DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Palus Politicus Liberation Day Part Deux

More sabre rattling by the feckless one.................

Trump threatens extra 10% tariff on countries that align with ‘Anti-American’ BRICS policies

U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened an additional 10% tariff on countries that orient themselves along the “Anti-American policies of BRICS.”

Trump’s announcement, which did not elaborate on any specific policy of BRICS, came as the group’s meeting is underway in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The bloc’s leaders appeared to take aim at Trump’s sweeping tariff policies in a joint statement on Sunday, warning against “unjustified unilateral protectionist measures, including the indiscriminate increase of reciprocal tariffs.”

Without calling out the U.S., the leaders voiced “serious concerns about the rise of unilateral tariff and non-tariff measures which distort trade and are inconsistent with WTO rules,” warning that the “proliferation of trade-restrictive actions” threaten to disrupt the global economy and worsen the existing economic disparities.

“Any Country aligning themselves with the Anti-American policies of BRICS, will be charged an ADDITIONAL 10% Tariff. There will be no exceptions to this policy,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social Sunday evening stateside.

Trump could have been provoked by the BRICS leaders’ joint statement taking a thinly veiled swipe at his tariff policies, said Stephen Olson, former U.S. trade negotiator and current visiting senior fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute.

By “anti-American” policies, the president may be referring to “the desire expressed by BRICS members to move beyond a U.S.-led world order in finance and global governance,” said Olson, adding that how that alignment will be assessed was “anyone’s guess.”

This year’s BRICS host country Brazil did not respond to CNBC’s request for comments.

The BRICS group of developing nations also offered symbolic backing to fellow member, Iran, condemning a series of military strikes on the country, without naming Israel or the U.S which carried out the military operation.

The bloc includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, Indonesia and Iran. The grouping describes itself as “a political and diplomatic coordination forum for countries from the Global South and for coordination in the most diverse areas.”

The bloc seeks to challenge Western-dominated institutions of global economic governance, as well as to supplant the U.S. dollar’s role in the global economy, according to the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

This year, Chinese President Xi Jinping sent Premier Li Qiang to the BRICS meeting in his absence, while Russian President Vladimir Putin, who faces an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court, attended online.

In response to Trump’s threat of 10% extra duty, a spokesperson for Chinese foreign ministry said at a regular press briefing Monday that China opposed any action of using tariffs as “a tool to coerce others.”

“China has been consistent in opposing any tariff war, trade war,” the spokesperson said, adding that “arbitrarily slapping tariffs does not serve the interests of any party.” That’s according to CNBC’s translation of her comments in Mandarin.

Separately, Trump confirmed that the U.S. will start delivering letters on Monday, detailing country-specific tariff rates and any agreements reached with various trading partners. That affirmed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s comments over the weekend.

The Trump administration has said that tariffs announced in April will take effect on Aug. 1, instead of July 9, for countries that have not reached an agreement with the U.S.

Bessent rejected the idea that Aug. 1 was yet another new tariff deadline. “We are saying this is when it’s happening, if you want to speed things up, have at it, if you want to go back to the old rate that’s your choice,” Bessent said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

In April, Trump announced a 90-day pause on the steep tariffs he had unveiled just days prior on most trading partners. That pause is due to expire on Wednesday, sparking concern among investors and U.S. trading partners.

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/07/07/tru...h-brics-bloc-will-face-extra-tariff.html

"They don't know what the they're doing."

Stock market today: Dow, S&P 500, Nasdaq sink as Trump says he'll impose 25% tariffs on Japan, South Korea

https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/...iffs-on-japan-south-korea-162958209.html

Being against the genocide Netanyahu is committing by bombing and starving innocent women and children does not mean you hate the Jews. If so that must mean the thousands upon thousands of Israeli's protesting him and his actions on the streets of Israel must hate the Jews too.

Does that mean when Obama and Biden were president you hated America too? Get out of here with that simpleton, moronic BS.

Trump says he’s not planning to extend a pause on global tariffs beyond July 9

https://apnews.com/article/trump-ta...n-trade-9041fa893f99cfba5eb3663749dd10d1

Trump to extend key tariff deadline to Aug. 1 as he threatens new duties of up to 40% on certain countries

The president has also threatened an additional 10% tariff on goods from countries aligning themselves with a bloc of nations that includes China and Russia.

https://www.nbcnews.com/business/bu...o-trade-partners-what-to-know-rcna217183

"They don't know what the they're doing." - Donald Trump

It seems all of these nations haven't crawled before his thrown and kissed his azz the way he thought they would. So he just keeps extending the deadline and making more threats like a petulant child.

Trump says 50% tariff on copper imports is coming and threatens 200% on pharmaceuticals

President Donald Trump said Tuesday he’s imposing a new 50% tariff on all copper imported into the US. However, it’s unclear when the new tariff would take effect.

“Today we’re doing copper,” he said at a Cabinet meeting, adding that he believed the rate will be 50%.

This would mark the fourth across-the-board tariff Trump has imposed during his second term. Currently, most imported cars and car parts face a 25% tariff, while imported steel and aluminum both face 50% tariffs.

The White House didn’t immediately respond to CNN regarding Trump’s timeline for imposing copper tariffs.

Trump ordered a Section 232 investigation into copper imports in February, using a law that gives the president authority to impose higher tariffs based on national security grounds.

