Free Republic

During an appearance on FNC’s “Sunday Morning Futures,” White House senior economic counselor Peter Navarro explained the long-term implications for the Trump administration’s tariffs and how they will function to ensure fair trade for the United States. “Let’s not forget, every economic report that’s been coming out in the last month has been pushing us towards expansion and strength,” Navarro said. “And we just had a blowout jobs number on Friday, 228,000 jobs. That was 50 percent higher than was predicted. So, again, there’s cognitive dissonance between what the media is saying, wanted to push us into recession, and what’s...

We now have more information on the corruption involved in the pause in LNG exports. Joe Biden approved the pause but didn’t know he did. When questioned by Speaker Johnson, Biden said he wouldn’t do that. During the Houthi attacks and the Ukraine crisis, Biden paused all LNG shipments to Europe. He halted the approval process for export licenses and facilities being built/planned to save the climate. A Louisiana judge granted a stay. It turns out that Secretary Granholm, a wholly unprincipled agent for the hard left, buried a report with data and conclusions refuting the premise they used to...

The Trump administration is wasting no time reversing President Joe Biden's disastrous energy policies and is already opening up new lanes of production less than two months after being sworn into office. Last week Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and Energy Secretary Chris Wright traveled to Louisiana to announce new liquified natural gas exports are back in business. Bergum and Wright were hosted by Venture Global, which committed to $18 billion in new energy investments. "Venture Global announced plans for a brownfield expansion at its Plaquemines LNG facility south of New Orleans, Louisiana. Joining Venture Global for the announcement was Secretary...

The Biden administration on Monday proposed a new framework that levies restrictions on the export of the advanced computer chips used to develop artificial intelligence, which industry executives say would limit access to existing chips used for video games and restrict in 120 countries — including Israel — the chips used for data centers and AI products. Local industry experts raised concerns that the new restrictions will make it much harder for Israel to keep up the AI pace, as the US with the new regulation is essentially choosing the winners and the losers of the AI revolution. What it...

This is by a close relative who doesn't like to be public. On Good Customer Service Feb. 6th, 2024 02:23 pm I used to work in customer service. The company I worked for sold inventory on ebay. Started out small, got bigger, there were a lot of boxes to manage. We inspected stuff, packed it up in bubble wrap, stuck it into unsealed boxes, and had a fairly large, complex shelving/filing system for storing all these very anonymous-looking boxes, and being able to find them again when the item was purchased, so we chould then tape up the box, slap...

Hidden deep within the new omnibus bill is a secret provision to allow the federal government to electronically track all cattle in the United States. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) warned about the hidden provision on X, stating that lobbyists will receive $15 million in taxpayer funds to unleash the electronic tracking grid on the nation’s meat-producing cows and bison. As stated directly from the omnibus, the agreement “directs the Department to continue to provide the tags and related infrastructure needed to comply with the Federal Animal Disease Traceability rule (9 CFR 86), including no less than $15,000,000 for electronic identification...

On October 27, 2023, the Bureau of Industry and Security announced it would stop issuing export licenses for most countries’ firearms, components, and ammunition, with some exceptions.On November 28, 2023, Jim Comer, the Republican Chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Accountability in the House, sent a letter to Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, asking for information and a briefing on the decision. From the letter:We write to request information on the recent decision by U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) to cease issuing new export licenses related to certain firearms, firearm components, and ammunition for approximately 90 days. This action...

On January 26, President Joe Biden announced a “pause” on federal approval for new liquefied natural gas (LNG)–export terminals. While the Department of Energy’s indefinite suspension and order for new environmental analyses may keep the president’s reelection hopes above water, it will harm America’s long-term economic and geopolitical interests. Further, the policy may not even serve its ostensible purpose of reducing greenhouse-gas emissions. Ten months from Election Day, the president’s campaign likely thinks that renewed attention on his climate agenda will rouse support among progressive Democrats, who have drifted from Biden in recent months. By rallying his political coalition, however,...

TAIPEI, Jan 22 (Reuters) - Taiwan's export orders fell more than expected in their worst performance in six months in December, with the outlook for the island's high-tech products remaining poor due to growing doubts about global economic growth. Export orders last month slipped 16.0% from a year ago to $43.81 billion, the worst showing since July and well below the average analyst forecasts of a 0.25% decline predicted in a Reuters poll. Orders edged up 1.0% year-on-year in November. ... Weak demand for Taiwan's technology products amid global economic uncertainty has prompted the government to forecast that for 2023...

In 2022, global military budgets hit $2.2 trillion, an eighth consecutive year of increase.Part of those budgets were used for the procurement of arms, but which countries are major weapons suppliers, and how do they influence the global arms trade?In the chart below, Visual Capitalist's Bhabna Banerjee and Marcus Lu highlight the top 10 countries with the biggest share of global arms exports using data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).Which Country Exports the Most Weapons?The U.S. is the biggest weapons exporter, accounting for 40% of the total volume of international arms transfers between 2018–2022. Nearly one-fifth of...

