saying sounds incredibly familiar.
This recap may sound familiar because it is almost identical to what CTH has outlined {SEE HERE} and {SEE HERE}. So familiar in fact, it might sound as though myself and Susan Kokinda have discussed these issues; we have not. This video is the first time I have heard of her and her group, Promethean Action.
That said, what Mrs Kokinda outlines is precisely what is visible in the details of President Trump’s activity. While I might take exception to some of the lingo used, the substance of her explanation is spot on; particularly accurate is her overlay of how President Trump is approaching Russian President Vladimir Putin when contrast with Trump’s economic vision. This is well worth watching.
What Susan Kokinda says about the Senate opposition to President Trump, vis-a-vis the Big Beautiful Bill, is also accurate. It is within the BBB policy legislation that we see the springboard for the American economic revival. However, the larger program for cooperative nationalism is also why the same opponents to the BBB agenda are aligned to keep President Trump and President Putin apart.
If the USA (Technology, innovation, consumer market) forms a strategic alliance with Russia (resources, capacity, consumer market), and then negotiates a reciprocal trade and manufacturing arrangement with China (transformation to a USA manufacturing return), the geopolitical world order is economically changed. Here at home, the USA is no longer a service driven economy; a natural balance is restored. The multinationals will fight this hard. There are trillions at stake.
Russian markets open to USA goods, technology and innovation services. USA markets open to Russian raw materials and strategic partnerships. With expanded alternatives, China then has to compete for manufacturing etc. Controlled markets become free markets. The focus is on expanded economics, not war and friction.
White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett appears on Fox Business to discuss President Donald Trump’s tariff agenda, semiconductor imports, the administration working on new trade deals and the impact of the global trade reset on China.
Happy warrior Kevin Hassett notes numerous countries are ready to sign new deals with the USA and there will likely be some group announcements very soon. WATCH:
.
Hassett also answered questions outside the White House to the media pool.
Within the Executive Order modifying the April 2nd global reciprocal tariffs [SEE HERE] section #4, we note a massive increase in the duty fees for mailed products from China formerly shipped under ‘de minimis’ rules.
REMINDER: The de minimis loophole comes from back in the 1930s. The idea back then was, say you went on a vacation to Paris, you shouldn’t have to file customs paperwork or pay taxes if you decided to ship some little Eiffel Tower statues to your friends back home.
Congress in 2015 then raised the de minimis threshold from $200 to $800. However, the e-commerce world exploded, and Chinese companies began using the de minimis loophole to ship cheap goods (ex. Temu and Shein) into the USA direct to consumers without paying any customs duty.
On April 2nd, as part of the global trade reset and tariff structure, President Trump revoked authorization for Chinese goods to transfer to the USA using the de minimis rule. The de minimis exemption was cancelled for all products coming out of China. The rule change only targeted China and Chinese shippers. No one else. [XO HERE]
Yesterday, as part of the modification to Executive Order #14257, President Trump has increased the baseline tariff for product mailed from China [de minimis tariff] from 30 90 percent to 120%.
Mailed products from China now face a 120% tariff. Additionally, minimum tariff amounts increased from $75 to $100 effective May 1st, and from $150 to $2oo effective June 1st. [See Section #4]
Example: If you order a $20 shirt from China effective June 1st, you will pay $220. $20 for the shirt, and $200 minimum tariff.
There is no way Chinese E-Commerce can survive this level of tariff/duty fees.
“Shark Tank” star and investor Kevin O’Leary says President Trump’s tariffs on China aren’t high enough and calls for a 400% tariff on the country. “It’s time to squeeze Chinese heads into the wall.”
O’Leary wants President Trump to go full wolverine. Awesome. WATCH:
Full Segment Below:
My thoughts: Replace the Tech Bro regiment with union Democrats. We were always destined to lose Silicon Valley, lets control the timeline of departure. The self-interest dynamic has now shifted. Ship the Tech Bros to China, then invite Vladimir Putin to a State Dinner.
We are at a very important inflection point. If we are going to face The Big Ugly with China, we cannot afford divided loyalties. We cannot afford conflicted interests.
Pull in the knuckle-draggers, the pipefitters, the hardcore unions and even the sketchy elements of the criminal underground who at least love America more than all else. The core weapons we now need are brutal power, economic nationalism and industrial patriotism.
We are now at the moment when we need Whiskey to replace Soy. It’s time to get mean, brutally, harshly mean. Delicate sensibilities must be dispatched like a feather in a hurricane.