Copper is a crucial component in a variety of goods, including electronics, machinery and cars. Tariffs on copper could make those goods more expensive for Americans. The US imported $17 billion worth of copper last year, according to US Commerce Department data. Chile was the largest foreign supplier of the metal, shipping $6 billion worth of it to the US last year.

Copper prices surged to all-time highs after Trump said he plans to levy tariffs on the red metal. Copper futures in New York jumped as much as 15% and hit a record $5.68 per pound.

“I’ve been surprised it’s taken this long to get the copper tariff,” Ed Mills, Washington policy analyst at Raymond James, told CNN.

Copper prices have soared 38% this year as Trump’s tariffs are set to hike the cost of importing the metal, a reflection of stockpiling to get ahead of tariffs.

“A 50% increase will be a massive tax on consumers of copper,” Ole Hansen, head of commodity strategy at Saxo Bank, said in an email.

“Watch what Trump does, not what he says,” Hansen said. “Perhaps we may see a staggered approach once the administration realizes the impact on consumers of such a big move.”

Trump also said on Tuesday that 200% tariffs on pharmaceuticals are coming “very soon,” but they may not take effect for some time in an effort to get more companies to move to the US.

Trump, who exempted drug imports from tariffs during his first term, has been promising to impose tariffs on pharmaceutical products for several months but has yet to announce any concrete measures. The administration launched an investigation into pharmaceutical imports in mid-April, setting the stage to impose tariffs on national security grounds.

The president now argues that the United States needs more domestic drug manufacturing so it does not have to rely on other countries for its supply of medicines. Multiple drug makers have announced expansions of their US-based manufacturing initiatives, though some were in the works prior to Trump taking office in January.

In response to the pharmaceutical tariff threat, Australia’s Treasurer Jim Chalmers said on Wednesday that the country is “urgently seeking” more details on the “very concerning” development.

“Our pharmaceuticals industry is much more exposed to the US market,” Chalmers told Australia’s national broadcaster ABC, adding that it amounted to billions of dollars in exports.

Meanwhile, on Monday Trump extended his “reciprocal” tariff pause to August 1. Those rates, briefly imposed in April, had been set to resume at 12:01 am ET on Wednesday. Trump has also been sending a flurry of letters to country leaders informing them what their new tariff rates could be come August, absent a new negotiated rate.

https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/08/business/trump-copper-tariff

Trump threatens more countries with tariffs as high as 30%

President Donald Trump sent letters to the leaders of seven more countries Wednesday, adding to the growing list of US trading partners for whom he has threatened new tariff rates.

Among the latest recipients were the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Moldova, Brunei, Algeria, Libya and Iraq, with rates going as high as 30% on goods they ship to the United States. The new tariffs go into effect August 1, pending negotiations.

Trump said Wednesday afternoon that he planned to announce his tariff level for Brazil within the next day or two. “Brazil as an example, has been not good to us. Not good at all,” he said during a White House multilateral meeting with leaders of African nations. “We’re going to be releasing a Brazil number, I think, later on, this afternoon or tomorrow morning.”

The rates Trump said would be imposed on goods from Sri Lanka, Moldova, Iraq and Libya were lower than those he announced in early April. The rates on goods from the Philippines and Brunei were higher, compared to April levels. Meanwhile, the rate on goods from Algeria was the same (30%) as April levels.

Collectively, the US imported $29 billion worth of goods from those seven nations last year, according to US Commerce Department figures. That accounts for less than 1% of the $3.2 trillion of goods the US imported.

US stocks were mostly unchanged after Trump’s posts. The Dow was up 50 points, or 0.11%. The S&P 500 was up 0.25% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq gained 0.58%.

The US and various trading partners have been negotiating new trade agreements since Trump announced so-called “reciprocal” tariffs back in April. Yet few deals have come to fruition.

During a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Trump said “a letter means a deal.” But that doesn’t appear to be how some countries are perceiving the missives.

In the letters, Trump wrote that he takes particular issue with the trade deficits the United States runs with other nations, meaning America buys more goods from there compared to how much American businesses export to those countries. Trump also said the tariffs would be set in response to other policies that he deems are impeding American goods from being sold abroad.

Trump has encouraged world leaders to manufacture goods in the United States to avoid tariffs. If they chose to retaliate by slapping higher tariffs on American goods, Trump threatened to tack that onto the rate charged on their country’s goods shipped to the United States.

Trump has now sent 21 letters on tariff rates to heads of state this week, and more could still come. The 25% tariff Trump threatened to impose on Japan and South Korea would be most likely to impact prices of goods Americans buy, since the two nations are America’s fifth- and seventh-top sources of foreign goods.

Wednesday at 12:01 a.m. ET was the initial deadline Trump set three months ago for countries to ink trade deals with the US or instantly face higher tariff rates. However, on Monday he extended that deadline to August 1.

https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/09/economy/tariff-letters-trump

Many times we find that people act deranged, unhinged and irrational from the overuse of illicit or prescription drugs. Like Musk and his Ketamine. In this instance it might just be a case of someone acting this way from a lack of them.

30% tariffs on Mexico and EU just announced this morning-effective 8/1

prob just another try at a pump and dump scheme.

I will say though working as in electrical construction-this week with the 50% tariff was hell on existing projects we have to make sure we are able to purchase without getting hammered-or wait-or substitute to aluminum where we can

Sadly everyone from commodity businesses, to contractors to to employees to consumers will have to wait and see if these tariffs actually stick around this time or if it's more of trump playing the boy who cried wolf. Normal people are getting tired of it. The percentage of the tariffs and the deadlines keep shifting faster than the weather.

