The Shrewd Economist
Democracy is an illusion! It’s become a political system fostered by the élite, for the élite, in order to fool the people that they have a stake in the system. In actual fact, they have virtually none. The whole political system in the modern era, despite having noble beginnings, is now used to benefit the few at the expense of the many. – Mark Alexander, June 29, 2018
January 13, 2026
Global Central Banks Offer ‘Full Solidarity’ to US Fed’s Powell amid Trump Threats
THE GUARDIAN: Nine governors including Bank of England’s Andrew Bailey and ECB’s Christine Lagarde say independence is critical
Global central banks have issued an extraordinary joint statement offering “full solidarity” to the US Federal Reserve chair, Jerome Powell, in the face of the latest threat to his independence from Donald Trump’s White House.
“The independence of central banks is a cornerstone of price, financial and economic stability in the interest of the citizens that we serve. It is therefore critical to preserve that independence, with full respect for the rule of law and democratic accountability,” the statement said.
It was signed by nine central bank governors including the Bank of England governor, Andrew Bailey, and the chair of the European Central Bank, Christine Lagarde. It was coordinated by the Basel-based Bank for International Settlements, which added its chair and general manager to the signatories.
Other signatories to the unprecedented statement include the central bank governors of Australia, Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland, Brazil, South Korea and Canada. More names are expected to be added later on Tuesday.
They pay testament to Powell’s “integrity” and “unwavering commitment to the public interest”, calling him a “respected colleague who is held in the highest regard by all who have worked with him”. » | Heather Stewart, Economics editor | Tuesday, January 13, 2026
Global central banks have issued an extraordinary joint statement offering “full solidarity” to the US Federal Reserve chair, Jerome Powell, in the face of the latest threat to his independence from Donald Trump’s White House.
“The independence of central banks is a cornerstone of price, financial and economic stability in the interest of the citizens that we serve. It is therefore critical to preserve that independence, with full respect for the rule of law and democratic accountability,” the statement said.
It was signed by nine central bank governors including the Bank of England governor, Andrew Bailey, and the chair of the European Central Bank, Christine Lagarde. It was coordinated by the Basel-based Bank for International Settlements, which added its chair and general manager to the signatories.
Other signatories to the unprecedented statement include the central bank governors of Australia, Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland, Brazil, South Korea and Canada. More names are expected to be added later on Tuesday.
They pay testament to Powell’s “integrity” and “unwavering commitment to the public interest”, calling him a “respected colleague who is held in the highest regard by all who have worked with him”. » | Heather Stewart, Economics editor | Tuesday, January 13, 2026
Labels:
Federal Reserve
Charles Moore - Margaret Thatcher: A Free Market Legacy | Full Length
Labels:
free markets,
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher: Peace & the EU
23 Apr 2024 | The European Community, now called the European Union, was started for one reason alone: to create lasting peace and security between its members following the most devastating war the world had ever known.
Don’t take my [Jon Danzig’s] word for it. This is what UK Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, said to the European Parliament on 9 December 198:
Don’t take my [Jon Danzig’s] word for it. This is what UK Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, said to the European Parliament on 9 December 198:
“70 years ago Europe had just experienced, on the battlefields of Verdun and the Somme, the bloodiest fighting, the most tragic waste of a generation, that the world has ever known. “The Second World War was to bring further heartbreak and destruction. “Our Community was conceived and constructed to ensure that this experience would never be repeated, to bring about a lasting peace within Western Europe, to replace antagonism with friendship and cooperation, to deepen and broaden Europe’s democratic tradition.” Mrs Thatcher added: “And let us never forget that the aftermath of war produced two great ideas which have shaped our destiny ever since. “One was the NATO Alliance, the other the European Community.”Throughout her premiership, and previously as an MP, and then leader of the Opposition, Mrs Thatcher was a strong supporter of the European Community project. In particular, she helped to design and promote the EU’s crown jewel: its Single Market, which has transformed and enriched the continent of Europe. …
What's behind Germany's Strategic Pivot toward the Global South? | DW News
January 12, 2026
Jared Yates Sexton on a Post-neoliberal Vision for America, When the Scourge of Trumpism Is Over
ANTHONY DAVIS can be supported on Patreon here.
