Shhhhhh, tariff is paid by the sellers and is good for Americans. Do not tell the Americans

Trump is gloating about his deal with Vietnam with tariffs reduced to 20% instead of 48%, while Vietnam will allow USA products to enter Vietnam tariff free.

In the face of the zero tariffs imposed by Vietnam, what products are USA companies making in USA going to sell in Vietnam that the Vietnamese are not already making themselves? Maybe Trump needs a market for his US$5 million golden visas, gold coins with his face, his own brand of lotion and perfumes, maybe arm-twisting Vietnam by force if necessary? India was arm twisted to buy expensive military equipment because Indian consumers cannot afford other expensive USA products. In the process Modi backstabbed Putin by buying weapons from USA instead of Russia. Trump laid a trap for Modi, to sour his relationship with Putin, and he fell headlong into it

On the surface, Trump has a good deal with Vietnam, until you realize that many USA companies are doing manufacturing in Vietnam in every sector, and Trump's 20% is also punishing them, with their exports to USA more expensive for USA consumers. Most other manufacturing entities are basically Chinese companies manufacturing in Vietnam, and their products will also be more expensive for the USA market. The loser is still USA importers and consumers.

On the other side of the coin, what products are the USA selling to Vietnam when many of them are already manufacturing products in Vietnam, competing with the Chinese and others? Are they going to be cheaper than Chinese manufactured goods made in Vietnam factories? So, even without tariffs can imported USA products sell in Vietnam?


Anonymous

China winning the economic war. The West still trying to start a military war

The military supplies sector is one area that China also has a massive advantage to move into, not that China is not already doing so. China has all the rare earth elements and processing logistics, all the iron, steel, aluminum and other essential metals like titanium all at much cheaper prices than the USA (that is raising tariffs on them to thwart its own military industrial complex and manufacturing sectors), all the supply chains to cater to a particular sector, a ready supply of skilled engineers and scientists that China had been training over the past decades. All these are long-term thinking by the Chinese leaders.

Western leaders are short-term thinkers, wanting quick short-term returns, ignoring the long-term consequences. They have been nakedly exposed for their warped thinking. Greed has led them to forget about needing to go for the raw materials, rare earth resources and refining logistics, new growth sectors and blaming others for their missing the bus when they are late for the party. A perfect example is their pre-occupation with logging on to protect its internal combustion engines (ICE) car manufacturers when others are already in the thick of the EV revolution and zooming ahead. The blame should fall on the fossil fuel lobby in the USA, of which Trump is a big supporter. That is one evil with businesses using campaign donations to pursue an agenda.

Even Tesla, the pioneer of EVs, despite its head start, is facing severe headwinds from Chinese EV makers, not to talk about those USA and EU late comers hitching a ride on the EV revolution. I think the USA and EU have comprehensively lost the EV battle and the market, and the only way out for them is erecting barriers or banning Chinese EVs entering their market, which is a fruitless battle. When they cannot compete at home against Chinese EVs and resorting such tactics, how are they going to compete outside the USA and EU? Just making highly expensive EVs for a limited market is suicidal.

By the way, here in Singapore, according to one onlooker, it was reported that BYD sold more than six thousand EVs in 2024, ahead of all others. It already sold more than three thousand EVs or 20% of total EV sales in Singapore just four months into 2025. And BYD is a very late comer to the Singapore EV market, entering only in 2023, which makes it even more worrying for other EV makers. No, I am not paid by BYD or CCP to promote its sales.


Anonymous

Grandstanding policies by the USA are going to backfire badly

All these grandstanding policies by the USA are going to backfire badly or are already backfiring against the USA.

Taking the Chip war as an example, the policy is really forcing China to dive headlong to prioritize chip development which it would not have done so and still content to rely on imported chips from USA, Japan and South Korea for a longer duration. Now the chip market in China is closing for these three countries like in motor vehicles.

And those chip factories set up by TSMC and others in Arizona are not even proven to be progressing unhindered with unforeseen issues cropping up and delaying the production schedule. By the time they are sorted out, especially to train skilled workers, China would already be self-sufficient and dominating. The China high speed train waits for nobody to catch up.

Decoupling from China is also proving to be a no go, which is why it is now called 'de-risking' with even the nonsense about over-capacity thrown in. Right now, China is exporting less to the USA and more to the Global South, a growing market that cannot be ignored. China is building all the new bridges to take advantage of the situation, which is in fact a blessing in disguise. The USA on the other hand is blowing up bridges and closing its doors. Who would investors bet on to invest in manufacturing? It is a no brainer choice.

Now, the USA and Israel have forced Iran's hand to make nuclear weapons. And China has also benefitted from the miscalculation of Trump and Netanyahu, selling more weapons to Iran to beef up its defense capabilities. This is another example of backfiring against the USA.


Anonymous

Why not stop Israel from having nuclear bombs?

 The Americans, Israelis and all the white countries are calling for stopping Iran from having nuclear bombs. They take it as their right and they are the authority in this world, to decide who can have nuclear bombs and who cannot, and only the white men have the right to have nuclear bombs, the more the merrier. North Korea is still being sanctioned and isolated by the white regimes and condemned, not allowed to trade with the world, not allowed to join the international community.

All the white countries supported the bombing of Iran to stop Iran from making nuclear bombs. They would not even listen to Iran saying their nuclear facilities are for commercial and peaceful use. They just bombed Iran as the right of the white men. White men's Rules Based Order. They write the rules for coloured people to obey. According to Dr Oalaalou, 6 Arab states actually supported the American and Israeli bombing of Iran. Can you beat that?

All the western media would not raise the issue of stopping Israel from having nuclear bombs. They would not talk about it. China and Russia, and the Global South must speak out and call for the bombing of Israel nuclear facilities and nuclear weapons,to destroy Israel's nuclear weapons. This is only fair and just. Why should white men be so special, why should Israel be so special? In fact, the world should call for the ban on all nuclear weapons. 

The rogue American regime has the most nuclear weapons and still producing them, making bigger and more deadly nuclear bombs. Why is it acceptable? No country is exceptional to have the exclusive privilege of having nuclear bombs to threaten other countries. The rules of the white men to order and rule the coloured people must be abolished for good. America is a rogue country, a terrorist state. They are not exceptional, only exceptional in committing genocides and starting wars.

No nuclear weapons for all. Period. Bomb Israel to get rid of its nuclear bombs and facilities. This is a principle that must be upheld by all countries, big or small.

The West can never understand China?

 China is an enigma, a civilization that the West can never understand. China is also a different economic power to take down, having the manufacturing capacity and the huge consumer market at the same time, unlike Japan and Germany. The latter two have the manufacturing power but not the market to back up. And they succumbed to the USA's effort to put them under its thumb.

The USA had never been tested before in competition, not with the Soviet Union that has technological expertise but little economic clout. China, according to John Mearsheimer is a peer competitor, a competitor for the USA in every sector, be it economic or military. The USA knows that a rising China is bad news for the USA Empire doing forward.

What makes it even more dire for the USA is its policy of making more enemies than allies, with only the Anglo-Saxon Whites rallying behind it, together with some silly hangers-on like Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Philippines and you know who.

Anonymous