In a significant response to a direct Chinese trade action, President Trump has announced a 100% retaliatory tariff against China effective November 1st.

President Trump Via Truth Social – “It has just been learned that China has taken an extraordinarily aggressive position on Trade in sending an extremely hostile letter to the World, stating that they were going to, effective November 1st, 2025, impose large scale Export Controls on virtually every product they make, and some not even made by them. This affects ALL Countries, without exception, and was obviously a plan devised by them years ago. It is absolutely unheard of in International Trade, and a moral disgrace in dealing with other Nations.

Based on the fact that China has taken this unprecedented position, and speaking only for the U.S.A., and not other Nations who were similarly threatened, starting November 1st, 2025 (or sooner, depending on any further actions or changes taken by China), the United States of America will impose a Tariff of 100% on China, over and above any Tariff that they are currently paying. Also on November 1st, we will impose Export Controls on any and all critical software.

It is impossible to believe that China would have taken such an action, but they have, and the rest is History. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

DONALD J. TRUMP
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

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When it comes to presidential candidates, it’s worth remembering: The Kentucky Derby is won by horses, but it’s the owners who get the prize money.

In my opinion, Larry Ellison (Oracle) is the most strategic billionaire influencer, a long-term thinker, in the modern era.  Larry Ellison is about to take control of TikTok, while his son David Ellison gains CBS and will likely move Bari Weiss into content control. Next up, CNN.  Funnily enough, while Elon was the shiny thing, Larry smiled. Keep watching.

The framework of the U.S. TikTok deal is becoming clear. The New York Times has the best write up.

(NEW YORK TIMES) – The software giant Oracle will oversee the security of Americans’ data and monitor changes and updates to TikTok’s powerful recommendation technology under a new deal to avert a ban of the service, according to a senior White House official.

A copy of the algorithm, the recommendation engine that powers the app’s addictive feed of short videos, will be licensed from China to an American investor group that will oversee the app in the United States, the official said.

Oracle will also invest in the new American TikTok, as will the private equity firm Silver Lake, another senior official said.

It will be “secured” in the United States outside the control of TikTok’s Chinese owner, ByteDance, one of the officials said. The U.S.-run TikTok will work to retrain the copy on users’ data in the United States, and China will not have access to the data, the officials added.

The deal is an effort to meet the requirements of a law that would have banned TikTok in the United States unless ByteDance relinquished control of the app. It was intended to address national security concerns that the app’s ownership could give Beijing a channel to spread propaganda or to collect sensitive data about Americans.

[…] Under the terms of the deal, American companies will own around 80 percent of the American version of the app. ByteDance and other Chinese investors will own less than 20 percent.

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U.S. Solicitor General D. John Sauer has asked the Supreme Court to accept the case by next week, hear arguments in early November and “expedite” its ultimate ruling “to the maximum extent feasible.” [Appeal Here] with [Expedited Review Request Here]

[SOURCE]

From the request for expedited consideration, “The en banc Federal Circuit’s erroneous decision has disrupted highly impactful, sensitive, ongoing diplomatic trade negotiations, and cast a pall of legal uncertainty over the President’s efforts to protect our country by preventing an unprecedented economic and foreign-policy crisis,” Sauer notes.

Adding comments from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, “The recent decision by the Federal Circuit is already adversely affecting ongoing negotiations. World leaders are questioning the Presi-dent’s authority to impose tariffs, walking away from or delaying negotiations, and/or imposing a different calculus on their negotiating positions.”

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U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro joined multiple members of local, state and federal law enforcement agencies to announce what they’re calling “the largest law enforcement bust of precursor chemicals bound for a foreign terrorist organization.”

The press conference is below, and this is the underpinning of the IEEPA. WATCH:

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India is now facing a 50% import tariff against the majority of their goods (electronics and pharmaceuticals exempted). However, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has vowed not to yield to the pressure. Modi said the world was witnessing a “politics of economic selfishness.”

For approximately a decade many western countries including the U.S. have heaped effusive praise on India as corporations viewed the massive Indian population, the world’s largest democracy, as both workers and consumers.  However, after the western sanctions against Russia were delivered, India -a BRICS nation- began pulling back from western alignment and influence.

Western sanctions map against Russia (yellow = agree with USA).

What we are witnessing now is one of the ramifications of the U.S. forcefully putting an “us or them” aspect into the strategic economic relationship, where “them” is Russia.  Currently, India is not flinching.

One could make the argument that undeveloped regions in Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) contain the majority of the valuable rare earth minerals and magnets the ‘western’ nations need for manufacturing.  BRICS has a pressure point to apply leverage, but no global trade currency, if the trade conflict escalates.

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HatTip to Ben for calling attention to this remarkable story.

Essentially China’s “Belt and Road” initiative is a system of China putting massive infrastructure investment funds into a targeted country in exchange for their ability to extract resources needed for Chinese expansion. However, several nations are now rising up against the Chinese influence as it surfaces in the lives of the citizens.

Angola is a case study in China investing billions and with the investment a large number of Chinese citizens arrive set up businesses there.  Over time resentment against the Chinese has been building.  Then a flashpoint with a massive jump in gas prices.  Suddenly, anarchy erupts, and all the Chinese businesses are looted, some even killed in the violence.

[READ STORY HERE]

China is now evacuating some of the 300,000+ Chinese citizens from the region, and the Chinese embassy is urgently warning people about the escalating crisis.

Remember when Tunis erupted at the origin of the “Arab Spring”?  That was a combined economic and cultural flashpoint. This escalating problem in Africa has a similar theme to it.

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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)

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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.

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U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer hold a joint press conference in Stockholm after concluding the third-round of trade talks with Chinese officials.

The discussion and press availability covered U.S-China trade negotiations, economic cooperation and whether President Trump will meet Xi Jinping. Key moments include questions on tariffs, supply chains, and Beijing diplomacy. WATCH:

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Treasury Secretary Bessent notes as the U.S. economy continues strengthening, and as each trade deal with the U.K, Japan, ASEAN nations and Europe have cemented, the talks between the U.S. and China become more substantive.

With each global trade partner agreeing to terms of access to the USA market more pressure is naturally created on China to complete negotiations and affirm their position as supplier to the world’s largest market.

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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:

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