Just clicking

I finally got it. The reason Trump called it Liberation day is because the Tariffs he's putting on various countries will Liberate us of our dollars.

I said that before

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cyvj13d9ylpo

New 30% tariffs met with disapproval. Shocking no-one with a brain.

Trump loves a strong man more than he loves anything else - look at his pandering to Putin. If I was the leader of a country it's very simple - I would have legislation passed and in place. Any and all increases in tariffs by any country will be met by immediate (next day) increases in recipricol tariffs of proportionate measure. If - as Trump has threatened - responding with increased tariffs will increase the USA's tariffs on my country, the response would be the same: Increased tariffs to match those tariffs. Period. I'd rather go through economic challenges knowing the root cause was Trump than the uncertainty and stoopid dance of tariffs are on, off, paused, back on and then who knows what.... Raise traiffs on me, I raise them on you in equal measure. End of.

I bet you did, But I just GOT IT! Sometimes I'm a little slow on the uptake.

Rip-off America? From car rentals to coffee, inflation is rampant
Supply problems, fuel prices and corporate greed all contributed to pushing costs higher for families and tourists — and the effect of tariffs is still to come
Illustration of a rolled-up US dollar bill with travel-related imagery, showing rising costs.
Costs of many day-to-day essentials as well as vacations and experiences have all risen
Keiran Southern
, Los Angeles
Monday July 14 2025, 7.55am BST, The Times
After stepping off the plane in Nashville, having paid far more than expected for your flight, the rental car desk awaits.

Four days with a Toyota Camry costs $670. A Starbucks coffee on the way to the hotel is another $7.

Your budget hotel somehow costs $500 for the weekend, breakfast not included. Eating out for dinner means the day’s spending is comfortably into four figures.

Welcome to America in the summer of 2025, where years of surging prices have left consumers struggling with widespread sticker shock.

Inflation, which began to rise sharply in 2021, has significantly increased the cost of just about everything. Overall, prices are about 26 per cent higher than they were before the Covid pandemic, according to the personal finance company NerdWallet.


There is a strong sense among American families and tourists that costs are becoming uncontrollable, hitting households of all income levels. The rising price of holidays, groceries and fuel are among the most visceral everyday examples of the soaring cost of living.

Here The Times breaks down how spiralling costs are putting a dent in your wallet.

Hotels
There has been a significant rise in the average US hotel and motel room rate over the past decade — an increase of 24 per cent, according to NerdWallet.

Experts say the post-pandemic urge to travel is partly to blame, with soaring demand allowing hotels to jack up prices. Hotels say higher bills for utilities have also played a part.

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The American Hotel and Lodging Association said in this year’s state of the industry report that the cost of doing business had grown rapidly. Property maintenance, sales and marketing and IT expenses rose by 5 per cent in the year ending October 2024.

In few places are price increases more noticeable than in New York, America’s most popular tourist city. In September the average price of a hotel room in Manhattan reached a record $417, according to the real estate analytics company CoStar.

In Miami Beach, the year-to-date average daily rate for a hotel room was $283.38 in September last year, far above the $230.98 rate in September 2019.


For Las Vegas, the average daily rate for a hotel room was $198.20 in May. In the same month in 2019 it was $140.52, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.

But despite complaints about prices, experts said that costs were being driven up, in part, by a change in consumer habits.

Sally French, NerdWallet finance expert and co-host of the Smart Travel podcast, said: “We’re often seeing the highest demand in the luxury space. People want the best experience.

“The days of ‘I’m OK with this generic hotel’ are gone. People want the hotel that’s going to make for an amazing photo. We see people spending more on higher-end things that they wouldn’t have done in the past.”

Flights
Perhaps surprisingly, air fares are down 18.5 per cent compared with 2015, but this does not tell the full story.

Advertisement

Under a process known as unbundling, airlines are charging lower fares for basic economy seats but hitting travellers with extra charges for “perks” that once came as standard, such as being able to check in a bag.

Southwest, for example, ditched its “bags fly free” policy in May and charges $35 for the first piece of luggage and $45 for the second.

These fees, which can substantially add to the cost of a journey, are not captured in NerdWallet’s data.

Rental cars
Rental car prices made headlines early in the pandemic after surging due to tourists being more willing to drive rather than fly for summer holidays.

Rental rates have since flattened and there was a below-inflation rise over the past 12 months. But the ten-year picture tells a grimmer story. Since May 2015 the price of renting a car has jumped 29 per cent.

Advertisement

Illustration of a place setting.
Eating out
The price of dining out in America has risen significantly in only a year. Costs were up 3.9 per cent in May compared with the same month in 2024. In all, prices increased by 49.3 per cent over the past decade.

Fast food prices shot up due to supply chain issues and inflation. Chains had to pay more for energy and staff, while the cost of food also rose.

The price of eggs became a totemic election issue, a vivid demonstration of the impact of inflation on shoppers. Earlier this year, a spike in bird flu sent prices even higher.

The average cost of a dozen “grade A” large eggs reached $6.23 in March, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). During the surge, the Waffle House fast food chain added a $0.50 surcharge for each egg.

President Trump took credit for prices dropping — they dipped to $4.55 in May, the BLS said — and celebrated the end of Waffle House’s surcharge this month.