It cracks me up when I hear pundits and politicians alike repeat the mantra that America is the richest country in the world. Don’t these people know that America is on its ARSE? America’s NATIONAL DEBT is approximately $38.4 TRILLION. So, how can it possibly be the “richest country in the world”? The country, like most of its citizens, is living on TICK, on CREDIT that other countries like China kindly offer the PROFLIGATE Americans TO BAIL THEM OUT. The notion that America is the richest country in the world is, quite frankly, A LOAD OF BOLLOCKS. — © Mark Alexander
Labels:
Donald Trump,
neo-liberalism,
Trump regime,
Trumpism
Federal Prosecutors Open Investigation Into Fed Chair Powell
THE NEW YORK TIMES: The investigation, which is said to center on renovations of the Federal Reserve’s headquarters in Washington, signals an escalation in the long-running clash between President Trump and the chair.
The U.S. attorney’s office in the District of Columbia has opened a criminal investigation into Jerome H. Powell, the Federal Reserve chair, over the central bank’s renovation of its Washington headquarters and whether Mr. Powell lied to Congress about the scope of the project, according to officials briefed on the situation.
The inquiry, which includes an analysis of Mr. Powell’s public statements and an examination of spending records, was approved in November by Jeanine Pirro, a longtime ally of President Trump who was appointed to run the office last year, the officials said.
The investigation escalates Mr. Trump’s long-running feud with Mr. Powell, whom the president has continually attacked for resisting his demands to slash interest rates significantly. The president has threatened to fire the Fed chair — even though he nominated Mr. Powell for the position in 2017 — and raised the prospect of a lawsuit against him related to the $2.5 billion renovation, citing “incompetence.”
Mr. Trump told The New York Times in an interview last week that he had decided on who he wants to replace Mr. Powell as Fed chair. He is expected to soon announce his decision. Kevin A. Hassett, Mr. Trump’s top economic adviser, is a front-runner for the top job. While Mr. Powell’s term as chair ends in May, his term as a governor runs through January 2028. Mr. Powell has not disclosed whether he plans to stay on at the central bank beyond this year.
Mr. Powell, in a rare video message released by the Fed, acknowledged on Sunday that the Justice Department had served the central bank with grand jury subpoenas days earlier. He described the investigation as “unprecedented” and questioned the motivation for the move, even as he affirmed that he carried out his duties as chair “without political fear or favor.” » | Glenn Thrush and Colby Smith | Sunday, January 11, 2026
The U.S. attorney’s office in the District of Columbia has opened a criminal investigation into Jerome H. Powell, the Federal Reserve chair, over the central bank’s renovation of its Washington headquarters and whether Mr. Powell lied to Congress about the scope of the project, according to officials briefed on the situation.
The inquiry, which includes an analysis of Mr. Powell’s public statements and an examination of spending records, was approved in November by Jeanine Pirro, a longtime ally of President Trump who was appointed to run the office last year, the officials said.
The investigation escalates Mr. Trump’s long-running feud with Mr. Powell, whom the president has continually attacked for resisting his demands to slash interest rates significantly. The president has threatened to fire the Fed chair — even though he nominated Mr. Powell for the position in 2017 — and raised the prospect of a lawsuit against him related to the $2.5 billion renovation, citing “incompetence.”
Mr. Trump told The New York Times in an interview last week that he had decided on who he wants to replace Mr. Powell as Fed chair. He is expected to soon announce his decision. Kevin A. Hassett, Mr. Trump’s top economic adviser, is a front-runner for the top job. While Mr. Powell’s term as chair ends in May, his term as a governor runs through January 2028. Mr. Powell has not disclosed whether he plans to stay on at the central bank beyond this year.
