Economist’s “News and Views” Sunday 4-6-2025
Europe Just Slammed the US With Full-Scale Tariff Strike — Crippling Blow to the US Economy
Tech Revolution: 4-6-2025
Have you felt it? That sense that big changes might be coming in how countries trade with each other?
Well, buckle up, because Europe is sending a major signal across the Atlantic Ocean, straight to the United States. The message? If new trade taxes – called tariffs – are coming from America, Europe is getting ready to push back. Hard.
Maybe you remember a few years back? Things got tense. The US put extra taxes on things like steel and aluminum coming from Europe. Europe hit back, taxing famous American products like bourbon and motorcycles.
Now, whispers of that happening again are getting louder, especially with talk in the US, often linked to Donald Trump, about bringing back similar, maybe even bigger, trade taxes.
But Europe isn't just sitting back and waiting this time. They're making plans. Why?
What exactly is the US proposing? And why does Europe feel the need to prepare for a fight?
Today, we're breaking it all down in simple terms, so Let's unpack what's really driving these headlines.
Why is Europe so alert? Think of it like this: if you got caught in a bad storm once, the next time you see dark clouds, you prepare, right? That's Europe right now. The last round of US trade taxes hit them hard. European companies making steel, cars, food – they felt the pain. Jobs were affected.
They learned a tough lesson: being unprepared is risky. So, what are the "dark clouds" Europe sees now? Well, very recently, the US government under President Trump announced some huge new trade taxes. News outlets like the Associated Press and Politico are reporting a new 10% tax on almost everything coming into the US from any country.
On top of that, there are even higher taxes aimed at specific countries the US feels it buys too much from. For the European Union (that's the group of 27 European countries acting together), that extra tax is reportedly a steep 20% on all their goods sold to America.
China got hit even harder, reports say. Why the new taxes? President Trump stated it's to deal with an "economic emergency," boost American factories, and stop other countries from, in his words, "ripping off" the US.
He specifically called the EU tough traders who take advantage. Europe's reaction? Immediate and strong. The head of the EU's main governing body, Ursula von der Leyen, basically said things feel chaotic and out of control.
According to Politico, she stated very clearly that the EU is "prepared to respond" to these 20% taxes. And she means business. She mentioned they are already finishing plans to hit back against earlier US taxes on steel, and "are now preparing for further countermeasures" – that means more retaliatory taxes – if talks don't work out.
Think about what that involves: EU officials are likely right now making lists of American products they could put extra taxes on. They're checking the rulebooks to make sure their response is legally solid. And they're making sure all 27 EU countries are on the same page – because acting together is their strength.
Von der Leyen also worried about a side effect: if Chinese goods, for example, get blocked from the US by high taxes, maybe China will try to sell them super cheap in Europe instead. She warned, "We cannot absorb" a flood of cheap goods dumped on their market.
So, Europe is preparing to defend itself on multiple fronts. Other leaders, like Italy's Prime Minister, echoed this, calling the US taxes "wrong" but also stressing the need to try and find an agreement.
75% Market Crash? ‘There’s No Bottom To This’ | Clem Chambers
David Lin: 4-6-2025
Clem Chambers, Founder of ANewFN, discusses what's next for the markets during this period of global turmoil.
0:00 – Intro
1:10 - This hasn’t happened since the 1970s
5:15 - There’s no bottom to this
7:48 - Possibility of war
15:00 - Safest place
17:00 - Dot com crash 2.0?
21:10 - America’s future
30:00 - Gold and the dollar
34:00 - Market bottom
EMERGENCY ALERT: What Happens Monday Will Shock The ENTIRE World! - Peter Schiff
Financial Wisdom: 4-6-2025
0:00 - Introduction: Uncertainty about the Upcoming Week (Black Monday?)
0:32 - Recession Fears and Economic Data
1:01 - Oil Price Collapse and Recession Indicators
1:47 - Gold, Silver, and Bond Yields Reactions
2:01 - The Fed, Interest Rates, and Economic Stimulus
3:01 - Layoffs and Economic Slowdown
4:06 - Impact of Tariffs on Businesses and Prices
5:00 - Global Economic Disruption vs. Recession
5:43 - The End of U.S. Global Economic Dominance
6:02 - Dollar and China's Economic Role
7:07 - Post-War Economic Transition and China’s Shift
9:11 - China’s Ability to Adapt to New Demand
10:11 - Challenges for the U.S. in Building Infrastructure
10:43 - Global Economic Liberation and Trump’s Strategy
11:59 - Opportunities in Foreign Assets and Market Dynamics
12:18 - Tech Stocks and Investment Opportunities
13:01 - Bitcoin and Its Market Behavior
