NORTH AMERICAN EQUIVALENT TO THE EUROPEAN UNION

Kevin O’Leary says he wants to talk to Trump about a U.S.-Canada ‘economic union’

Comments come after repeated statements by Donald Trump encouraging Canada to become ‘our 51st state’

‘SOMEBODY HAS TO START THE NARRATIVE’ – SOURCE OF DISCUSSION FOR DECADES
National Post (Canada),  Dec 27, 2024 – “What is of interest and what has caught the imagination of Canadians is an economic union beyond what we have now….” Leary told the Post….
“There’s obviously a lot of issues and more details, but what this could be is the beginning of an economic union. Think about the power of combining the two economies, erasing the border between Canada and the United States and putting all that resource up to the northern borders where China and Russia are knocking on the door.”
The idea of deeper integration between Canada and the U.S., and sometimes Mexico, has been a source of discussion for decades, often compared to a North American equivalent to the European Union, with a shared currency and identification papers. O’Leary pitched similar ideas for an “economic union” during his Fox Business appearance.
CANADIAN ‘SHARK TANK’ STAR KEVIN O’LEARY SAYS HE’S GOING TO MAR-A-LAGO TO CONVINCE TRUMP TO MERGE US AND CANADA
COMMON CURRENCY, TAXES, ‘NEW, ALMOST EU-LIKE PASSPORT’
Gateway Pundit, Dec 27, 2024 – O’Leary continued, “Think about the power of combining the two economies, erasing the border between Canada and the United States and putting all that resource up to the northern borders where China and Russia are knocking on the door. So secure that give a common currency, figure out taxes across the board, get everything trading both ways, create a new, almost EU like passport.”
‘SHARK’ TANK’ STAR KEVIN O’LEARY SUPPORTS TRUMP’S IDEA TO MAKE CANADA THE 51ST US STATE: ‘POTENTIAL IS MASSIVE’
‘CONCEPT OF AN ECONOMIC UNION HAS BEEN BANDIED AROUND FOR 40 YEARS’
Fox Business, Dec 27, 2024 – “There are 41 million of [Canadians] who want to know more, want to understand what the proposal really is, because the concept of an economic union has been bandied around for 40 years. And it makes sense because the resources Canada has, the U.S. needs. Particularly power and water,” O’Leary explained.
“I think in this kernel of an idea and yes, maybe it was a joke to start. There is something great here to be done because if you figured out a way to put these two countries together, it would be the most powerful country on Earth, the most powerful military on Earth, the most powerful resources, and no adversary anywhere would mess with it. That’s the prize.”

SE ASIA – ASEAN:

ASEAN’s second renaissance is now

‘In a world increasingly divided into competing blocs’

The Japan Times, Dec 26, 2024 – Next year heralds a pivotal chapter for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), with Malaysia assuming the chair. In a world increasingly divided into competing blocs, Malaysia is advancing the ASEAN Community Vision 2045, a strategic long-term plan that aims to guide the region’s growth and prosperity over the next two decades….
Malaysia’s stewardship of ASEAN also aims to bolster outward-facing alliances. Engaging more deeply with ASEAN+ partners — China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand — as well as emergent global groupings like BRICS+, is essential. Upcoming engagements, including a summit with the Gulf Cooperation Council and China, signal ASEAN’s intent to expand economic and strategic networks beyond its immediate borders.

South Asian economic union remains a distant dream

Deccan Herald (India), Dec 25, 2024 – India is surrounded on most sides by countries bristling with animosity. This may not have any immediate repercussions on the domestic economy despite the sizable investments made by Indian industry in Bangladesh, especially in the textile sector. In the long run, however, it means that there is little chance of integrating economies in the region as was envisaged when the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) was originally set up…. This is despite the South Asian Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA) being concluded about 20 years ago.

‘Iran to become key partner of Eurasian Economic Union’

Significant step towards deeper economic integration with the bloc

NourNews (Iran), Dec 21, 2024 – Iran is set to become a significant partner of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), following a decision by the union’s member states to grant the country observer status, according to an Iranian Foreign Ministry official.
Jalaleddin Alavi Sabzevari, Director of Multilateral and International Economic Cooperation at the Ministry, on Friday confirmed that the EAEU heads of state approved the decision during a summit in Saint Petersburg, Russia….These developments are expected to elevate Iran’s role as a key partner within the union, the official said.
The EAEU comprises five countries: Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Armenia, and Kyrgyzstan. With this new status, Iran joins Uzbekistan, Moldova, and Cuba as an observer in the union’s activities, marking a significant step towards deeper economic integration with the bloc.

