A very confident Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin appears on CNBC for a wide-ranging interview on current economic subjects. Within the discussion [14:00] Secretary Mnuchin affirms the U.S. economy is nowhere near “full employment”; an economic reality which highlights how much labor statistics were manipulated by political ideologues the prior administration(s).

Additionally, Secretary Mnuchin discusses the administrations’ focus on ‘reciprocal trade deals’ as the cornerstone of new trade constructs. This is a seismic shift in U.S. trade position. The secretary replaces the word “globalism” with a more nuanced “world-wide”; and “economic patriotism/nationalism” is replace with the word “territorial”.

Also worth noting is the larger dynamic of “intellectual property” (vis-a-vis China) and how the inherent Trump policies therein overlay trade positions between the U.S. and China. As we have previously mentioned the USTR Lighthizer 301 investigation into China could be exponentially more significant than Steel and Aluminum tariffs. Secretary Mnuchin confirms this aspect albeit with a measure of necessary opaqueness.

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Leo Gerard, the President of the United Steelworkers Union, talks to a very frustrated Chuck Todd about the effect of President Trump’s new tariffs and his appreciation therein.

Chuck Todd has all his Media Matters talking points prepared to outline his narrative; however, unfortunately for the toad, he came up against a very knowledgeable union leader with a solid grasp of the details and important specifics.  WATCH:

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As you can see from President Leo Gerard’s comments he well understands the value of Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, U.S. Trade Ambassador Robert Lighthizer and administration trade strategist Peter Navarro. The next phase of MAGAnomic Main Street trade initiatives involves global “trade reciprocity” advancement.

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Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross appears for an interview with Trish Regan immediately after President Trump signed the Presidential Proclamation to advance Steel and Aluminum tariffs to protect and expand American industry. [DEEP DIVE]

Ms. Regan is one of the financial business analysts who have slowly evolved away from the insufferable Wall Street/U.S. Chamber of Commerce ‘globalist’ viewpoints, which was/is entirely built upon a false premise.  Thankfully Ms. Regan joins the ranks of economic patriots Charles Payne and Lou Dobbs.  We’ll keep working on Maria Bartiromo.

In this interview Secretary Ross elevates the discussion beyond just Steel and Aluminum and begins to expand -and emphasize- the perimeter of an entirely new American approach toward trade, “reciprocity“.  Indeed for the very first time in this interview Secretary Ross gives a preview into what will follow and how ‘reciprocity’ will be applied.

“President Trump is taking action today to protect both our national security and industries critical to our economy. The President’s decision regarding the steel and aluminum Section 232 reports are the result of a long and well-thought-out process led by the Commerce Department. Once again, President Trump is keeping his promises and standing up for American families, American businesses, and American workers.”  ~ Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross

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♦Three days ago (March 5th, 2018) South Korean National Security Adviser Chung Eui-yong met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang.  ♦Earlier today Chung Eui-yong met with President Trump’s National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster and briefed other senior members of the Trump administration. ♦Moments ago President Trump told the media to anticipate a “big announcement from South Korea” at 7:00pm EST.

Given the time of day for the announcement, it must be very good news for Team Trump and likely surrounds discussions between the South Korean officials and the DPRK about denuclearization talks.  [7:00pm EST is 5:00am Friday in South Korea.]

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I have never witnessed an economic policy initiative positioned, framed and delivered with this much success.  A few points must be noted for emphasis.

♦ First, at 3:30pm today President Trump will announce the final end-policy on his Steel and Aluminum tariffs.  It is going to happen; and the final outline will be extraordinarily effective – in part because the opposition to the policy walked directly into the hands of a deal-maker who knows how to position the opponent’s demands to increase his own strength.

After President Trump’s lead trade policy advocate, Peter Navarro, stated yesterday the steel and aluminum tariff announcement would be coming today, the opposition immediately increased their calls for modifications.

While the White House trade lawyers were working through the day and night constructing the legalese, Fox News Ed Henry stated late last night there might be a delay….

But the media again displayed how they don’t understand this President.

