China vs. the US: shipbuilding, subsidies, and the Jones Act

Hypocrisy thrives where double standards prevail.

Earlier, I stupidly tweeted out an article about the Jones Act and shipbuilding and Colin Grabow, from the Cato Institute, liked it (he was quoted in the article). I looked him up and decided to listen to this video on the shipbuilding competition between China and the US, where he and a lawyer for United Steelworkers were on the panel. China is eating their lunch, and it’s the ruling elites’ own fault, yet they scapegoat China for it. The double standards over China’s “unfair economic practices” AKA the subsidizing of their shipbuilding industry irritates me (liars irritate me even more). States give subsidies, grants, and tax breaks to corporations, all the time. Fincantieri Marinette Marine is just one example, but Wisconsin had done the same for Foxconn. Foxconn received tax breaks and $3B in subsidies, which was “the largest ever subsidy provided by a state to a foreign company”, despite not living up to their promises.

Rumble

Colin Grabow wants to end the Jones Act. I’ve made at least three video clips regarding the Jones Act, two with Sal Mercogliano from What’s Going On With Shipping and one from the government-funded CSIS (I’ve posted them, below). Spoiler alert: Sal says that the problem isn’t the Jones Act. Meanwhile, both CSIS and the Cato Institute (part of the Atlas Network) blame the Jones Act. Deregulation is a wet dream of big corporations (which fund both the Cato Institute and CSIS).

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Trump Sold-Out His Base to Shovel $95 Billion to Ukraine and Israel

America last. America last. That’s all this is. America last, every single day. – Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene

The man who is most responsible for the $95 billion giveaway to Ukraine and Israel, is the same guy who pretends to oppose America’s “wasteful” foreign wars. Donald Trump. It was Trump who consulted with Speaker Mike Johnson about the contents of the Ukraine aid package, just as it was Trump who concocted the idea of issuing loans instead of dispersing the standard welfare handout. It was also Trump who said:

Trump Sold-Out His Base to Shovel $95 Billion to Ukraine and Israel

Related:

Michael Tracey: America First, or Ukraine First?

US Reimposes Sanctions on Venezuela After Brief Relief

Full video

US Reimposes Sanctions on Venezuela After Brief Relief

Related:

Venezuela: Washington Reimposes Oil Sanctions, Maduro Gov’t Pledges Continued Growth

Washington Revokes Oil and Gas License Issued to Venezuela (+Sanctions)

The document specifies that the US regime does not authorize “any transactions involving any financial institution blocked pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13850 other than Banco Central de Venezuela or Banco de Venezuela SA Banco Universal.”

As a second prohibition, it further indicates that “the provision of goods or services to, or new investment in, an entity located in Venezuela that is owned or controlled by, or a joint venture with, an entity located in the Russian Federation,” is also forbidden, thus keeping the same provision that existed in the revoked license against Russia.

Trump and Biden, Republicans and Democrats all agree: affordable Chinese cars should be banned

Trump and Biden, Republicans and Democrats all agree: affordable Chinese cars should be banned

Related:

Trump’s attacks on Chinese cars strike a chord — with both parties

“Ohio knows all too well how China illegally subsidizes its companies, putting our workers out of jobs and undermining entire industries from steel to solar manufacturing,” Brown said in a statement. “We can’t wait for China to run this same playbook in the auto industry — we need strong rules, including but not limited to tariffs, to stop a flood of Chinese electric vehicles that threaten Ohio auto jobs.”

He said the average price gap between a Chinese vehicle and its U.S.-made counterpart ranges from 44 percent to 179 percent. “That is a massive gap,” the executive said. “Tariffs alone aren’t going to take care of that.”

Reuters: Mexico yields to US pressure on incentives for Chinese car makers

He said that such incentives have declined during the government led by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who took office in late 2018, although they have been offered to large investors such as Audi.

Hypocrisy, Thy Name is the United States:

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Biden’s push for more Chinese steel tariffs is a political decision, not an economic one: Analyst

Biden’s push for more Chinese steel tariffs is a political decision, not an economic one: Analyst

Biden wants to hike tariffs on imports of Chinese steel and aluminum

Chinese steel imports account for less than 1% of U.S. demand, officials told reporters. But Chinese subsidies and programs mean its steel prices are 40% lower than U.S. prices, and the Biden administration is worried that there could be a surge of exports.

Related:

Trump’s tariffs are equivalent to one of the largest tax increases in decades

New Democrat Coalition Trade Task Force Statement on Section 301 Tariffs Announcement

House Votes To Extend Warrantless Spying Powers

House Votes To Extend Warrantless Spying Powers

H/T: The Most Revolutionary Act

Related:

FBI: Warrant Requirement for FBI’s Section 702 Queries Would Impede Investigations, Endanger National Security, Director Says

Nearly 50,000 People in Wisconsin Cast Protest Vote Against Gaza Slaughter in Democratic Primary

Full video

On Tuesday, nearly 50,000 people cast votes for “uninstructed” in the Wisconsin Democratic primary as a way to protest President Biden’s full-throated support for the Israeli slaughter of Palestinians in Gaza.

Nearly 50,000 People in Wisconsin Cast Protest Vote Against Gaza Slaughter in Democratic Primary

Related:

Wisconsin voters approve ban on private election grants as Biden, Trump win primary

Wisconsin’s April 2nd referendums