EAEU-China: prospects of customs cooperation discussed

‘Seamless transit’ with Chinese ‘One Belt, One Road’; ‘coupling with the Eurasian Economic Union’

Eurasian Economic Commission, Dec 19, 2024 – The prospects for the development of customs infrastructure taking into account the best international practices and seamless transit within the framework of cooperation between the EAEU and the People’s Republic of China were discussed separately. Possible approaches to identifying causes of and minimizing discrepancies in trade statistical data were considered.

NORTH AMERICA:
‘A CONTINENT-WIDE INDUSTRIAL POLICY’?

Toward a Cleaner, Smarter USMCA

Carnegie fellow proposes North American carbon duty, mineral processing, power transmission, Australian, UK membership

By C.J. Mahoney and Peter Harrell, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Dec 17, 2024
First….Uniform duties based on the carbon content of steel imported into North America could offer a way to harmonize the three countries’ approach to this issue. The concept might be extended to other carbon-intensive import sectors as well.Second….North American cooperation could be particularly beneficial in developing a viable alternative to Chinese mineral processing….Any negotiations on this front would need to overcome historic Mexican sensitivities about outside influence over extractive industries. Third USMCA negotiations provide an opportunity to align on a strategy for building clean power generation and transmission capacity in North America…. Finally, the negotiation could provide a jumping-off point for the parties to expand cooperation on clean energy supply chains beyond North America, perhaps by offering the carrot of USMCA membership.Two possible candidates would be Australia and the United Kingdom.  Trade agreements traditionally have been used to lower tariffs and eliminate subsidies and other market-distorting policies. A joint North American effort to strengthen and relocate supply chains likely would require using some of those previously disfavored tools in pursuit of a continent-wide industrial policy.
Peter E. Harrell is a nonresident fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. From January 2021 through 2022, Harrell served at the U.S. White House as senior director for international economics, jointly appointed to the National Security Council and the National Economic Council.

EUROPE, SOUTH AMERICA:

The EU and a South American trade bloc reach a giant trade deal after 25 years of talks

Associated Press, Dec 6, 2024 – The European Union reached a blockbuster free trade agreement Friday with Brazil, Argentina and the three other South American nations in the Mercosur trade alliance, capping a quarter-century of on-off negotiations even as France vowed to derail the contentious accord….
It marks the first major trade agreement for Mercosur, which is comprised of Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay and, newly, Bolivia. The bloc had previously only managed to conclude free-trade deals with Egypt, Israel and Singapore.

‘MADE IN NORTH AMERICA’:

Mexico’s Ebrard proposes North American
‘plan B’ to counter Chinese imports

THE NEXT LEVEL FOR NORTH AMERICAN INTEGRATION:
‘UNIFORM TARIFFS’?

‘ADDITIONAL
PARTNERSHIPS AIMED
AT INCREASING
MANUFACTURING
CAPACITY IN
NORTH AMERICA’

Mexico News Daily, Nov 25, 2024 – Do Mexico, the United States and Canada need a common plan to increase manufacturing capacity in North America and reduce reliance on Chinese imports?
Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard appears to believe they do, and floated the idea that Mexico should take the initiative and propose one to its northern neighbors and USMCA trade partners….
While Ebrard didn’t go into details about what a common North American plan to increase production and reduce reliance on Chinese imports would look like, a likely starting point would be for Mexico, the United States and Canada to have uniform tariffs on Chinese imports.
ARE CANADA AND MEXICO DOING ANYTHING TO SAFEGUARD THEIR ECONOMIES FROM SLAVE AND CHILD LABOUR?
CUSTOMS DE MINIMIS EXEMPTION ALLOWS GOODS VALUED UNDER $800 TO ENTER U.S. DUTY-FREE, UNCHECKED
The Sunday Guardian, Dec 1, 2024 – Under the USMCA trade agreement, Canada and Mexico play pivotal roles in North America’s supply chain. Yet, these countries have become loopholes for Chinese goods entering the U.S. market. Chinese companies often establish operations in Mexico and Canada, using them as staging grounds to circumvent U.S. tariffs and scrutiny….
Beyond safety concerns, many Chinese goods are tainted by forced labour, particularly from regions like Xinjiang….Canada and Mexico are accused of turning a blind eye, allowing these goods to filter through their markets.
TRUMP TARIFFS THREATEN TO CRACK OPEN NORTH AMERICAN ECONOMIES
25-PERCENT TARIFF PLEDGE ON MEXICO, CANADA ‘THREATENS TO UPEND DECADES OF NORTH AMERICAN INTEGRATION’
FOX40 Sacremento, Nov 30, 2024 – But that three-way integration is facing headwinds, not least from Trump, who on Monday threatened United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) partners with 25 percent across-the-board tariffs on day one of his presidency in retaliation for their roles in migration and the illicit fentanyl trade.

