Trade Wars Brewing As Tariffs Loom Over Canada, Mexico, And Europe

A massive wave of changes was announced concerning trade and economy. Headlines were grabbed after Donald Trump had declared that a fresh series of tariffs were imminent. The targets were countries like Mexico, China and Canada. Focusing on specific products, including chips, oil and gas, the aim was to shake up global market dynamics. Oil and gas tariffs were specifically highlighted as hitting the market by February 18 which will affect everyone in the United States. Canada and Mexico were targeted with a 25% tariff while China was to pay 10%. But the focus is also on the European Union with Trump saying he intends to do something substantial. Anything that can affect the price of oil and gas can result in effects that ripple through supply chains and consumer spending. Tariffs were announced with some revisions in late 2023, with Trump changing his mind on the tariffs on Canadian oil, lowering it to 10% . Currently, the United States; and EU tend to play tug-of-war with tariffs. Trump doesn't care about the initial interruption in market activity during the stock market sell-off. Despite Wall Street concerns of a trade war and its devastating chain reaction on the broader market titillated by the tariffs, Trump shrugged it off as short-term. In a separate note, sparks were also flying in the political arena with different angles focusing on different issues. One take involved the Justice Department that took the lead in apprehending John Harold Rogers, a former senior advisor at the Federal Reserve. The reason? Sharing confidential economic data with China. Rogers, staying in China, posed as an instructor while covertly forwarding valuable intelligence. The job loss of a notable FBI agent, David Sundberg, was another shocker for many. Sundberg, Assistant Director of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, didn't see his exit coming, leaving many to wonder if change was in the air at the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the coming days. The Trump administration didn’t hold back from shaking things up. A review and elimination of what they considered to be "gender ideology" from aid and visas was ordered and the State Department employees were forced to keep things gender-neutral in email signatures The Trump administration has also set their sights on changing sexual conduct policies during the school and university years. Their previous policies are back in focus. Biden’s rules for sexual conduct are falling into a creepy place with a history of turmoil and the US schools and university will have to deal with the Trump administration This required revisiting regulations set during Donald Trump’s early term. The shake-up means universities and colleges will need to toe the line, revisiting earlier conduct protocols. Changes in the political sphere never end. Soon, the Democratic National Committee will convene to appoint its new chair and vice-chair. One contestant for the vice-chair position is David Hogg, a survivor of the Parkland School shooting. Mr. Hogg has a bold vision for the Democratic Party, aiming for a more assertive, unapologetic political stance. Though the details and the direction are not displayed in clear light, Trump’s administration continues to gain attention.