The so-called de minimis shipping rules changed on Friday, August 29th. A number of foreign post offices, including the Deutsche Post and Nordic countries, have stopped shipping to the US these small packages as the rules are unclear in terms of how these packages will now have to be identified and processed by US Customs since they will each be subject to tariffs and individual processing as opposed to bulk processing. I commented on this earlier, but this looks like adding an expensive burden for very little additional revenue to shippers and US Customs. Those practicalities are unknown to the members of the Trump administration who make these decisions because very few of them have ever worked for a living.
It appears that American farmers, particularly small farmers, are turning against MAHA because of the actions being taken by Secretary Kennedy which have raised questions about what exactly is the position of the administration in supporting farmers, particularly as they strive to produce fresh healthier foods accessible to the public. Secretary Kennedy issues inconsistent positions on a regular basis.
Immigration is at very low levels and when coupled with deportations, it is beginning to deny the economy the workers that are needed. Let me repeat that – the workers that are needed. I wonder if the Trump Administration hears that.
Opinion surveys in Canada demonstrate that Canadians have the worst view of Americans at any time since surveys were enacted and probably only were worse when England was in control during the 1800’s. Mr. Trump has brought this all out and has gained little or nothing.
Mr. Trump is now attacking the Smithsonian because it focuses on “how bad slavery was”, which, as usual, being done through social media posts. Telling the truth is never something that Mr. Trump wants to hear, and this is the latest institution he has decided to go after as he continues to denigrate Black Americans.
New data establishes that China’s economy is in a broad-base slowdown, which places pressure on the Chinese government to take steps to rev-up growth and consumer spending. There does not appear to have been a significant slowdown in overall exports, even if exports to the US have declined somewhat.
On a somewhat amusing note, Mr. Trump appears in some of his recent statements to be concerned about getting into heaven. He even seems to acknowledge that he is on the low end of the stick, although I am sure he is really thinking he is all set because he’s doing God’s work.
Polling in California shows a majority of voters, including Republicans, believe that deportation efforts have gone too far and are endangering California’s economy. The voters have more sense than the Trump Administration.
As measles exploded in Texas, state and local officials couldn’t get help from the CDC because there was no one there to answer the phone.
Democrats struggle to figure out what is the right method of attack with Mr. Trump’s polling declining, with more and more people opposing his deportation strategy, and the effects of the Big Beautiful Bill beginning to come into focus. There seems to be many places to go. In my view, Democrats need to come up with a positive plan, for instance, with regard to deportations a plan to allow noncriminal immigrants to stay in the US, so long as they are filling a need in our economy like agricultural workers, hospitality workers, etc., without necessarily a path to citizenship. Many of the attacks by the left-wing of the Democratic party do not want to take into account the practical reality, and to adopt a system that just might work with the application of a little common sense.
Consumer spending was stronger in July, but the Wall Street Journal predicts that the prices of household staples will rise as tariffs take hold. The White House continues to believe US businesses should bear the cost of the tariffs, while the government collects the revenue. So much for Republican free enterprise.
A few shorts to end – firings at the Fed and the CDC, revocation of Harris’ Secret Service Protection, all bizarre acts that are vengeful and juvenile. And then we have a dispute about tennis etiquette at the US Open. Like a baseball player, apologizing for a bloop single. One of the opponents questioned the intelligence of a US player because she did not apologize for a net ball. One really has to wonder.
Bill Owens is a former member of Congress representing the New York 21st, a partner in Stafford, Owens, Piller, Murnane, Kelleher and Trombley in Plattsburgh, NY and a Strategic Advisor at Dentons to Washington, DC.
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