In response to complaints about the price of takeaway food, chains including McDonald’s and Wendy’s last year began offering value meals to attract budget-conscious customers.

Concert tickets.
Concerts
As anyone who forked out for Taylor Swift or Beyoncé tickets in recent years will attest, prices for concerts, theatres and cinemas have risen faster than inflation.

The cost was up 4.7 per cent over the past year, according to NerdWallet. Since 2015 prices have jumped by 39 per cent.

After an unprecedented scramble for tickets to Swift’s Eras tour, fans sued Ticketmaster and its parent company Live Nation for alleged price gouging.

Taylor Swift performing on stage.
Dynamic pricing used by Ticketmaster meant that high demand for Taylor Swift tickets sent prices soaring
ANDRE DIAS NOBRE/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
They said that Ticketmaster abused its position as the dominant force in the US market to impose higher prices on the presale, sale and resale markets. Ticketmaster denied any wrongdoing and the case is pending.

Last May the US justice department sued Live Nation for alleged antitrust violations. Merrick Garland, the attorney-general at the time, said “it is time to break up” the company.

Fans have become accustomed to paying hundreds of dollars to see their favourite artists.

• Why are gig tickets so expensive — and is Live Nation to blame?

Lady Gaga’s The Mayhem Ball tour starts this week. Tickets for the opening night in Las Vegas start at $215, rising steeply for better seats. The prices are similar for her concerts in San Francisco, Seattle and New York.

Dolly Parton will perform six times at the Colosseum in Las Vegas in December and tickets sold out immediately in June. Fans are struggling to find tickets for less than $1,600 on resale sites.

French said the sharp rise in ticket prices was due in part to the willingness of fans to pay. “There’s been a broader push for people valuing experiences over things,” she said, adding that after the pandemic there was pent-up demand for in-person events.

Illustration of theatrical masks and a US flag.
Broadway theatre
As with concerts, theatre has become increasingly out of reach for the middle classes.

The most recent season was the priciest on record, with theatregoers paying an average of $129.12 for a ticket. The figure for the 2018-19 season was $122.73.

Fans hoping to see the most popular shows typically have to fork out far more than $130 per seat. Tickets for Othello, which featured the Hollywood stars Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal, cost almost $1,000.

Wicked opened on Broadway in 2003 but still regularly sells more than $1 million worth of tickets in a week. A family of four hoping to see a Saturday night showing with decent seats at the Gershwin Theater would be charged $1,190 including fees. An individual ticket costs $297.50.

Such prices are possible because of how wealthy many Broadway audiences are. The average annual household income for a regular theatregoer is $276,000, according to the Broadway League demographics report.

Mickey Mouse pointing toward a Disney World sign.
Resorts
Visitor numbers to Las Vegas are down every month this year, amid widespread complaints that the Strip has become too expensive.

Resort fees and parking charges draw frequent criticism, while the cost of food and drink in Sin City often leaves a bad taste in tourists’ mouths.

Walt Disney wanted his theme parks to be accessible to everyone but even the company’s biggest fans would struggle to argue today’s prices are inclusive.

Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland in Anaheim, California.
The “happiest place on Earth” is out of reach for many family budgets
AARONP/BAUER-GRIFFIN/GC IMAGES
Tickets for Disneyland in Anaheim, California can cost as much as $206 on the busiest days. Add-ons allowing visitors to skip the lines further increase the cost, then there is parking, food and merchandise, the prices of which regularly attract criticism on social media.

For a family of four with two young children, a four-day visit to Walt Disney World in Orlando including a stay at a Disney-owned hotel cost $4,266 last year, according to The Wall Street Journal.

That is up from $3,230 five years earlier, adjusted for inflation.

Grocery basket full of food next to an empty basket.
Groceries
The average American family is likely to have noticed a sharp rise in the cost of everyday essentials.

Four years ago baby wipes cost $4.99 but today the average price is $6.63, according to consumer analytics company NielsenIQ. Bleach was $3.52 and is now $4.90.

The average unit price of dog food was $5.78 in 2021, but last month the figure was $8.42.

Lindsay Owens, executive director of the Washington think tank Groundwork Collaborative, said inflation was not entirely to blame and that corporations were exploiting the situation for profit — a process known as price gouging.

“They decided to see if they could pass along all of their rising costs so that their margins wouldn’t be eaten into,” she said. “And when they realised that they could, they decided to go for more, and so they started passing along a little more than they needed to.”

Illustration of Donald Trump's face with a tattered American flag.
What happens next?
Americans hoping for a respite from rising prices might be in for disappointment. Trump’s tariffs will lead to more increases, at least in the short term, economists said.

And while inflation has dropped significantly from its 9 per cent peak in the summer of 2022, consumers will be living with the consequences for years. As history tells us, inflation may go down — but prices don’t.

https://www.thetimes.com/us/news-to...to-coffee-inflation-is-rampant-h8kkfmgcb

Trump’s megabill is creating a budget nightmare for states

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/07/14/trump-megabill-budget-nightmare-states-00449924

Didn't read all the article. I got to the point where it quoted a 2019 hotel rate. Figure that's something that is. Stretching the bounds of credibility for a meaningful article. Also saw talk about concert tickets.... Which have little to do with the real cost of living and real inflation pressures.

I believe inflation is there and will hit hard when and if tariffs are applied and continued to be in effect. There isn't any investment In manufacturing or other infrastructure as a result of the tariffs. But time will tell.

