The White House Office of Trade and Manufacturing released an extensive report this week identifying the major nations who enable China to transship goods into the U.S market in an effort to avoid tariffs.  [REPORT HERE]

Within the report several nations and regions are identified as being used by Chinese manufacturers to avoid U.S. customs and duty enforcement mechanisms.  However, both Canada and Mexico are cited as primary enablers of the process.

[SOURCE HERE]

The issue strikes at the heart of the problem identified long ago with the NAFTA agreement, and the problem only worsens when the USMCA provisions on country of origin are not enforced.

When you remove oil and lumber, the majority of Canada’s manufactured exports to the USA contain Chinese component parts and this has been the source of much friction in the current trade negotiations.  The manufacturing supply chain within all free trade agreements only works when the source of component goods is accurately recorded.

(more…)

The story of Jason Arday is one of the strangest and yet embarrassingly sad representations of political correctness, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion running amok. [Recap of Absurd Stories Here]

After one of the most ridiculous and absurd life stories was seemingly accepted by the Cambridge University academic community, they raised Jason Arday to a professorship of sociology and education in 2023.  Then slowly it surfaced that the guy was a professional plagiarist and was passing off the academic work of others as his own.

Everything unraveled as those outside the university system started looking at Arday’s scholarship and life claims.  The absurdity of it all ended up with massive embarrassment for the university and those within it.

Arday resigned in disgrace; but prior to the discovery of his fictitious life story being sold as real, he signed a book deal which was scheduled to launch this week.  I suspect the publisher did some serious hindsight research and discovered the material in the book was entirely made up.   Something happened, and today Mr Arday was found dead.

Daily Mail – […] Professor Jason Arday was found unresponsive at a London address shortly after 3pm on Friday.

It comes after a tumultuous few weeks in which fellow dons had questioned if the 41-year-old academic’s work was original.

(more…)

In an effort to keep the Daily Open Thread a little more open topic we are going to start a new daily thread for “Presidential Politics”. Please use this thread to post anything relating to the Donald Trump Administration and Presidency.

This thread will refresh daily and appear above the Open Discussion Thread.

(more…)

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. THY WILL BE DONE, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but DELIVER US FROM EVIL.

For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen †

.

(more…)

This would seem like a no-brainer, but multiple nations are so dependent on abusing the de minimis process the multinationals actually sued the United States for eliminating the $800 de minimis tariff exception.

On August 29, 2025, the U.S. government eliminated the de minimis threshold for all countries via Executive Order 14324, making the rule apply regardless of origin.  {SEE HERE} Chinese companies like Shein and Temu are subject to paying import taxes to ship cheap products into the USA.

Truth Social – BIG WIN today at the U.S. Court of International Trade on one of the most DESPICABLE loopholes in American Trade Policy — The so-called “de minimis” exemption.
 
For years, Foreign Shippers could send packages worth up to $800 into our Country, DUTY FREE, NO TARIFF, far less scrutiny. It became a giant loophole for TARIFF Cheats — and a Pipeline exploited by Fentanyl Traffickers, Counterfeiters, and other Criminals shipping dangerous and illegal products into America. The numbers were staggering. In 2024 alone, de minimis cost America an estimated 10.8 BILLION DOLLRS in foregone TARIFF Revenue, and an astonishing share of narcotics and counterfeit seizures came through the de minimis channel. So, we CLOSED IT. With the stroke of my mighty pen — NO AUTOPEN!!! — we ended this ridiculous giveaway, and made Foreign Goods play by the rules. The Importers sued. Today, THEY LOST. The Court ruled that the President had the Legal Authority to rescind this so-called “privilege.”
 
America is now SAFER, our Workers are better protected, and BILLIONS in TARIFF Revenue that used to slip through this loophole can instead help pay for our Great Military, Tax Relief, NO TAX ON TIPS, and NO TAX ON SOCIAL SECURITY. AMERICA FIRST TRADE — AND AMERICA FIRST LAW ENFORCEMENT!