AFRICAN UNION:

Africa is moving towards greater integration as Niamey meeting drives the momentum

ULTIMATE GOAL: SINGLE ECONOMIC MONETARY UNION, COMMON CURRENCY, ‘FREE MOBILITY’ OF CAPITAL, LABOR
African Union, Dec 1, 2024 – Following the historical context of the African integration process and the progress of African leaders towards achieving a united, integrated and prosperous continent under the Abuja Treaty and Africa’s Agenda 2063 and the ultimate goal to transform its fifty-five (55) economies into a single economic and monetary union, with a common currency and free mobility of capital and labour, the African Union (AU) is convening in Niamey, Niger for the Extraordinary Summit on the African Continental Free Trade Area and the first Mid-Year Coordination meeting of the AU and the Regional Economic Communities (RECs), both purposed at moving the integration agenda forward.

NORTH AMERICA, USMCA:

HP brace for Trump 2.0 with leadership and supply chain overhaul to NA

PROCUREMENT AUTHORITY CONSOLIDATES IN NORTH AMERICA, ANTICIPATING CHANGES UNDER TRUMP’S PRESIDENCY

DIGITIMES, Nov 25, 2024 – Ernest Nicolas, HP’s Chief Supply Chain Officer, has taken on additional oversight of IT and cybersecurity. As procurement authority consolidates in North America, industry observers speculate Nicolas may become a leading candidate for the CEO role….
Supply chain sources note that HP is one of several brands making personnel adjustments to adapt to anticipated changes under Trump’s presidency, including diversifying production. However, HP’s actions stand out as more proactive and urgent, given its deep integration with Taiwan’s supply chain.

Mexico Scrambles to Replace Chinese Parts Amid USMCA Tensions: ‘We’ll Fight to Stay In!’

Launches campaign to strengthen North American manufacturing

EconoTimes, Nov 24, 2024 – Mexico is urgently revising its trade policies and supply chain strategies amid fears that its role in the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) could be at risk. Rising allegations that Mexico serves as a conduit for Chinese parts entering North America have sparked concerns in Washington and Ottawa, threatening the regional trade bloc’s future stability….
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has launched a campaign to reduce reliance on Chinese imports and strengthen regional manufacturing. Speaking on Friday, Sheinbaum emphasized the importance of fostering domestic production and collaboration with North American firms to replace Chinese-made components.
MEXICAN PRESIDENT FOLDING AFTER JUST ONE PHONE CALL WITH TRUMP
TARIFFS FLOATED BY TRUMP WOULD TARGET MEXICAN EXPORTS
Gateway Pundit, Nov 24, 2024 – Trump reportedly shattered the “cordial” call by bringing up the most pressing issue on U.S.-Mexico relations: the lengthy border between our two countries and the unacceptable state of it.
In rushing to meet the results of Trump’s policies, it’s expected that Mexico may increase immigration enforcement…. And it seems Sheinbaum is not the only Mexican politician that needs to worry.
“That is why Trump went so far as to say during the campaign that if Mexico did not cooperate on these issues,” Montes de Oca continued, “he would make public the U.S. government’s intelligence information on politicians in Mexico who are related to drug cartels.”

