BajaNomad - Trump Signs New Tariffs On Mexico

Interesting that China should be given the preferential rates don't you think? Could this be the beginning of a new China/US trade agreement and the ripping up of Nafta?

Regarding China, he likely thinks if it goes to 25% for them it will be more inflationary on Americans than the other two countries.

Plus, Canada and Mexico will back down much more easily.

[Edited on 2-2-2025 by JZ]

JDCanuck - 2-2-2025 at 07:47 AM

Canada is the largest trading partner so they would naturally yield the highest tariff income, followed by Mexico and China. This is increasingly looking to be a revenue source to partially replace the tax reductions on Corporations. A small 1-2% boost in inflation is the internal result if all the threatened tariffs are put in place. In Canada, and perhaps Mexico as well, the result will be a likely recession until new tariff free trade partners are found to replace export dependency to the US under the old NAFTA agreement. Mexico is already looking at freer trade with China as they build manufacturing in Mexico for export to Latin America. Hello JAC and BYD and Bye Bye Ford GM and Stellantis trucks. Took very little time for the big 3 to begin layoffs last time trade tariffs were introduced.

[Edited on 2-2-2025 by JDCanuck]

Timo1 - 2-2-2025 at 09:57 AM

Let's see how this plays out. Obviously you are way more educated in the politics than I am JD. Are you an Albertan by any chance ??

cupcake - 2-2-2025 at 11:01 AM

My 'crystal ball' is somewhat foggy these days, but I see an end game (down the road game) of making the US dollar stronger (great) again. Then, Trump can end the tariffs (and of course get something for doing this from the countries involved) while in effect still reaping the benefits of them (the tariffs) via the stronger dollar. A stronger dollar allows for so many other things as well, like refurbishing infrastructure....and buying Greenland

mtgoat666 - 2-2-2025 at 12:11 PM

The usa trade policy based on president’s whims and tweets will fail in long term. It will encourage Mexican and Canadian businesses to seek opportunities with more stable trading partners.
Usa may no longer be considered stable place to trade with.

Usa trading power will be diminished, because traders will need factor in risks of the mercurial king flocking everything up by tweeting every one of his hare brained notions, and his staff changing policy daily based on previous nights tweets.

Tioloco - 2-2-2025 at 12:13 PM

Canada should ditch Trudeau and send in someone Trump respects. Bargaining chip #1 should be INCREASED spending to defense at 5% GDP.

Trump has said many times that is his goal. ( And it makes perfect sense)

But continuing to let Trudeau park on the train crossing will not end well for Canada.

As for Mexico, they must purge the narco corruption from their leadership. Not an easy task.

[Edited on 2-2-2025 by Tioloco]

Tommy A - 2-2-2025 at 12:38 PM

So how long before American expats living in Mexico,start getting the stink eye from the Mexican people?

JDCanuck - 2-2-2025 at 12:56 PM

Canada should ditch Trudeau and send in someone Trump respects. Bargaining chip #1 should be INCREASED spending to defense at 5% GDP.

Trump has said many times that is his goal. ( And it makes perfect sense)

But continuing to let Trudeau park on the train crossing will not end well for Canada.

As for Mexico, they must purge the narco corruption from their leadership. Not an easy task.

[Edited on 2-2-2025 by Tioloco]

No mention of 5% GDP spending regarding Tariffs up here, still focused on that huge drug and immigrant input at the Northern border that doesn't actually exist. Last we heard it was 2%, but hey...why not make it 5%? Goals keep shifting all the time so they are now increasingly looking like weak excuses.

JDCanuck - 2-2-2025 at 01:00 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Tommy A

So how long before American expats living in Mexico,start getting the stink eye from the Mexican people?

I had noticed a significant increase last March when i was last there, including painted graffiti signs telling Gringos where to go that I had never noticed before. This likely won't help.

Tioloco - 2-2-2025 at 01:12 PM

US Customs agents say the fentanyl is coming in thru Canada in small packages to evade detection. Their intel is in dispute by Canada? Not sure what to say about that...