Mr. Powell, in a rare video message released by the Fed, acknowledged on Sunday that the Justice Department had served the central bank with grand jury subpoenas days earlier. He described the investigation as “unprecedented” and questioned the motivation for the move, even as he affirmed that he carried out his duties as chair “without political fear or favor.” » | Glenn Thrush and Colby Smith | Sunday, January 11, 2026
January 11, 2026
Latin America Reacts to Trump’s Interventionism
Labels:
Donald Trump,
Latin America
January 10, 2026
Trump Administration Suspends $129m in Benefit Payments to Minnesota
THE GUARDIAN: USDA notified state’s governor of decision, citing inquiries into alleged fraud by local non-profits and businesses
The Trump administration announced it is suspending $129m in federal benefit payments to Minnesota amid allegations of widespread fraud in the state.
The secretary of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), Brooke Rollins, shared a letter on Friday on social media that was addressed to Minnesota’s governor, Tim Walz, and the mayor of Minneapolis, Jacob Frey, notifying them of the administration’s decision and citing investigations into alleged fraud conducted by local non-profits and businesses.
“Despite a staggering, wide-reaching fraud scandal, your administrations refuse to provide basic information or take common sense measures to stop fraud. The Trump administration refuses to allow such fraud to continue,” Rollins wrote. » | Sara Braun | Saturday, January 10, 2026
The Trump administration announced it is suspending $129m in federal benefit payments to Minnesota amid allegations of widespread fraud in the state.
The secretary of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), Brooke Rollins, shared a letter on Friday on social media that was addressed to Minnesota’s governor, Tim Walz, and the mayor of Minneapolis, Jacob Frey, notifying them of the administration’s decision and citing investigations into alleged fraud conducted by local non-profits and businesses.
“Despite a staggering, wide-reaching fraud scandal, your administrations refuse to provide basic information or take common sense measures to stop fraud. The Trump administration refuses to allow such fraud to continue,” Rollins wrote. » | Sara Braun | Saturday, January 10, 2026
Labels:
Minnesota,
Trump administration
‘History Will Tell’: As US Pressure Grows, Cuba Edges Closer to Collapse amid Mass Exodus
THE GUARDIAN: Disillusioned with the revolution after 68 years of US sanctions and a shattered economy, one in four Cubans have left in four years. Can the regime, and country, survive the engulfing ‘polycrisis’?
Hatri Echazabal Orta lives in Madrid, Spain. Maykel Fernández is in Charlotte, in the US, while Cristian Cuadra remains in Havana, Cuba – for now. All Cubans, all raised on revolutionary ideals and educated in good state-run schools, they have become disillusioned with the cherished national narrative that Cuba is a country of revolution and resistance. Facing a lack of political openness and poor economic prospects, each of them made the same decision: to leave.
They are not alone. After 68 years of partial sanctions and nearly 64 years of total economic embargo by the US, independent demographic studies suggest that Cuba is going through the world’s fastest population decline and is probably already below 8 million – a 25% drop in just four years, suggesting its population has shrunk by an average of about 820,000 people a year.
There are a number of root causes for this exodus, but most experts agree that the blockade, decades of economic crisis, crumbling public services, political repression and widespread disillusionment with the revolution have merged to become a “polycrisis”.
The unrest further undermines Cuba at a time when the Trump administration is stepping up its offensive across Latin America, heavily reinforcing US military deployment in the Caribbean, raiding Caracas to capture the Venezuelan president, and stepping up threats against the governments of Panama, Colombia and Cuba. » | Andrei Netto in Havana | Photographs by Natalya Favre | Saturday, January 10, 2026
Hatri Echazabal Orta lives in Madrid, Spain. Maykel Fernández is in Charlotte, in the US, while Cristian Cuadra remains in Havana, Cuba – for now. All Cubans, all raised on revolutionary ideals and educated in good state-run schools, they have become disillusioned with the cherished national narrative that Cuba is a country of revolution and resistance. Facing a lack of political openness and poor economic prospects, each of them made the same decision: to leave.