EURASIAN UNION & UKRAINE:

Imposing neutrality on Ukraine will not stop Putin or bring peace to Europe

Atlantic Council, Nov 18, 2024 – Initially, Russia’s efforts focused on orchestrating Ukraine’s economic reintegration through membership of the Moscow-led Eurasian Economic Union. When this sparked a popular backlash that led to the fall of the Yanukovych regime, Putin opted to use force and began the military invasion of Ukraine….
While Trump has yet to outline his plans for a possible settlement, unconfirmed reports suggest that a twenty-year freeze on Ukraine’s NATO membership aspirations is under consideration.

EURASIAN UNION & IRAN:

Trump has few options to pry apart Russia and Iran

Carnegie Endowment for international Peace, Nov 19, 2024 – The two powers have been selling each other weapons and carrying out joint military exercises everywhere from the Caspian Sea to the Persian Gulf.
At the same time, there have also been major steps toward economic integration. The most significant was the inking of a free trade agreement between Iran and the Moscow-led Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). Due to enter into force in 2025, this agreement will see a reduction of tariffs on 90 percent of goods traded between Iran and EAEU member states Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. This is the first such free trade agreement for Iran, and the second for the EAEU. Iran has also submitted an application for observer status in the EAEU.

Another Canadian politician suggests cutting Mexico out of USMCA free trade

Says Mexico not fair-trade ‘equal partner’

INVITING CHINA TO ENGAGE IN INVESTMENT IN MEXICO

Mexico News Daily, Nov 18, 2024 – Alberta Premier Danielle Smith was asked whether she agreed with Ontario Governor Doug Ford’s view that “maybe Mexico should be cut out of the process if it won’t comply with the spirit of the USMCA,” the three-way North American free trade pact that superseded NAFTA in 2020.
“A thousand percent,” Smith responded. “… I’m very much in sync with what he has to say.”
“The Americans want fair trade, they want us to buy as much product from them as they buy from us and as a whole Canada absolutely does do that. … The real issue we have is that Mexico has not been that equal partner with the United States,” she said, apparently referring to Mexico’s large trade surplus with its northern neighbor.
“And in addition to that they’re inviting China to engage in investment in Mexico, which is hollowing out the manufacturing sector in both America as well as Canada.
‘UNACCEPTABLE’: ONTARIIO PREMIER SAYS USMCA NEEDS TO BE RESTRUCTURED
PROPOSES BILATERAL TRADE DEAL WITH U.S.
RFDTV, Nov 18, 2024 – “What I am proposing is we do a bilateral trade deal with the U.S., and if Mexico wants a bilateral trade deal, God bless ‘em. But I am not going to be drawn down with these cheap imports, taking jobs from hardworking Ontarians. You look at Mexico, they are importing cheap products from China. They’re slapping a ‘Made In Mexico’ sticker on, and shipping it up, undercutting the market. Unacceptable,” Premier Doug Ford explained.
TRUMP WANTS TO SEE MEXICO CLOSE ITS DOORS TO CHINESE AUTOMAKERS WHO MIGHT EXPORT TO THE US
Yucatan Times, Nov 18, 2024 – Donald Trump has threatened machinery giant Deere & Co. with tariffs if it moves a plant to Mexico, potentially throwing a wrench into the “nearshoring” process that has promised to bring millions of investment dollars to Mexico….
Automaker Honda said that new tariffs on cars imported into the US from Mexico could impact the delivery of thousands of vehicles, while billionaire Trump adviser Elon Musk has said he’s holding off on building his new Tesla Inc. plant in Mexico.

ARAB GULF, GCC:

GCC Railways Project Set to Transform Regional Connectivity by 2030: Qatar’s Minister

TTW, Nov 14, 2024 – The ambitious Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Railways Project, which aims to connect GCC countries through a state-of-the-art railway network, is on track to be completed by 2030.
The announcement was made by Qatar’s Minister of Transport, H.E. Jassim Saif Ahmed Al Sulaiti, during the 26th Meeting of the Committee of Ministers of Transport of the GCC, held in Qatar with the attendance of GCC transport ministers and GCC Secretary-General H.E. Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi.
In his opening remarks, Minister Al Sulaiti emphasized the importance of unified efforts to enhance economic and social integration across the GCC.