~ President Donald J Trump

(more…)

The Canadian trade officials continue to misread the room.  Threatening the Trump administration with something the Trump administration benefits from, is not exactly the best trade strategy.

In the background the DOJ has just arrested a woman for her part in a trafficking operation, smuggling Indian illegal aliens into the USA through Canada {citation}.  Simultaneously, a petition within Canada to remove U.S. Ambassador to Canada, Pete Hoekstra, is gaining support because Hoekstra is focused on American best interests and not looking out for the best interests of Canadians {citation}.

On the economic front, Canadian trade minister Dominic LeBlanc met with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer for the third time in three weeks. However, it’s Canada’s Chief Trade Negotiator Janice Charette, who also participated in discussions, making headlines with threats.

Janice Charette is telling the Canadian public that formal trade discussions with the USA will end if President Trump and USTR Jamieson Greer trigger the 50% tariffs against Canadian goods which are scheduled to begin on August 19th.

President Trump and USTR Greer announced last month the U.S. would begin 50% tariffs on a range of Canadian products. the tariffs are intended as reciprocal action for Canada’s counter-tariffs on U.S. automobiles and steel, as well as decisions by Canadian provinces to boycott American alcohol. {CITATION} According to USTR Greer the tariffs will affect approximately $20 billion in Canadian imports, representing around 5.2% of the $383 billion in goods the United States imported from Canada in 2025. USMCA covered products would not be exempt from the tariff.

Ms. Charette is reported to have made it clear if the U.S. goes through with the tariffs, the Canadians will pull out of USMCA discussions and walk away from renegotiating the trilateral trade agreement.

This is apparently the threat from Canada.  However, when contrast against the intent to eliminate the multilateral trade agreement, the threat carries terms completely acceptable to the Trump administration.

CANADA – Canada’s lead trade negotiator with the U.S. Janice Charette has warned her American counterparts that if the White House imposes new 50 per cent tariffs on Aug. 19, it could put further trade talks at risk.

(more…)

In an effort to keep the Daily Open Thread a little more open topic we are going to start a new daily thread for “Presidential Politics”. Please use this thread to post anything relating to the Donald Trump Administration and Presidency.

This thread will refresh daily and appear above the Open Discussion Thread.

(more…)

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. THY WILL BE DONE, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but DELIVER US FROM EVIL.

For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen †

.

(more…)

SPLC Chief Financial Officer Heidi Beirich was previously identified as one of the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) leaders who assisted in “opening bank accounts” with “fictitious companies’ names” to make payments to hate group leaders.  Apparently, she was in a romantic relationship with a Nazi whom she funded.

According to CNN: Beirich has been charged as part of a superseding indictment with wire fraud conspiracy, conspiracy to submit false statements to a federally insured bank and conspiracy to conceal money laundering. {citation}

CALIFORNIA – A former Southern Poverty Law Center finance officer was arrested Wednesday over her involvement in secretly paying informants in white supremacist groups.

Heidi Beirich was apprehended in California, CNN first reported. Attorney General Todd Blanche confirmed at an unrelated news conference at DOJ headquarters that “there was an arrest made” in the case. (more)

(more…)

Mrs. Darline Graham, the sister of deceased Senator Lindsey Graham, has won the South Carolina Republican primary and will now head into a runoff against Ralph Norman on August 25th.

Ultimately it is up to the people of South Carolina to decide who they want to represent them in the Senate.  However, there is nothing to indicate that Mrs. Graham would be anything different than a southern version of Lisa Murkowski.

[SOURCE]

Legacy replacement candidates without prior experience are always a shot in the dark.  That said, the National Republican Senatorial Committee – the epicenter of creating candidates for election via Battered Conservative Syndrome – is now fully endorsing Graham and will put plenty of Chamber of Commerce money into her two-week campaign.

President Trump has endorsed Darline Graham.  President Trump has an emotional attachment to the legacy outcome and is understandably supporting Mrs Graham out of loyalty.  CTH tries to stay detached from the emotion of the issue and holds little confidence Graham would strongly support the issues of critical MAGA importance.

(more…)