They are not alone. After 68 years of partial sanctions and nearly 64 years of total economic embargo by the US, independent demographic studies suggest that Cuba is going through the world’s fastest population decline and is probably already below 8 million – a 25% drop in just four years, suggesting its population has shrunk by an average of about 820,000 people a year.
There are a number of root causes for this exodus, but most experts agree that the blockade, decades of economic crisis, crumbling public services, political repression and widespread disillusionment with the revolution have merged to become a “polycrisis”.
The unrest further undermines Cuba at a time when the Trump administration is stepping up its offensive across Latin America, heavily reinforcing US military deployment in the Caribbean, raiding Caracas to capture the Venezuelan president, and stepping up threats against the governments of Panama, Colombia and Cuba. » | Andrei Netto in Havana | Photographs by Natalya Favre | Saturday, January 10, 2026
Labels:
Cuba
January 07, 2026
Boycott All American Products!
MARK ALEXANDER: Donald Trump and his cronies think that they can ride rough shod over the rest of the world. Trample others into submission. They think that all that they are able to survey belongs to them! It does not. Simply put, these shysters are thieves. They must not be allowed to get away with this. Trump is no better than Putin.
Because our European leaders are weak—and I include my own country’s leaders in this negative assessment—we cannot hope to be able to stop the US militarily if Trump decides to invade Greenland. But what Europe can do is boycott American goods and services. Europe has mighty purchasing power. It has in excess of 440m consumers Europe-wide, and that excludes UK consumers. America needs the European market, and it needs European consumers to buy their goods and services.
Because of Trump’s increasing and unceasing threats to take over Greenland, I propose that in the name of solidarity with Greenlanders and Danes that we boycott all American goods and services wherever and whenever possible. And avoid all trips and vacations in and to the United States. We can all do this regardless of where we live or come from. Trump needs to be taught a lesson.
Donald Trump and his band of bullying crooks mustn’t be allowed to get away with this thievery. Let us bring the American economy to its knees. And if we cannot, at least let us try. Greenland’s future depends on it. Don’t forget! If Trump succeeds with Greenland, which country will be next?
© Mark Alexander
All Rights Reserved
Because our European leaders are weak—and I include my own country’s leaders in this negative assessment—we cannot hope to be able to stop the US militarily if Trump decides to invade Greenland. But what Europe can do is boycott American goods and services. Europe has mighty purchasing power. It has in excess of 440m consumers Europe-wide, and that excludes UK consumers. America needs the European market, and it needs European consumers to buy their goods and services.
Because of Trump’s increasing and unceasing threats to take over Greenland, I propose that in the name of solidarity with Greenlanders and Danes that we boycott all American goods and services wherever and whenever possible. And avoid all trips and vacations in and to the United States. We can all do this regardless of where we live or come from. Trump needs to be taught a lesson.
Donald Trump and his band of bullying crooks mustn’t be allowed to get away with this thievery. Let us bring the American economy to its knees. And if we cannot, at least let us try. Greenland’s future depends on it. Don’t forget! If Trump succeeds with Greenland, which country will be next?
© Mark Alexander
All Rights Reserved
Labels:
Denmark,
Donald Trump,
Greenland,
Mark Alexander
Stephen Miller Offers a Strongman’s View of the World
THE NEW YORK TIMES: President Trump’s trusted adviser is casting his hard-right gaze abroad, saying the world must be governed by “force.”
Stephen Miller has spent the bulk of his White House career furthering hard-right domestic policies that have resulted in mass deportations, family separations and the testing of the constitutional tenets that grant American citizenship.
Now, Mr. Miller, President Trump’s 40-year-old deputy chief of staff for policy and homeland security adviser, is casting his hard-right gaze further abroad: toward Venezuela and the Danish territory of Greenland, specifically.