China’s exports of two rare minerals essential for manufacturing semiconductors fell to zero in August, a month after Beijing imposed curbs on sales overseas, citing national security. China produces about 80% of the world’s gallium and about 60% of germanium, according to the Critical Raw Materials Alliance, but it didn’t sell any of the elements on international markets last month, Chinese customs data released on Wednesday showed. In July, the country exported 5.15 metric tons of forged gallium products and 8.1 metric tons of forged germanium products. When asked about the lack of exports last month, He Yadong, a spokesperson...

Niamey. - Western Africa’s Niger is in global spotlight since last week’s coup in capital Niamey when pro West President Mohamed Bazoum was overthrown by his own presidential guards. The coup in Uranium-rich Niger, which forms a key part of Africa’s Sahel region — a land belt that stretches from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea — has drawn global condemnation. While a bloc of West African leaders has threatened ‘intervention’ if Mohamed Bazoum is not reinstated within a week, the French - who were an imperial power in present-day Niger until 1960 - have also warned of action...

U.S. refineries are preparing themselves for the possibility that President Biden could impose a ban on fuel exports after the White House dangled the threat of the ban in front of refiners. No action has been taken to date, but with the mid-terms coming up and fuel prices continuing to rise, this could soon change. Earlier this month, the White House requested that the DOE assess the potential impact of banning fuel exports – including gasoline, diesel, and other refined petroleum products. The move suggested that President Biden may be preparing for a ban. This comes ahead of the mid-term...

Higher oil export volumes, coupled with rising petrol prices, will boost Russia’s earnings from energy exports to $337.5bn this year, a 38 percent rise from 2021, according to an economy ministry document seen by Reuters news agency.

The US general nominated to be the next commander of NATO suggested in a Senate hearing on Thursday that he may offer military options to facilitate grain exports from Ukraine and help break Russia’s blockade of Ukraine’s southern coast. When asked what NATO could do about Russia’s blockade, Gen. Christopher Cavoli, who currently serves as the commander of US Army Forces in Europe and Africa, said if he’s confirmed, he would “provide the military options required by our civilian leaders.” “Clearly the way we would approach that would have to be a whole of government approach, which may or may...

The Biden administration appeared to reverse its previous position that it wouldn’t consider an oil export ban Tuesday. “I can confirm the president is not taking any tools off the table,” Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm remarked, Reuters reported. “If you had a ban on crude oil exports, because you’re cutting off supply to the global market, you are going to have higher global crude prices and higher global refined product prices that would be fed through here,” said Garrett Golding, a business economist tasked with analyzing energy markets at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. EEnergy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said...

After nearly a month, Indonesia will lift an export ban on palm oil starting Monday, which could ease tight edible oil markets worldwide and reduce some of the pressure on soaring food prices. “Based on the current supply and price of cooking oil and considering that there are 17 million workers in the palm oil industry, both working farmers and other supporting staff, I have decided that the export of cooking oil will reopen on Monday, May 23,” President Joko Widodo said in a statement on Thursday. Indonesia is the world’s biggest shipper of edible oils, accounting for nearly 60%...

In April India said it was hoping to expand its wheat exports from 7 million tons to 10 million. However, as precarious winter wheat harvests reflect lower outputs, they are reversing position and will now block any wheat exports in order to ensure their own supply.INDIA – […] The announcement drew sharp criticism from the Group of Seven industrialized nations’ agriculture ministers meeting in Germany, who said that such measures “would worsen the crisis” of rising commodity prices.“If everyone starts to impose export restrictions or to close markets, that would worsen the crisis,” German Agriculture Minister Cem Ozdemir said at...

India this morning has banned all wheat exports for 2022. India is a large producer of wheat but not a large exporter of wheat, according to this article with the war in Ukraine and the global price of wheat exploding, India was looking to export a large amount of wheat to capitalize on the price increase, all that stopped today. I don't want to read too much into this issue, if you look at Sri Lanka, they are in near civil war over food security, we don't have baby formula, it will be interesting to what happens on the summer...

The world's top palm-oil producer announced that it would ban exports of the commodity starting on Thursday, sending the prices of edible oils soaring. Indonesia accounts for about half of the world's supply of palm oil, the world's most widely used vegetable oil. Palm oil is used for cooking and for the production of thousands of consumer products, including biscuits, detergents, and lipsticks.In a video statement on Friday, Indonesian President Joko Widodo said the move was designed to bring down domestic palm-oil prices and ensure domestic food availability in the wake of global food inflation. "I will monitor and evaluate...