It had to happen. Australia was hit with 25% tariffs based on totally false information about Australian imports to the US.
The $368 billion AUKUS defense contract for nuclear subs is also looking more than a bit dubious. Apparently they want to focus on the Indo-Pacific and South East Asia regions.
We know Americans are terrible at geography, but where do they think Australia is? The US is also having issues with defense shipbuilding, which is way behind schedule. Some unborrowed money might be useful, right? Apparently not. So they’re well on the way to losing $368 billion worth of trade.
All this is making a lot of noise in Australia, but the overall reaction is getting angry. The reflex action is to tell the US where to go.
Let’s start with the basics of US trade with Australia.
We have a trade deficit with the US according to official US documentation.
US goods exports to Australia were $34.6 billion.
Australian exports to the US were $16.7 billion.
For an excuse for tariffs, we’re accused of “dumping” in the US market by way of Sky News Australia, which obviously doesn’t research these things.
This trade is truly peanuts. We have a GDP of roughly $1.2 trillion. Our net exports per month average $40 billion.
No, we’re not going to do retaliatory tariffs. Hardly worth the paperwork at this point.
We don’t need this hot dog stand.
Far less impressive is this edict about “compliance” issued to our universities:
Some researchers who receive funding from U.S. federal agencies had been asked to assess their work’s compliance with U.S. President Donald Trump’s agenda in a 36-point questionnaire, said the universities.
Oh, yeah?
“Compliance”?
Don’t get run over on your way out of Australia, will you?
No go. Not on. Never.
You would have to be totally ignorant of the entire international research dynamic to ask such stupid questions.
These facts have been common knowledge in the various trade, scientific, and defense sectors for many years.
We’re now being asked by absolute nobodies who do not resemble any Americans we’ve ever met or wanted to meet to “comply” with whatever comes out of the moron factory and pay tariffs based on total BS?
Here’s another perspective for the gerbils.
These are not questions:
Find some adults in that ridiculous sycophantic no-talent scheissergarten who know what they’re talking about.
You will conduct trade and all other business with Australia at official levels, not by press releases.
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Disclaimer
The opinions expressed in this Op-Ed are those of the author. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of the Digital Journal or its members
You do not run the world.