Mr. Miller is doing so, the president’s advisers say, in service of advancing Mr. Trump’s foreign policy ambitions, which so far resemble imperialistic designs to exploit less powerful, resource-rich countries and territories the world over and use those resources for America’s gain. According to Mr. Miller, using brute force is not only on the table but also the Trump administration’s preferred way to conduct itself on the world stage.
“We live in a world in which you can talk all you want about international niceties and everything else, but we live in a world, in the real world, Jake, that is governed by strength, that is governed by force, that is governed by power,” Mr. Miller told Jake Tapper of CNN on Monday, during a combative appearance in which he was pressed on Mr. Trump’s long-held desire to control Greenland.
“These are the iron laws of the world since the beginning of time,” he said.
This aggressive posture toward Greenland — and in turn, the rest of the world — is a perfect encapsulation of the raw power that Mr. Trump wants to project, even against Denmark, the NATO ally that controls Greenland. The moment also illustrates how people like Mr. Miller have ascended to the inner circle of a leader who has no interest in having his impulses checked, and how they exert their influence once they arrive there.
The moment also shows just how differently Mr. Trump has operated in his second term from how he did in his first. » | Katie Rogers | Katie Rogers is a White House correspondent who has covered both Trump administrations. She reported from Washington. | Tuesday, January 6, 2026
Stephen Miller has spent the bulk of his White House career furthering hard-right domestic policies that have resulted in mass deportations, family separations and the testing of the constitutional tenets that grant American citizenship.
Now, Mr. Miller, President Trump’s 40-year-old deputy chief of staff for policy and homeland security adviser, is casting his hard-right gaze further abroad: toward Venezuela and the Danish territory of Greenland, specifically.
Mr. Miller is doing so, the president’s advisers say, in service of advancing Mr. Trump’s foreign policy ambitions, which so far resemble imperialistic designs to exploit less powerful, resource-rich countries and territories the world over and use those resources for America’s gain. According to Mr. Miller, using brute force is not only on the table but also the Trump administration’s preferred way to conduct itself on the world stage.
“We live in a world in which you can talk all you want about international niceties and everything else, but we live in a world, in the real world, Jake, that is governed by strength, that is governed by force, that is governed by power,” Mr. Miller told Jake Tapper of CNN on Monday, during a combative appearance in which he was pressed on Mr. Trump’s long-held desire to control Greenland.
“These are the iron laws of the world since the beginning of time,” he said.
This aggressive posture toward Greenland — and in turn, the rest of the world — is a perfect encapsulation of the raw power that Mr. Trump wants to project, even against Denmark, the NATO ally that controls Greenland. The moment also illustrates how people like Mr. Miller have ascended to the inner circle of a leader who has no interest in having his impulses checked, and how they exert their influence once they arrive there.
The moment also shows just how differently Mr. Trump has operated in his second term from how he did in his first. » | Katie Rogers | Katie Rogers is a White House correspondent who has covered both Trump administrations. She reported from Washington. | Tuesday, January 6, 2026
Labels:
Greenland,
Stephen Miller,
USA
January 05, 2026
Dimon’s $770 Million Windfall Shows How Banking Is Great Again
THE NEW YORK TIMES: The Trump administration is lifting regulations, and deal making is heating up. For Jamie Dimon, being JPMorgan Chase’s chief executive was more lucrative in 2025 than ever.
For nearly 15 years, Jamie Dimon, the bank chieftain, has carried around what might as well be a talisman when he sees regulators, elected officials and journalists.
At just the right time in meetings, he breaks out a single-page printout that he calls a “spaghetti chart.” On it, Mr. Dimon’s underlings have crammed, in tiny type, a comically complicated flowchart meant to represent the various laws and regulations to which his company, JPMorgan Chase, is subject.
The theatrics have finally worked.
The Trump administration is not just taking apart regulations but attacking whole regulatory agencies that date back to the 2008-9 financial crisis and were meant to keep banks from giving in to their worst impulses. Regulators have also made it easier for banks to peddle in risky assets again, like cryptocurrency, and President Trump paused enforcement of foreign anti-bribery rules.