If 5 people stopped posting in the politics threads... it would be a ghost town.

at this point, no one else is responding.

Yet as many or more posts are made in this forum than any other one on this board. It's odd how there were a lot more people posting in this forum when Biden was president.

People got tired of you. The end.

Some people who don't like what I have to say. Some people who don't want to hear or admit certain factual information. People that don't want to read articles and information that runs counter to what they want to believe. People like you. it's not my fault some people are so close minded they refuse to see anything but what they want to hear.

Even you taught me something yesterday. Tariffs are nothing abut a huge tax burden imposed on the American people. If you could look past your hatred maybe you too could learn new things too.

NGL... I blocked Pit on politics a while ago. I think many people realized there is no middle ground. There are just arguments, goal posts being moved, or deflection with... "but, what about".

Here is a great example....
https://www.dawgtalkers.net/ubbthreads.php/topics/2105480/4
the last 4 posts were basically Pit replying to Pit.



When it comes to football, I am all for commenting on Pit's stuff. It's usually really good.

Well actually - since it's right there and you posted it - the last 4 posts in that thread are not Pit replying to Pit. That's just an example of how a large group of posters try to deflect and essentially lie about Pit's post in order to dismiss them out of hand without addressing the *sometimes* hard to debate content he includes.

Do I think Pit posts too much? Yes. Do I think he sometimes comes across as a smart ass and argumentative for the sake of being argumentative? Yes, but often while responding in kind to another poster doing something pretty similar. Do I agree with everything Pit posts? Hell no. Does he sometimes shift a conversation and 'move the goal posts' - Yes, just like many others do here whether they be on the 'right' or the 'left'. Is Pit a left wing looney with biased, communist colored spectacles on? No, if you actually pay attention he's much more centrist even while admitedly normally he posts negatively about Trump and the extreme MAGA politicians. I guess it's just a case of what triggers people to respond. . . . case in point, Eve spammed the board with "Libtard" for years and years and years. I don't recall a single 'right' leaning or Trump supporting poster ever calling her out on it. But somehow when Daman, Pit, Perfect or Bad - whoever - posts something questionable that I don't agree with, or maybe Oober or DL or Clem - somehow Memphis and many others post about how we SHOULD call those posts out instead of ignoring them. The typical double standard in full force - along with the deflections and many other things posters on both sides do.

That's clearly my opinion.... Just the facts below:

post 1 - is a response to a post I had made. He clearly is talking to me and responding to my post.
post 2 - in a Ukraine War thread - is an article about China announcing a position on Ukraine war with Russia and the EU. Appropriate.
post 3 - Regarding Trump talking about Putin and Ukraine, Pit posts a link of Trump using the words Bull S**t and asking if it's now acceptable for the POTUS to cuss in public (hot on the heels of his F bomb) - it is not a response to himself or anyone else. Appropriate.
Post 4 - In the Ukraine War thread - Pit posted a link to an article claiming Hegseth did not inform the White House before he authorized pause on weapon shipments to Ukraine. Appropriate.

They only see what they want to see and only attack those they disagree with. Typical trumpian nonsense. I consider the source and post anyway. Mostly it's articles and information and yes, I add my 2 cents because trump is a scourge on this nation. This isn't about right or left to me in terms of trump. It's about a revenge filled, hateful, habitual liar running our country. If there has ever been a time to speak out that time is now.

Hey - any chance of an apology now the facts about those 4 posts have been examined?

Small Businesses Feeling the Pinch of Tariffs, But Few Feel Heard

New survey reveals rising costs, quiet adjustments, limited faith in trade policy

NEW YORK, July 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- As the national conversation around tariffs heats up, a new survey from marketing research firm Savanta reveals that small business owners (SBOs) are adapting quietly, even as they express low confidence in trade policy and limited faith in government decision-making.

While the debate often focuses on global economics and political strategy, small businesses are feeling the strain in more practical ways through rising costs, supply chain disruptions, and tough pricing decisions. And many feel left out of the policy conversation entirely, with 57% saying they don't believe U.S. trade decisions are made with small businesses in mind.

"Small businesses are feeling the pressure from tariffs, even if they're not making noise about it," said Kyle Gollins, Head of Commercial, Americas at Savanta. "They're absorbing costs, raising prices, and doing what they must to stay competitive."

Tariffs Raise Costs and Disrupt Operations
Roughly 4 in 10 SBOs (42%) say recent or proposed tariff policies have directly impacted their business. The most common effects are rising product and material costs (41%) and supply chain disruptions (24%), signaling that the impact isn't just financial, but also operational.

Quiet Adjustments Are Underway
Nearly half (47%) of SBOs have already made or are planning changes in response to tariffs. Among them, 58% have raised prices. Others are rethinking sourcing strategies, delaying investments, or absorbing the costs themselves.

While reshoring remains a political talking point, most SBOs haven't followed suit: only 21% say tariffs have prompted them to consider shifting operations back to the U.S., while 34% say they've made no such considerations.

Absorbing Costs, But for How Long?
Only 18% of SBOs say they're fully passing tariff-related costs to customers, while 47% are passing on costs partially or fully. Notably, 29% aren't passing on any of the added expense. Among those absorbing the impact, time is limited – 51% say they can do so for 12 months or less.

"The challenge for small business owners is managing the consequences of tariffs," said Ethan Granholm, senior research analyst at Savanta. "Rising material costs, disrupted supply chains, and shrinking margins are real problems they're dealing with every day—and many aren't sure how long they can continue to absorb the hit."

