No reports from the press pool on this, and there is some important granular information, so here’s the transcript:
[Transcript] Aboard Air Force One – En Route Dubuque, Iowa – 11:27 A.M. EDT
GIDLEY: I know we’re about to land. We wanted to bring Secretary Ross back to have conversation about just what happened yesterday with the agreement with the European Union and steps moving forward, and what the President was able to do in that agreement.
So with that, I’ll turn it over to Secretary Ross, and he’ll take questions after. And if we could, let’s keep it to topic.
SECRETARY ROSS: Okay, thank you very much. I think you’ve heard the general outline of what was done yesterday, namely a commitment to move toward three zeros: zero tariffs, zero non-tariff trade barriers, and zero subsidies.
Basically, the idea that — is to level the playing field. Europe right now has much higher tariffs and much higher trade barriers than we do. Their trade barriers are both in the form of regulations that are not science-based, and standards that also are not science-based. So they have the practical net effect of keeping products out, even if they had no tariff at all.
(more…)

(Via CNBC) On Thursday Facebook posted the largest one-day loss in market value by any company in U.S. stock market history after releasing a disastrous quarterly report.
The social media giant’s market capitalization plummeted by $119 billion to $510 billion as its stock price plummeted by 19 percent. At Wednesday’s close, Facebook’s market cap had totaled nearly $630 billion, according to FactSet.
No company in the history of the U.S. stock market has ever lost $100 billion in market value in just one day. (read more)
(more…)

National Economic Council Chairman Larry Kudlow discusses the framework for the U.S./E.U. trade agreement. [Remember, the highly controversial auto-sector is removed from the entire negotiation.] Chairman Kudlow discusses the benefit of the U.S. and E.U. working together to confront China at the World Trade Organization; this is key.
Additionally, Kudlow discusses the forward-leaning meetings being conducted by both the U.S. trade team and the Mexican trade delegation. The multidimensional U.S. trade strategy is operating, and advancing, on several simultaneous fronts.

(more…)

This afternoon President Trump will deliver remarks on tariffs, trade and jobs in Granite City, Illinois following his tour of the Granite City Works steel plant.  The anticipated start time was 3:40pm; however, POTUS is running approximately 30 mins behind schedule.
UPDATE: Video Added

(more…)

Originally outlined a year ago. Reposted by request, because we are watching it play out in real time: Believe me, at the heart of the professional/political opposition the issue is the money; there are trillions at stake.

President Trump’s MAGAnomic trade and foreign policy agenda is jaw-dropping in scale, scope and consequence. There are multiple simultaneous aspects to each policy objective; they have been outlined for a long time even before the election victory in November ’16.
If you get too far into the weeds the larger picture can be lost. CTH objective is to continue pointing focus toward the larger horizon, and then at specific inflection points to dive into the topic and explain how each moment is connected to the larger strategy.

Today we repost an earlier dive into how MAGAnomic policy interacts with multinational Wall Street, the stock market, the U.S. financial system and perhaps your personal financial value. Again, reference and source material is included at the end of the outline.
(more…)

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross appears on Mornings with Maria to discuss the objectives of the new trade negotiations between the U.S. and the European Union.
Yesterday, President Trump and EU President Jean Claude Juncker announced the parameters of the agreement and the intent to reach a comprehensive agreement between the U.S. and the EU.  Secretary Wilbur Ross fills in some of the details:

.
The U.S. trade team has assigned geographic responsibilities. There is overlap, and a great deal of synergy depending on the deal being negotiated; however, each member has a specific region of SME responsibility: ♦U.S.T.R Ambassador Robert Lighthizer has NAFTA; ♦National Economic Council Chairman Larry Kudlow and White House Manufacturing Policy Director Peter Navarro have China; ♦Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross has the EU (and all others). As a consequence it makes sense that Secretary Ross would be the point-person discussing the outlines of the U.S./E.U. trade agreement.
An agreement with the EU puts pressure on Mexico to quickly participate in a similar agreement. This domino effect puts significant pressure on the Chinese to agree to terms of free, fair, open and reciprocal trade. Last night Secretary Ross appeared on Lou Dobbs for discussion. That interview is below:
(more…)

President Trump headed to Iowa today for a MAGAnomic business review and workforce development and policy discussion for U.S. workers.  President Trump and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross participate in a workforce development roundtable:
UPDATE: Video Added

(more…)

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross appears on Fox News with Barf Baier to discuss the outlines of the trade agreement between the U.S. and E.U.
While there is overlap and a great deal of synergy depending on the deal being negotiated, within the central U.S. trade team each member has a specific region of responsibility to focus upon: ♦U.S.T.R Ambassador Robert Lighthizer has NAFTA; ♦National Economic Council Chairman Larry Kudlow and White House Manufacturing Policy Director Peter Navarro have China; ♦Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross has the EU.
So it makes sense that Secretary Ross would be the point-person discussing the outlines of the U.S./E.U. trade agreement.

(more…)

What happens when you add winning to MAGAnomics, and sprinkle a little media trolling?

You enter the rarefied space of “Winfinity”…

(more…)

EU President Jean Claude Juncker arrives sober at the White House to discuss the ongoing negotiations between the EU position(s) on multiple issues and U.S. interests and concerns as outlined by President Trump.
There are a few primary issues: An ongoing trade reset, and the pending U.S. sanctions against Iran.  Both issues hold significant financial and economic ramifications for the European Union.  Additionally, the construct of Brexit (the U.K. exit from the EU) will determine how the structure of any bilateral trade deal will be made with Britain.  All three issues are enmeshed as President Trump leverages U.S. economic power and access to the U.S. market.

(more…)