The deregulatory bonanza alone makes it the best time in a generation to be a banker.
But there’s more! Falling interest rates and a permissive set of antitrust overseers are helping reverse a lull in the lucrative business of arranging mergers and acquisitions, as the $100 billion bidding war between Netflix and Paramount for Warner Bros. Discovery shows. Once imperiled real estate loans look steadier, thanks to the rebound of in-office work. Stocks are near record levels, the bond market had its best year since 2020, and gold and silver have soared — all of which feeds the trading businesses that keep Wall Street’s profit machine humming. » | Rob Copeland | Rob Copeland covers Wall Street and banks. | Monday, January 5, 2026
For nearly 15 years, Jamie Dimon, the bank chieftain, has carried around what might as well be a talisman when he sees regulators, elected officials and journalists.
At just the right time in meetings, he breaks out a single-page printout that he calls a “spaghetti chart.” On it, Mr. Dimon’s underlings have crammed, in tiny type, a comically complicated flowchart meant to represent the various laws and regulations to which his company, JPMorgan Chase, is subject.
The theatrics have finally worked.
The Trump administration is not just taking apart regulations but attacking whole regulatory agencies that date back to the 2008-9 financial crisis and were meant to keep banks from giving in to their worst impulses. Regulators have also made it easier for banks to peddle in risky assets again, like cryptocurrency, and President Trump paused enforcement of foreign anti-bribery rules.
The deregulatory bonanza alone makes it the best time in a generation to be a banker.
But there’s more! Falling interest rates and a permissive set of antitrust overseers are helping reverse a lull in the lucrative business of arranging mergers and acquisitions, as the $100 billion bidding war between Netflix and Paramount for Warner Bros. Discovery shows. Once imperiled real estate loans look steadier, thanks to the rebound of in-office work. Stocks are near record levels, the bond market had its best year since 2020, and gold and silver have soared — all of which feeds the trading businesses that keep Wall Street’s profit machine humming. » | Rob Copeland | Rob Copeland covers Wall Street and banks. | Monday, January 5, 2026
Labels:
deregulation,
Jamie Dimon,
US banking
January 02, 2026
How Are Marlboro Cigarettes Made in a Factory? Produced Planet
Labels:
Marlboro
FTSE 100 Breaks 10,000 Mark for First Time, Capping Stellar Year for UK Market
THE GUARDIAN: Blue-chip share index, created in 1984, has risen by more than 20% over past 12 months
The UK’s blue-chip share index has broken through the 10,000-point level for the first time, as global shares are lifted by a late “Santa rally”.
The FTSE 100 jumped on Friday morning to a high of 10,046, a new peak for the index, before easing slightly back.
The milestone marks a stellar 12 months for the “Footsie”, which rose by 21.5% over the course of 2025. » | Graeme Wearden | Friday, January 2, 2026
The UK’s blue-chip share index has broken through the 10,000-point level for the first time, as global shares are lifted by a late “Santa rally”.
The FTSE 100 jumped on Friday morning to a high of 10,046, a new peak for the index, before easing slightly back.
The milestone marks a stellar 12 months for the “Footsie”, which rose by 21.5% over the course of 2025. » | Graeme Wearden | Friday, January 2, 2026
Labels:
FTSE
January 01, 2026
Saudi Arabia, between Repression and Transformation | DW Documentary
Jan 1, 2026 | Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, also known as MBS, is the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia. For almost a decade, he has been radically transforming the country — at a breathtaking pace. Where is the modernizer and despot steering the kingdom?
Saudi Arabia is the world's leading exporter of crude oil. But Crown Prince MBS wants to prepare the country for the post-oil era. Two-thirds of the country's population is under 30 years old, and the crown prince is taking radical measures to turn the previously strictly conservative society on its head.
The documentary shows how contradictory Mohammed bin Salman's ambitions for his "Vision 2030" are, as it takes a look behind the scenes of the transformation.
