Trump tariffs, rattled allies

The whole point of Trumps action have been to rattle allies and that he certainly has.  all final policies are now pending real negotiations and must hit reality..

I would like to see anyone else with an idea.  Tariffs have always been stupid as stupid does.  I am pretty sure that Trump knows this ,but it isw also an act of WAR when you must force real change.  It also shuts down universal rigging through governments.

So once again, expect to be surprised.  Are all farm subsidies now going to end?  Perhaps universal supply management for agricuture generally?  and globally?

Perhaps no seed oils anywhere.  that would be a blessing to our health.

All of this hauls all the global politicians out of their comfort zone.  The USA and the globe needs no income tax.  the USA needs a VAT which actually part of the income tax dissolution bill.

Trump tariffs, rattled allies, and a personal farewell

Shin Nakayama, Nikkei Asia

Good evening. U.S. President Donald Trump's aggressive announcement of a 25% tariff on foreign-made cars and light trucks, starting on April 2, sent allies, automakers, economists and many others scrambling to calculate the impact. Nikkei estimates that Japan's car industry could face losses of up to 13 trillion yen (86.2 billion) due to a decline in domestic production.

https://asia.nikkei.com/Newsletters/Editor-in-chief-s-picks/Editor-in-chief-s-picks352?

When Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba made his first trip to the White House to meet with Trump in early February -- a visit widely hailed as a success in Japan -- a reporter asked Ishiba what Japan would do if tariffs were imposed. In true Ishiba style, he replied: "I cannot answer a theoretical question. That's always our official response." Trump then replied, "That's a very good answer," to laughter in the room.

The tariffs are no longer theoretical, and the optimism of that time has faded. Ishiba told lawmakers during a subsequent parliamentary session: "We need to consider appropriate responses. All options will be on the table." I have spoken to several people about this "all options" remark, and it seems the choices are in fact rather limited.

The big question is whether any effective moves remain to reach a deal with Trump at this point. South Korea's Hyundai Motor Group, for example, announced plans to invest $21 billion in the U.S. in the hope of avoiding tariffs, but did not get an exemption. Meanwhile, Canada and European countries have responded strongly, even considering countermeasures -- in stark contrast to many governments in Asia.

There is no question that the U.S. remains Japan's most important ally. The tariffs will not change their relationship, and Japan will have no choice but to adopt a cooperative stance toward Washington. So "all options" do not include confrontational countermeasures, as some have suggested.

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, also a significant milestone for both Japan and the U.S., which fought fiercely against each other during the war, as I have mentioned in this newsletter several times. To commemorate the occasion, Prime Minister Ishiba, Defense Minister Gen Nakatani and U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth will participate in a joint memorial ceremony for the war dead tomorrow on Iwo Jima, a site of intense fighting near the end of the war.

It is highly unusual for a Japanese prime minister to attend such a ceremony, especially alongside the U.S. defense secretary. However, it is easy to see why Japan would seize this opportunity to showcase the strength of its alliance with the U.S.

I also visited Iwo Jima when I was a college student as a member of the Japan-America Student Conference to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the end of the war. The island became a fierce battleground from February to March 1945, with tens of thousands of soldiers losing their lives. Relics from that violent time were still visible, and I could feel the intensity of the fighting even then. Now, 80 years later, we can confidently say we are in a much better position to manage bilateral relations.