As for defense spending, Trump has been clear what his expectations are on that. Seems Mr Trudeau is not the guy to deal productively with Mr Trump.

JZ - 2-2-2025 at 01:17 PM

Somewhere between 2,000 to 3,000 young people are dying every week from fentanyl OD's.

We must secure the border and Mexico needs to crack down on it.

mtgoat666 - 2-2-2025 at 01:21 PM

Hope all of nato tells trump to pound sand on the 5 percent number. Usa defense spending is 3 percent of gdp and falling. 3 percent sounds fair for canada.

[Edited on 2-2-2025 by mtgoat666]

Tioloco - 2-2-2025 at 01:28 PM

Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666

Hope all of nato tells trump to pound sand on the 5 percent number. Usa defense spending is 3 percent of gdp and falling. 3 percent sounds fair for canada.

[Edited on 2-2-2025 by mtgoat666]

Not good advice. NATO is pointless and defenseless without USA.

JDCanuck - 2-2-2025 at 01:30 PM

US Customs agents say the fentanyl is coming in thru Canada in small packages to evade detection. Their intel is in dispute by Canada? Not sure what to say about that...

As opposed to the semis of drugs and weapons we are recently finding coming from the US to Canada. Seems to be a bit of imbalance there. Illegal Immigrants meanwhile are presently fleeing the US to come to Canada, and we are returning them to authorities in the US as per cross border agreements.

surfhat - 2-2-2025 at 01:35 PM

As a protest in my own small way, I managed to buy three bottles of my favorite tequila, Casadores Blanco. This will last me well into next year with my chosen and selective medicinal use. Haha.

One was $20 and it was last bottle on the shelf.

The other tequila, just in time, was at a local Smart and Final where I found an offer to buy two for $15/bottle.

The flavor that Mex and Baja gives to each and everyone of us is undeniable.

The very limited occasional partaking, in my case, and my case only, of this nature derived product has come so far from the days of salt on your wrist and sucking on a slice of lime.

We all now can appreciate the fine sipping liquor it has become.

A couple of fingers per week suits me fine enough as a reminder of this gift from mother nature that is about as pure a product as there is.

Moderation is key in so many fathomable and unfathomable ways in all of our lives. If that sentiment remains debatable, we are truly lost.

It may take a second greatest generation effort to bring our nations founding principals back to the position it 'had' held.

Mexico and Canada 25%, are our adversaries? 25% vs. 10% for China?

Contemptible is, or should be, an acceptable response, no matter right or left, or in between.

lencho - 2-2-2025 at 01:37 PM

Quote: Originally posted by JZ

Somewhere between 2,000 to 3,000 young people are dying every week from fentanyl OD's.

Fentanyl which was without a doubt stuffed down their throats by force. :smug:

mtgoat666 - 2-2-2025 at 01:40 PM

US Customs agents say the fentanyl is coming in thru Canada in small packages to evade detection. Their intel is in dispute by Canada? Not sure what to say about that...

As opposed to the semis of drugs and weapons we are recently finding coming from the US to Canada. Seems to be a bit of imbalance there. Illegal Immigrants meanwhile are presently fleeing the US to come to Canada, and we are returning them to authorities in the US as per cross border agreements.

The sackler family flooded the usa with oxy, caused hundreds of thousands of deaths, and the elites let them off the hook w/o jail time. Seems hypocritical of usa govt to have given sacklers free reign for so long, then go after mex and canada for for problem caused by usa consumption.
Maybe quit legalizing drugs like pot and get tough on cracking heads of users and local dealers.

Usa arms industry in collusion with GOP-lead lax gun laws is flooding mexico and canada with illegal guns. Tell trump to stop the usa export of illegal products!

JDCanuck - 2-2-2025 at 01:51 PM

Wall Street is indicating the signs are there for a China/US trade agreement on the horizon, so this is likely why he's going light on China. He and Zi are long time friends.

surfhat - 2-2-2025 at 02:16 PM

One tyrant to another?

In reality, the ever so fragile ego based orange one can be disposed of at a whim, and a very simple one at that.