On the one hand, there is the "Neom" project, which aims to create a futuristic new megacity in the desert. Tourism is to be expanded, major music and sporting events are to be brought to the country, and an extravagant lifestyle is being promoted.
At the same time, an authoritarian style of government continues to prevail, dissidents are sometimes brutally suppressed, and women's rights are still not fully granted - even if the influence of the ultra-conservative religious leaders of Wahhabism is no longer as strong as it once was.
Saudi Arabia is the world's leading exporter of crude oil. But Crown Prince MBS wants to prepare the country for the post-oil era. Two-thirds of the country's population is under 30 years old, and the crown prince is taking radical measures to turn the previously strictly conservative society on its head.
The documentary shows how contradictory Mohammed bin Salman's ambitions for his "Vision 2030" are, as it takes a look behind the scenes of the transformation.
On the one hand, there is the "Neom" project, which aims to create a futuristic new megacity in the desert. Tourism is to be expanded, major music and sporting events are to be brought to the country, and an extravagant lifestyle is being promoted.
At the same time, an authoritarian style of government continues to prevail, dissidents are sometimes brutally suppressed, and women's rights are still not fully granted - even if the influence of the ultra-conservative religious leaders of Wahhabism is no longer as strong as it once was.
Australian Beef Industry ‘Extremely Disappointed’ after China Hits Imports with 55% Tariff
THE GUARDIAN: Levy on beef exceeding quotas to begin immediately as Beijing seeks to protect domestic industry
Australian beef producers said they were “extremely disappointed” after China announced a 55% tariff on imports that exceed quota levels in a move to protect a domestic cattle industry slowly emerging from oversupply.
China’s commerce ministry said on Wednesday the total import quota for 2026 for Australia and other countries such as Brazil and the US covered under its new “safeguard measures” is 2.7m metric tons, roughly in line with the record 2.87m tons it imported overall in 2024.
The new annual quota levels are set below import levels for the first 11 months of 2025 for Australia as well as its top supplier, Brazil.
“The increase in the amount of imported beef has seriously damaged China’s domestic industry,” the ministry said in announcing the measure after an investigation launched last December.
The measure takes effect on 1 January for three years, with the total quota increasing annually. » | Martin Farrer and Dan Jervis-Bardy | Thursday, January 1, 2026
Australian beef producers said they were “extremely disappointed” after China announced a 55% tariff on imports that exceed quota levels in a move to protect a domestic cattle industry slowly emerging from oversupply.
China’s commerce ministry said on Wednesday the total import quota for 2026 for Australia and other countries such as Brazil and the US covered under its new “safeguard measures” is 2.7m metric tons, roughly in line with the record 2.87m tons it imported overall in 2024.
The new annual quota levels are set below import levels for the first 11 months of 2025 for Australia as well as its top supplier, Brazil.
“The increase in the amount of imported beef has seriously damaged China’s domestic industry,” the ministry said in announcing the measure after an investigation launched last December.
The measure takes effect on 1 January for three years, with the total quota increasing annually. » | Martin Farrer and Dan Jervis-Bardy | Thursday, January 1, 2026
Labels:
agriculture,
Australia,
China,
tariffs
Jahreswechsel mit neuer Währung
Labels:
Bulgarien
Sen. Bernie Sanders' AI Warning
Bernie Sanders is the man who should be president, not Trump. If Bernie Sanders were president, we would see a very different, fairer America. There wouldn’t be tax cuts for the superrich, and there would be universal healthcare, free at the point of delivery. Bernie Sanders would bring the USA into the civilised free world. — © Mark Alexander
Labels:
AI,
Bernie Sanders
December 31, 2025
Happy New Year! Blwyddyn Newydd Dda! Glückliches Neues Jahr! Bonne année ! Feliz Ano Novo! ¡Feliz Año Nuevo! ! سنة جديدة سعيدة
Labels:
New Year 2026
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)