Confidence in Trade Policy Is Low and Divided
Just 26% of SBOs say they have high confidence in the U.S. government's handling of trade policy, while 33% report low confidence. The gap is political, with 52% of Democrats saying they have low confidence, compared to just 14% of Republicans.

Mixed Views on Impact and Advantage
Tariffs remain polarizing. While 35% say tariffs put them at a competitive disadvantage, 21% believe they offer an edge. Looking ahead, 36% expect tariffs to negatively impact their business over the next year, while 23% anticipate benefits.

Rising Costs Lead the List of Concerns
When asked what concerns them most about the future of tariffs and trade policy, SBOs overwhelmingly point to rising material costs (51%), followed by policy unpredictability (39%), long-term competitiveness (31%), and strained global supply access (25%).

A Divided Take on Tariffs Overall
When it comes to the bigger picture, SBOs are split:

35% say they're opposed to tariffs

21% are supportive

The rest are either neutral or unsure

About Savanta
Savanta is a data, market research, and advisory company. We inform and inspire our clients through powerful data, empowering technology, and high-impact consulting.

Survey Methodology
The poll, conducted by Savanta, had a sample size of n=1,000 U.S. adults aged 18+ and was conducted from July 18 to 19, 2025. The margin of error is +/- 3% per 1,000 completes.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/small-businesses-feeling-pinch-tariffs-191500213.html

Trump plans to impose a Russia ‘penalty’ on India in addition to a 25% tariff as trade talks stall

President Donald Trump is ratcheting up the pressure on India, calling into question the prospects of a deal with a key US trading partner just days before his tariff deadline.

Trump, in a pair of social media posts Wednesday, sharply attacked India’s trade barriers and directly targeted India’s sustained reliance on Russian oil purchases and military equipment. He doubled down on his threat to impose 25% tariffs on all Indian imports and threatened an additional “penalty” in response to India’s energy purchases.

“Remember, while India is our friend, we have, over the years, done relatively little business with them because their Tariffs are far too high, among the highest in the World, and they have the most strenuous and obnoxious non-monetary Trade Barriers of any Country,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Also, they have always bought a vast majority of their military equipment from Russia, and are Russia’s largest buyer of ENERGY, along with China, at a time when everyone wants Russia to STOP THE KILLING IN UKRAINE — ALL THINGS NOT GOOD!”

Trump’s tariff escalation comes on the heels of a series of deals with major US trading partners that have set a rough baseline of between 15% and 20% and included a series of pledges to expand market access for US products and foreign investment commitments.

For India, it marks a major setback in a monthslong effort to secure a deal that officials believed on several occasions was nearing the finish line.

Top trade officials have been transiting back and forth between the Washington and New Delhi for months in pursuit of a final agreement. But the recent trade agreements with Japan and the European Union have emboldened Trump in the final days before the August 1 deadline for the administration’s paused “reciprocal” tariffs to snap back into place, officials say.

Trump’s ability to secure commitments on market access for US producers has become a particularly salient fixation as Trump has reviewed draft offers in recent days, the officials said. That has created a significant obstacle to the prospects of an agreement with India, one official told CNN.

“They’re willing to go part of the way,” the official said. “But the president isn’t in a ‘part of the way’ mood - he wants barriers removed completely or as close to completely as possible.”

Trump’s approach is tied in part to a strategy that has become increasingly apparent to foreign trade officials involved in late-stage talks: Trump has no qualms about letting those higher tariffs go into place - a message he’s delivered repeatedly in public over the last several weeks.

But it’s also created an environment in which Trump has embraced a clear sense of leverage over trading partners - even close allies - who are desperate to maintain access to the world’s largest consumer market.

“I think President Trump is frustrated with the progress we’ve made with India but feels that a 25% tariff will address and remedy the situation in a way that’s good for the American people,” Director of the National Economic Council Kevin Hassett said at the White House on Wednesday.

The tariffs on India, Hassett said, might cause them to “reconsider their practices.”

“Over time, I would guess that Indian firms will be onshoring production in the US, and Indians might even open their markets more to us so that we reconsider our future trades,” Hassett added.
Russia penalties

At the same time, Trump has escalated in parallel his threat to impose secondary sanctions on Russian energy exports in response to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s refusal to de-escalate attacks on Ukraine.

That dynamic, which has long been weighed across successive administrations, would directly impact India and China most as nations who purchase the bulk of Russian energy products.

India’s oil imports from Russia have ticked up this year as Russia continued to be the top supplier to the world’s most populous nation. Russia for roughly 35% of India’s overall supplies, followed by Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates.

CNN has reached out to the White House for more information on what the penalty will be and if India will be receiving an official letter from the United States marking the tariff, as other nations have received.

On Tuesday, Trump told reporters that India would pay 25% tariffs if they don’t reach a deal by August 1.

When imposing a 50-day deadline on Russia to reach a ceasefire earlier this month, Trump announced that countries that purchase Russian oil would face secondary sanctions. That ceasefire deadline has since moved to August 8.

Trump officials have been privately making clear to counterparts that Trump’s threat to significantly escalate an already sweeping US sanctions regime on Russia should be taken seriously and is not a negotiating ploy, the officials said.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Tuesday he shared that message directly with his Chinese counterparts during trade talks in Stockholm.