Beware of false idols has rarely been so obvious.

Relying upon the king of bankruptcy for our nations economic survival?

I have a nice bridge in Brooklyn that you would find interesting to buy.

The issue of fentanyl has been clearly identified as China sourced.

Where has the outrage been? China receives 10% tariff?

Mex and Canada 25%?

Try and justify that right-wing American idiocy. Please do try.

Oh boy. Here to comes.

Happy Sunday to all Nomads, irrespective of whatever spectrum one prefers.

"Why can't all get along' from a kid on the streets of LA has resonated with me since the riots in the 90's.

JDCanuck - 2-2-2025 at 02:30 PM

I wish I could say past tariffs have created positive results. The computer chips tariff of late 1990's pushed IBM, Dell, Apple and Texas Instruments computer manufacturing to China. Steel tariffs that hit somewhat after that eventually pushed global steel giants and ship builders out of the US into Asia. US Steel is a fraction of what it used to be and increasingly non competitive. Remember when GE, Westinghouse Whirlpool and Maytag used to be mighty companies actually built from parts made in the US? Will this time be different? We will have to wait for ten years to see.

[Edited on 2-2-2025 by JDCanuck]

Tioloco - 2-2-2025 at 02:38 PM

Steel tariffs that hit somewhat after that eventually pushed global steel giants out of the US into Asia. US Steel is a fraction of what it used to be and increasingly non competitive. Will this time be different? We will have to wait for ten years to see.

A bit oversimplified. Union contracts/labor prices have been biggest contributor to offshoring to Asia.

JDCanuck - 2-2-2025 at 02:44 PM

A bit oversimplified. Union contracts/labor prices have been biggest contributor to offshoring to Asia.

Well, then as now, it was the Unions that were the primary people demanding the protectionist tariffs for their benefit.

ligui - 2-2-2025 at 08:19 PM

Hi guys !

Time to have this conversation ended. This might go to far into politics.

This forum is about the enjoyment of traveling in Baja !

:coolup:

JZ - 2-2-2025 at 10:38 PM

Quote: Originally posted by lencho

Quote: Originally posted by JZ

Somewhere between 2,000 to 3,000 young people are dying every week from fentanyl OD's.

Fentanyl which was without a doubt stuffed down their throats by force. :smug:

Do you think the kids knew they were taking Fentanyl?

What if it happened to your kid? Or someone in your family? Would you be so smug??

[Edited on 2-3-2025 by JZ]

JZ - 2-2-2025 at 10:41 PM

JDCanuck - 2-2-2025 at 10:45 PM

Sheinbaum responds on X. Anyone translate?
https://x.com/Claudiashein/status/1885857655094415528?ref_sr...

JZ - 2-2-2025 at 10:55 PM

Sheinbaum responds on X. Anyone translate?
https://x.com/Claudiashein/status/1885857655094415528?ref_sr...

Maybe she should get a hold of the cartels and make Mexico and Baja safe for all?

Is that too much to ask?

lencho - 2-2-2025 at 10:57 PM

Sheinbaum responds on X. Anyone translate?
https://x.com/Claudiashein/status/1885857655094415528?ref_sr...

Google translate, unedited:

"We categorically reject the slander that the White House is making against the Mexican government of having alliances with criminal organizations, as well as any intention of intervention in our territory.

If such an alliance exists anywhere, it is in the armories of the United States that sell high-powered weapons to these criminal groups, as demonstrated by the United States Department of Justice itself in January of this year.

Our government has seized more than 40 tons of drugs in four months, including 20 million doses of fentanyl. It has also arrested more than ten thousand people linked to these groups.

If the United States government and its agencies wanted to address the serious consumption of fentanyl in their country, they can, for example, combat the sale of narcotics on the streets of their main cities, which they do not do, and the money laundering generated by this illegal activity that has done so much harm to their population.

