Effects of the trade war

 

Finally a beautiful and sunny spring Sunday! 

With regards to the ongoing trade war, yesterday I have heard that many EU and China politicians and economics experts warned about higher tariffs that will likely add to inflaction. Actually, I know that liquor and wine sold at restaurants, which are located in the United States, is mainly imported from Europe. This means that American restaurants' owners will not have enough margin of profit due to Trump's trade war. I also think many Amercan farmers will face the same problem because of rising price of ferlitizers, which are imported from Canada and Saudi Arabia and Qatar. 

In my humble opinion, retailers have to contact their customers about the impact of new tariffs. Not to mention of the sharp stock markets sell-off triggered by Trump's aggressive tariff rollout.

Happy Sunday everyone 🌼☀🌺

1st of April

 

On the 1st of April the weather is still cloudy here in Italy. I hope those clouds don't simbolize the uncertainty related to Trump's global trade war. 

As mentioned by some US Republican Senators, a trade war may provoke retaliation by major trading partners, such as China, EU and Canada. In the meanwhile, stock markets brace amid trade war fears. 

Have a nice month of April ☀

Award from booking.com

 I've just got this one from booking.com

It refers to the hosting business I carried out in 2024. 

https://www.quartastrada.com/

Hosting tourists can be considered "invisible export", due to the fact that it envolves international transactions related to travel agencies, hotels, and services like accomodation, restaurants and entertainment. It's an exchange of services rather than physical goods.

This job allows the opportunity to meet people from all over the world. 

This is the last weekend of March. Have a nice Sunday!

Stealing Gaza's gas reserves

While Western governments continue to cover up Israeli crimes, Gaza is being starved and bombed again. Why are we, Westerners, allowing it? That's so simple: Gaza could be one of the richest places on hearth if the development of the gas field off its coast would begin. The gas could also benefit the Palestinians of the West Bank whose electricity is bought from Israel at high prices. 

Unfortunately,  in late October, 2023, three weeks after Israel began its military attack on Gaza, Tel Aviv's  government issued 12 licences for gas exploration to six local and foreign companies. Obviously gas exploration off the Gaza coast violates international law. Easy to see that Israel is making a de facto annexation of Palestinian maritime areas. 

Glad to hear that some countries around the world refuse to surrender and accept injustice.

Day and night equilized

 

The spring equinox finally arrive this week, as from the 20th to the 21st of March day and night are equilized. From an astronomical poin of view the spring equinox Spring begins when the amount of sunshine is aproximately 12 hours. This happens when the sun crosses the equator from the southern emisphere to the northern emisphere. 

According to NASA, the equinox will occur at 4 a.m. on Thursday, 20th March, in the area located 6 hours behind the Greenwich Mean Time.

Many Judas-trees in the urban environment are already blooming. Those small deciduous trees show their beautiful pink flowers from late March to early May. In the language of flowers, the Judas-tree symbolizes betrayal.

Have a nice Spring season 🌺🌺🌺

EU-US full blown trade war

Since Trump got in office more than two months ago, he has been talking about restoring U.S.' manufacturing sector by rising tariffs on foreign goods. According to Trump's plan, tariffs can help boost production at home by making foreign goods more expensive. 

Obviously, if businesses were to make goods in the U.S., they wouldn't pay tariff for them. But if companies do as Trump asks, then the U.S.' government can't raise tariff revenue from them. Consequently America's public debt could rise, and American people could pay a high price for Trump's reciprocal tariffs. Not to mention of a country's ability to produce a particular good, such as wine, spirits, and food, at a lower cost compared to other nations. 

On the China front, while these measures may trigger concern over their economic impact, they are unlikey to undermine Beijing's long-term manufacturing dominance.

     Have a nice weekend!

Transatlantic partership or strategic autonomy

 

This morning the European Commission is launching a series of countermeasures to protect EU consumers from the impact of US tariffs of up to 25%. On March 12, the US imposed those tariffs on imports of steel and aluminium from European Union and other trading partners. 

That news reminds me a famous Heinz Alfred Kissinger's quote. As it is known, he was an American diplomat and political scientist, who also served as secretary of state. In 1968 he said: "It may be dangerous to be an America's enemy, but to be America's friend is fatal". 

Have nice Wednesday :-)