Tariffs Catch-All

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Automakers Race to Find Workaround to China’s Stranglehold on Rare-Earth Magnets​

Major manufacturers, fearful they will have to shut down assembly lines, consider moving some parts production to China​


🎁 —> https://www.wsj.com/business/autos/...2?st=3aEzXr&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

“…
Several traditional and electric-vehicle makers—and their suppliers—are considering shifting some auto-parts manufacturing to China to avoid looming factory shutdowns, people familiar with the situation said.

Ideas under review include producing electric motors in Chinese factories or shipping made-in-America motors to China to have magnets installed. Moving production to China as a way to get around the export controls on rare-earth magnets could work because the restrictions only cover magnets, not finished parts, the people said.

If automakers end up shifting some production to China, it would amount to a remarkable outcome from a trade war initiated by President Trump with the intention of bringing manufacturing back to the U.S. …”

——
trump today GIF

You Win Poker Face GIF by Barbara Pozzi
 

Automakers Race to Find Workaround to China’s Stranglehold on Rare-Earth Magnets​

Major manufacturers, fearful they will have to shut down assembly lines, consider moving some parts production to China​


🎁 —> https://www.wsj.com/business/autos/...2?st=3aEzXr&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

“…
Several traditional and electric-vehicle makers—and their suppliers—are considering shifting some auto-parts manufacturing to China to avoid looming factory shutdowns, people familiar with the situation said.

Ideas under review include producing electric motors in Chinese factories or shipping made-in-America motors to China to have magnets installed. Moving production to China as a way to get around the export controls on rare-earth magnets could work because the restrictions only cover magnets, not finished parts, the people said.

If automakers end up shifting some production to China, it would amount to a remarkable outcome from a trade war initiated by President Trump with the intention of bringing manufacturing back to the U.S. …”

——
trump today GIF

You Win Poker Face GIF by Barbara Pozzi
“…
In the auto industry, rare-earths are what allow electric-vehicle motors to function at high speed. They are also used in less exotic, though no less critical, functions from windshield wipers and headlights.

China was supposed to have eased export controls on rare-earth magnets as part of a 90-day tariff truce agreement with the White House, but the country has slow walked license approvals for magnets.

Trump accused China of violating its deal with the U.S. China has pushed back at the notion that it was to blame, alleging “discriminatory and restrictive measures” by Washington, including restricting exports of AI chips and revoking visas for Chinese students.

… As exports of rare-earth magnets have virtually ground to a halt, carmakers face hard decisions about whether they can continue to keep some plants operating, according to people familiar with the planning.

In May, industry groups representing most major automakers and parts suppliers told the Trump administration that vehicle production could be reduced or shut down imminently without more rare-earth components from China.

… Shipping an unfinished part halfway across the world to have a chiclet-sized magnet installed adds to the cost and time it takes to manufacture, but the companies see it as perhaps the only alternative to shutting down some production lines altogether. The move could expose carmakers to additional tariffs, but auto executives believe the alternative would be even worse…”
 
“…
In the auto industry, rare-earths are what allow electric-vehicle motors to function at high speed. They are also used in less exotic, though no less critical, functions from windshield wipers and headlights.

China was supposed to have eased export controls on rare-earth magnets as part of a 90-day tariff truce agreement with the White House, but the country has slow walked license approvals for magnets.

Trump accused China of violating its deal with the U.S. China has pushed back at the notion that it was to blame, alleging “discriminatory and restrictive measures” by Washington, including restricting exports of AI chips and revoking visas for Chinese students.

… As exports of rare-earth magnets have virtually ground to a halt, carmakers face hard decisions about whether they can continue to keep some plants operating, according to people familiar with the planning.

In May, industry groups representing most major automakers and parts suppliers told the Trump administration that vehicle production could be reduced or shut down imminently without more rare-earth components from China.

… Shipping an unfinished part halfway across the world to have a chiclet-sized magnet installed adds to the cost and time it takes to manufacture, but the companies see it as perhaps the only alternative to shutting down some production lines altogether. The move could expose carmakers to additional tariffs, but auto executives believe the alternative would be even worse…”
“… Another option to conserve dwindling magnet supplies is reverting to older electric-motor technology that doesn’t make use of rare-earth magnets. Carmakers stopped using those motors because the current versions are cheaper and more efficient.

Carmakers are also considering stripping out some premium features, such as adjustable seats, that make use of several tiny electric motors. High-end speaker systems that use rare-earth magnets could also be replaced with downgraded versions….”
 
“… Another option to conserve dwindling magnet supplies is reverting to older electric-motor technology that doesn’t make use of rare-earth magnets. Carmakers stopped using those motors because the current versions are cheaper and more efficient.

Carmakers are also considering stripping out some premium features, such as adjustable seats, that make use of several tiny electric motors. High-end speaker systems that use rare-earth magnets could also be replaced with downgraded versions….”
Make America Great Again
 
You’re obviously unfamiliar with social media comments sections. There are tons and tons of MAGA folks who really do believe this shit.
I sort of meant that rhetorically. Do they REALLY believe the shit or are they just repeating the talking points? I mean, it's not an answerable question and it's not important. It's just mind-boggling.
 

Automakers Race to Find Workaround to China’s Stranglehold on Rare-Earth Magnets​

Major manufacturers, fearful they will have to shut down assembly lines, consider moving some parts production to China​


🎁 —> https://www.wsj.com/business/autos/...2?st=3aEzXr&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

“…
Several traditional and electric-vehicle makers—and their suppliers—are considering shifting some auto-parts manufacturing to China to avoid looming factory shutdowns, people familiar with the situation said.

Ideas under review include producing electric motors in Chinese factories or shipping made-in-America motors to China to have magnets installed. Moving production to China as a way to get around the export controls on rare-earth magnets could work because the restrictions only cover magnets, not finished parts, the people said.

If automakers end up shifting some production to China, it would amount to a remarkable outcome from a trade war initiated by President Trump with the intention of bringing manufacturing back to the U.S. …”

——
trump today GIF

You Win Poker Face GIF by Barbara Pozzi
That's the plan, right? To get manufacturing to move. But as usual, trump failed and they are moving the wrong way.
 


“Trump administration officials delayed and redacted a government forecast because it predicts an increase in the nation’s trade deficit in farm goods later this year, according to two people familiar with the matter.

The numbers run counter to President Donald Trump’s messaging that his economic policies, including tariffs, will reduce U.S. trade imbalances. The politically inconvenient data prompted administration officials to block publication of the written analysis normally attached to the report because they disliked what it said about the deficit.

The previous forecast, published in February, projected a deficit of $49 billion for the current fiscal year, an increase from the November 2024 report. The new analysis revises the projection to a record $49.5 billion, beating the previous record of $31.8 billion in fiscal 2024.

… Tariffs are not the only contributing factor to any trade deficit or surplus, Glauber said. Americans’ love for blueberries year-round, loyalty to French wines and addiction to goods like coffees — which the U.S. largely does not produce — also contribute. A strong dollar can also widen the deficit.

“What we’re importing is largely not what we’re exporting,” he said, noting that prices for common U.S. agricultural imports, such as wine and liquor, are not as volatile as the nation’s agricultural exports like soybeans.…”
 
Honestly, I think Trump was intending this post as a compliment to Xi (and an excuse for status of the negotiations).
I'm not sure. If it were to be a complement wouldn't he have included a golden key?
 
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