They could also start a massive campaign to prevent the consumption of these drugs and take care of their young people, as we have done in Mexico. Drug use and distribution is in your country and that is a public health problem that you have not addressed. In addition, the synthetic opioid epidemic in the United States has its origin in the indiscriminate prescription of drugs of this type, authorized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as demonstrated by the trial against a pharmaceutical company.

Mexico does not want confrontation. We start from collaboration between neighboring countries. Mexico not only does not want fentanyl to reach the United States, but anywhere. Therefore, if the United States wants to combat criminal groups that traffic drugs and generate violence, we must work together in an integrated manner, but always under the principles of shared responsibility, mutual trust, collaboration and above all, respect for sovereignty, which is not negotiable. Coordination yes; subordination, no.

To this end, I propose to President Trump that we establish a working group with our best public health and security teams.

It is not by imposing tariffs that problems are resolved, but by talking and dialoguing as we did in recent weeks with your State Department to address the phenomenon of migration; in our case, with respect for human rights.

The graph that President Trump has been uploading to his social networks about the decrease in migration was prepared by my team, which has been in constant communication with his.

I instruct the Secretary of Economy to implement Plan B that we have been working on, which includes tariff and non-tariff measures in defense of Mexico's interests.

Nothing by force"

Tioloco - 2-3-2025 at 05:18 AM

Anyone who is awake will tell you that the narco corruption has reached all levels of government in Mexico.

Catching 10 tons a month is telling. Imagine the amount getting thru...

Sheinbaum makes it sound like she doesn't have a massive problem with drug consumption in her country. That is extremely absurd to say.

More rhetoric from a Socialist politician who has done nothing to help Mexico. Her leadership is watching over an era of unprecedented violence and standing by while the tentacles of the cartels are reaching deeper into every corner of the Mexican economy and culture.

It is undeniable that Mexico is a more dangerous place than it was 10 years ago. Sad.

JZ - 2-3-2025 at 08:49 AM

surabi - 2-3-2025 at 09:53 AM

Sheinbaum makes it sound like she doesn't have a massive problem with drug consumption in her country. That is extremely absurd to say.

What's absurd is your contention that Mexico has a massive drug consumption problem. You see hundreds of strung out drug addicts living on the street in Mexico, like you do all over the US? You hear about tons of young Mexicans dying of fentanyl overdoses?

It is Americans who drive the drug trade, as well as supplying guns to the cartels.

Tioloco - 2-3-2025 at 09:58 AM

Sheinbaum makes it sound like she doesn't have a massive problem with drug consumption in her country. That is extremely absurd to say.

America definitely has a drug consumption problem. As does Mexico. If you haven't seen homeless and drug addicts in Mexico, I am not sure how to help you understand this. They are everywhere but there is no media focus because there are bigger issues to tackle like the daily murders all across the country at the hands of the cartel.

surabi - 2-3-2025 at 10:21 AM

Of course I've seen strung out tweakers in Mexico. They exist everywhere in the world. That doesn't translate to Mexico having a "massive problem with drug consumption". It doesn't.

Tioloco - 2-3-2025 at 10:27 AM

Of course I've seen strung out tweakers in Mexico. They exist everywhere in the world. That doesn't translate to Mexico having a "massive problem with drug consumption". It doesn't.

There are videos posted daily of drugged out cartel members interrogating then decapitating those they deem to be enemies. That is a big drug problem. It is.

surabi - 2-3-2025 at 11:19 AM

Cartel killing other cartel enemies has nothing to do with the erroneous notion that Mexico has a "massive drug consumption problem".

lencho - 2-3-2025 at 11:27 AM

What's absurd is your contention that Mexico has a massive drug consumption problem.

I don't know about your neck of the woods, but meth is certainly a major problem, in Baja, at least.

surabi - 2-3-2025 at 12:03 PM

As I said, there are drug addicts everywhere. And meth seems to make people crazy and violent. So the crime that results is definitely a problem, but it doesn't mean there is a huge addiction issue in Mexico.

No, not very prevalent in my neck of the woods and I've actually seen more down and out foreigners stumbling down the street obviously strung out on something than Mexicans.

Lee - 2-3-2025 at 01:04 PM