“I think anyone who buys sanctioned Russian oil should be ready for this,” Bessent told reporters at a news conference at the conclusion of the talks.

According to an analysis of Russian fossil fuel exports and sanctions conducted by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air in June, India continued to be the second-largest buyer of Russian fossil fuels behind China.

https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/30/business/india-tariffs-russia-sanctions

Even higher tariff taxes for Americans to pay?

"Even higher tariff taxes for Americans to pay?"

Yes even higher taxes for Americans to pay ... so they can get a freebie check back in the mail and the MAGA crowd can tell you how brilliant it all is. Woot woot. Reminds me of the Don McLean lyrics "For $5 the flower is free".

And just think, we used to call it exactly what it is. An import tax.

Trump says Friday tariff deadline ‘will not be extended’

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/07/30/trump-trade-august-tariff-deadline.html

Trump says his Aug 1 tariff deadline 'will not be extended' – here are the countries that might not make it

Canada, Mexico, Taiwan and South Korea among nations facing major tariff hikes without trade agreements

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/tr...t-extended-here-countries-might-not-make

Live updates: Trump announces 90-day delay of Mexico tariff threat

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/tr...-gaza-immigration-live-update-rcna221299

The Boy Who Cried Wolf strikes again.

I'm just surprised the economy hasn't collapsed yet "as many here predicted".

Oh well, I guess there's still hope.

I’ve been taking a wait and see approach with the tariffs.

On one hand, if there’s anything I know about public corporations, it’s that they don’t like to decrease their margins and costs. I don’t see in my mind how it couldn’t flow through as a price increase to the end purchaser.

On the other hand, we haven’t seen a crazy impact yet, although I think inflation did tick up in the last month, IIRC.

I don’t like widespread tariffs. Historically, they did not work well for us. But the fact comes down to we don’t know what we don’t know yet. I think the full effects, positive or negative, still needs a lot of time.

Some good reading here, Fate.

https://www.dawgtalkers.net/ubbthreads.php/topics/2108613/1/liberation-day

Hope you are doing well.

When all else fails there is always hope. I understand how some people using fuzzy math can't figure out that when an import tax is added to goods, somebody has to pay the bill for that. Somebody pays that added 15% or 20% or 30%. Whether that's small business owners fighting to make it or taxpayers purchasing those goods.

You do realize that many of these tariffs are still being negotiated right? I'm not sure claiming how well it's going in the middle of the process is a wise path to follow. I'm not sure why you believe all of these goods can increase in costs and that cost will not eventually make itself to consumers?

The key word in your post is "yet".

It seemed that for years all we heard was that if you raise wages it will increase costs. But now it seems some people are prematurely claiming a victory because they claim just the opposite applies with tariffs. Raise wages? Increased costs and inflation. Create and increase tariffs? That isn't costing us anything.

Quite the conundrum.

A couple things-the quarter GDP was at 3% because a lot of companies that could pre-order to beat the tariffs did-short term rise-it will even out.
Ford got hammered in quarterly statement-800 million loss in one quarter on tariff related costs.

and then the jobs report today


Economy
U.S. added just 73,000 jobs in July and numbers for prior months were revised much lower
Published Fri, Aug 1 20258:30 AM EDTUpdated 9 Min Ago
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Jeff Cox
@jeff.cox.7528
@JeffCoxCNBCcom

U.S. added just 73,000 jobs in July and numbers for prior months were revised much lowerwatch now
VIDEO03:57
U.S. added just 73,000 jobs in July and numbers for prior months were revised much lower
Nonfarm payroll growth was slower than expected in July and the unemployment rate ticked higher, raising potential trouble signs for the U.S. labor market.

Job growth totaled 73,000 for the month, above the June total of 14,000 but below even the meager Dow Jones estimate for a gain of 100,000. June and May totals were revised sharply lower, down by a combined 258,000 from previously announced levels.

At the same time, the unemployment rate rose to 4.2%, in line with the forecast.

The June total came down from the previously stated 147,000, while the May count fell to just 19,000, revised down by 125,000.


Stock market futures fell further after the news while Treasury yields also were sharply lower.

“This is a gamechanger jobs report,” said Heather Long, chief economist at Navy Federal Credit Union. “The labor market is deteriorating quickly.”

The weak jobs report, including the dramatic revisions, could provide incentive for the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates when it next meets in September. Following the report, futures traders raised the odds of a cut at the meeting to 63%, up from 40% on Thursday.

“Today’s report adds weight to signs of a slow but persistent cooling trend. While the labor market is not in crisis, hiring momentum continues to soften, and pressures are beginning to build,” said Ger Doyle, North America regional president at Manpower Group.

There were few signs of strength in the July jobs count, with gains coming primarily from health care, a sector that has continued to show strength in the post-Covid recovery. The group added 55,000 jobs, easily leading the way. Social assistance also contributed 18,000 jobs.

However, federal government employment continued to decline, down 12,000 or the month and 84,000 since its January peak, before Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency began paring down the jobs rolls.

On wages, average hourly earnings increased 0.3%, meeting the estimate, though the yearly gain of 3.9% was slightly higher than expected.


The household survey, which is used to compile the unemployment rate, was even worse than the establishment survey of total payrolls gains. That showed a decline of 260,000 workers, with the participation rate edging down to 62.2%, the lowest since November 2022.

A more encompassing unemployment indicator that includes discouraged workers and those holding part-time positions for economic reasons rose to 7.9%, its highest since March.