When Trump establishes a goal that is a top priority for his personal MAGAnomic agenda – he will not accept roadblocks.  As such, today the announcement is proceeding according to the timeline set by Trump, no-one else.

This trade specific issue, and many more soon to follow, are important to this president.  This is President Trump’s subject area of specific expertise.  These trade policies are the issues he has been discussing for over thirty years.

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Important stuff in this ‘straight talk’ interview.  Buckets of ‘breaking’ stuff to unpack.

First, per Trade Adviser Peter Navarro, the Steel and Aluminum tariffs will be announced tomorrow.  Second, Mexico and Canada will be given an exemption from those tariffs while NAFTA is being renegotiated.  WATCH:

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The exemption will give U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer increased leverage in his efforts to close the NAFTA loophole.  Closing the NAFTA “fatal flaw” is the essential “Option 1” that we have discussed previously several times.  It would be against the interests of Canada and Mexico to ever agree to close the loophole.  However, the steel and aluminum tariffs add a bit of financial incentive not previously in the equation.

It is still highly doubtful the amount of money in the steel and aluminum tariff aspect is close to enough to get Canada and Mexico to agree to close the backdoor loophole.  However, any amount is more than was there before…. so the possibility of “option 1” increases a smidge.

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Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross talks about the importance of trade “reciprocity”.  As Wilburine outlines phase-2 MAGAnomics is only just beginning the reciprocity discussion.

Additionally, Secretary Ross talks about the issues with Chinese steel trans-shipment and the reason for Steel and Aluminum tariffs to be global in order to address China’s use of proxy nation states to continue dumping.   In this interview Ross begins to outline the fine points behind the pending 2018 trade negotiations. It is going to take a lot of repeated effort to awaken the larger U.S. electorate to the issues.

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*ahem* As if on cue…

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DEEP-DIVE FULL BACKSTORY

The Eagle, The Panda and The Red Dragon

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Very cautious optimism because Red Dragon has history of using the Panda Mask to cloud intents as a strategy.   North Korea is a proxy state to their enabler, China.  DPRK Kim Jong-un is little stompy-feet panda to the big panda/red dragon, Chairman Xi Jinping.

The one constant in an ever-changing universe is the gravity of China; it only goes one-way.  China allows and directs what is in China’s best interests.  Period.

Chinese Chairman-for-life Xi Jinping (all he represents) view smiling panda economics as modern intercontinental nuclear weapons.

Chairman Xi and President Trump have been deep inside a geopolitical smiling contest for over a year.  Xi and Trump are playing grandmaster level geopolitical economics.  Their most consequential moves are well beyond the horizon; far away from the gaze of the crowd; the media is oblivious to them.

•Japan (Shinzo Abe) has stated they have “great confidence” in President Trump’s Asian national security approach. •South Korea (President Moon Jae-in) stated they are “confident there will not be war again on the Korean peninsula“; •and they are willing to send a special envoy to North Korea to begin talks. •In addition, China quietly removed the 71-year-old veteran diplomat, Wu Dawei, from the position of negotiator toward the DPRK, and replaced him with 58-year-old Kong Xuanyou. Kong is a long time Chinese diplomat in charge of Asian affairs and he speaks Korean.

All of this was generally under-reported and took place months before President Trump arrived in Asia last year.  The U.S. media was busy pushing racism and Charlottesville narratives.  More importantly this quiet activity took place while President Trump directed US Trade Rep Robert Lighthizer to begin a section 301 trade investigation (Intellectual Property theft) into China.

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We are nearing the timeline apex for release of the decision/announcement on a U.S. NAFTA exit. Trade adviser Peter Navarro appears on Fox Business to discuss the pending Steel and Aluminum tariff while President Trump tweets concerns about NAFTA renegotiation; which enters Round #7 this week.

The steel tariffs are targeted toward national economic security; the Wall Street financial class are apoplectic because a firm administration stance on Steel and Aluminum tariffs indicates the larger trade perspective on all bilateral trade deals.

New Twitter Thread on the NAFTA Fatal Flaw – HERE

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