The report comes with questions rising about firms’ willingness to hire in the face of ongoing trade negotiations and escalating tariffs.

President Donald Trump has demanded the Fed lower interest rates aggressively. However, the central bank on Wednesday again voted to hold its key borrowing level in place, where it has been since December, despite blistering criticism from the president.

Trump released another angry post Friday morning on Truth Social, appearing to call on the rate-setting Federal Open Market Committee to overrule Chair Jerome Powell.

“Jerome “Too Late” Powell, a stubborn MORON, must substantially lower interest rates, NOW. IF HE CONTINUES TO REFUSE, THE BOARD SHOULD ASSUME CONTROL, AND DO WHAT EVERYONE KNOWS HAS TO BE DONE!” Trump posted. Following the jobs report, Trump posted again, calling Powell “a disaster.”

Though there are concerns about where the labor market is headed, top-line economic numbers are still holding up.

Gross domestic product increased at a 3% annualized pace in the second quarter, considerably better than expected. However, that largely reflected the unwinding of a huge import buildup ahead of Trump’s April 2 “liberation day” tariff announcement. Underlying demand numbers in the Commerce Department report were mostly weak, while consumer spending increased from the first quarter was still tepid.

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/08/01/jobs-report-july-2025.html

And the plot thickens..................

Trump fires labor statistics boss hours after the release of weak jobs report

The president called the data "rigged" and implied that BLS Commissioner Erika McEntarfer manipulated the data "for political purposes."

President Donald Trump on Friday ordered the firing of the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, hours after a stunning government report showed that hiring had slowed down significantly over the past three months.

Taking to Truth Social, he attacked Erika McEntarfer, the commissioner of the BLS. He claimed that the country's jobs reports "are being produced by Biden appointee" and ordered his administration to terminate her.

"We need accurate Jobs Numbers," Trump wrote. "She will be replaced with someone much more competent and qualified. Important numbers like this must be fair and accurate, they can’t be manipulated for political purposes."

He intensified his attack in a later post, writing: "In my opinion, today’s Jobs Numbers were RIGGED in order to make the Republicans, and ME, look bad."

An administration official told NBC News that McEntarfer had indeed been fired.

The deputy director of BLS, Bill Wiatrowski, who took up the role during the Obama administration, will become the acting director "during the search for a replacement," Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer said.

Julie Hatch Maxfield, the official who oversees the office that produces the employment report, joined the agency during Trump's first term.

The BLS on Friday morning reported that the U.S. economy added just 73,000 jobs in July, well below estimates. It also said it had revised the May and June numbers and they turned out to be lower than previously announced by more than 200,000 jobs.

McEntarfer didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

President Joe Biden nominated McEntarfer in July 2023 and was confirmed by the Senate in an 86-to-8 vote (with six members not voting) in January 2024. She received overwhelming bipartisan support in the vote.

Vice President JD Vance was among the Republicans who voted to confirm her.

McEntarfer has spent much of her career in the federal government. Throughout the last 20 years, she has worked in the Census Bureau, Treasury Department and on the White House's Council of Economic Advisers.

Trump claimed without evidence that the commissioner "faked the Jobs Numbers before the Election to try and boost Kamala’s chances of Victory."

The BLS routinely revises economic data such as the jobs report, GDP figures and inflation data. Due to the scale of the U.S. economy and response rates to BLS surveys, there can often be lags in data collection. But that lag does not imply any wrongdoing or manipulation.

Trump has previously praised the BLS reports, when they were favorable to his administration in April, May and June.

In May, the White House said that April's jobs report "proved" that Trump was "revitalizing" the economy. In June, Trump posted, "GREAT JOBS NUMBERS" on Truth Social.

In March, standing in the Oval Office, Trump brought up "how good some of these numbers are."

The politicization of economic data and potential interference with it by political appointees is something that's typically seen in nondemocratic countries like Russia, Venezuela or China.

Labor Secretary Chavez-DeRemer said after the firing, “our jobs numbers must be fair, accurate, and never manipulated for political purposes.”

Any erosion of trustworthy data can impact businesses, consumers, lending and policymakers. Historically, the United States' economic data has been considered the gold standard due to the independence typically given to agencies that collect it.

The agency surveys U.S. businesses and consumers by contacting them online, by mail, through phone calls and in-person visits. It uses responses received through those methods to generate reports for the public and government decision-makers.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics is the primary agency that collects information about the nation's labor markets and economy.

In its mission statement, the agency says that it "measures labor market activity, working conditions, price changes, and productivity in the U.S. economy to support public and private decision making."

The accuracy of government data collection has also been in question due to sweeping government job cuts.

Last August, the BLS said 818,000 fewer jobs had been created over a 12-month period than initially thought.

At the same time, Trump, who recently resumed attacking Fed Chair Jerome Powell, said that the central bank chief "should also be put 'out to pasture.'"

Trump has repeatedly pressured Powell to lower interest rates. But Powell has said there's still "a long way to go to really understand" what the effects of the president's tariffs will be.

"If you move too soon, you wind up maybe not getting inflation all the way fixed and you have to come back. That's inefficient. If you move too late, you might do unnecessary damage to the labor market," Powell said on Wednesday.

https://www.nbcnews.com/business/ec...commissioner-weak-jobs-report-rcna222531

More sewage regurgitated from his KFC hole based on his conspiracy laced feelings and of course somebody was fired strictly based on his vindictiveness. Nothing new there.