SOUTH ASIA, SAARC:

Bangladesh’s Pivot: A New Path In Regional Diplomacy – OpEd

To strengthen ties with Pakistan, reinvigorate SAARC

Eurasia Review, Nov 14, 2024 – In a remarkable departure from the recent past, Bangladesh is charting a new course in its foreign policy, distancing itself from India’s sphere of influence and seeking to strengthen ties with Pakistan while reinvigorating regional cooperation within the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC)….The hope is that, in the coming years, Bangladesh can emerge as a more independent actor in South Asia, advocating for a vision of regional cooperation that transcends the dominance of any single power.
TRIPARTITE POWER AGREEMENT BETWEEN INDIA, BANGLADESH, NEPAL COULD REVIVE SAARC
GK News Svc, Nov 15, 2024 – This successful project according to political pundits could be the first initial step towards the revival of SAARC which so far continues to be defunct since India and Pakistan’s relationship went spirally down

‘Made in North America USA’:
Trump Victory Triggers ‘Reshoring’ Rally As Supply Chain Security Outweighs Cost

Encourages U.S. production over ‘nearshoring’ to Mexico

Benzinga, Nov 8, 2024 – Trump’s win has reignited investor optimism around reshoring, with policies likely to push U.S. companies to prioritize domestic production over cheaper overseas options.
“The case for reshoring is now well set with the Trump presidency,” said Maurits Pots, CEO of Tema ETFs, in an exclusive Benzinga interview….
According to Pots, the Trump administration’s stance could also discourage “nearshoring” — the trend of moving production closer to the U.S., but not quite on its soil, such as to Mexico.
With Trump’s proposed tariffs on Mexican goods, Mexico’s appeal as a manufacturing hub may diminish, further driving interest in truly domestic production.

EUROPEAN UNION – MEGA?

EU Considers switching gas supply from Russia to US to stave off tariff war with Trump

The Telegraph (UK), Nov 9, 2024 – The EU could buy more liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the US in an attempt to persuade Donald Trump not to impose damaging import tariffs, the European Commission president has said.
Ursula von der Leyen said the proposed deal would also reduce the EU’s trade surplus with the US, which Mr Trump argues makes the bloc rich while Washington pays for its military security.
UNION OF EUROPEAN FEDERALISTS OP-ED:
‘FACED WITH TRUMP’S RE-ELECTION, THE EUROPEAN UNION MUST TAKE ITS DESTINY INTO ITS OWN HANDS’
Le Monde Op-Ed, Nov 7, 2024 – The return of the Republican to the White House should prompt Europeans to pursue European integration to secure their economic prosperity, military security, and the promotion of democratic values…

AFRICAN UNION:

Draft continental strategy on free movement developed

Will ‘popularise and promote’ African Passport as key to ‘free movement of persons’ across borders

African Union, Nov 8, 2024 – Free Movement of Persons is an integral part of the African integration and along with the African Passport is one of the flagship projects of Agenda 2063.
Pursuant to this goal of integration, in January 2018 the Protocol to the Treaty establishing the African Economic Community relating to free movement of persons, right of residence and right of establishment was adopted by the AU Assembly….
As a follow up to this, the African Union (AU) and the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) have developed a draft joint continental strategy to accelerate the Right of Entry for the Protocol to the treaty establishing the African Economic Communities relating to the Free Movement of Persons, Right of Residence and Right of Establishment. The strategy aims to ensure that RECs and Member States popularise and promote the adopted African Passport as one of the key mechanisms through which free movement of persons will be realised.

EURASIAN ECONOMIC UNION:

Russia Warns U.S. is Pushing Armenia ‘To Commit National Suicide’

Washington ‘using methods tested in Ukraine and Moldova’

DISCREDITING COOPERATION WITH RUSSIA, EEC
Asbarez, Nov 7, 2024 – Russia has accused the United States of pushing Armenia to commit “national suicide” by “stimulating the activity of pro-Western structures” in the country and “trying to accelerate its adoption of a pro-Western foreign policy.”
Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) claimed on Thursday that, in doing so, Washington is “using methods tested in Ukraine and Moldova.”
“There is a task to give a sustainable anti-Russian direction to the public and political processes in Armenia. To this end, Washington intends to carry out a long-term information and propaganda campaign that, among other things, is aimed at discrediting Yerevan’s prospects for cooperation with Russia, the Eurasian Economic Union, and the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), and spreading reports about “pressure” on Armenian migrant workers in Russia,” the SVR claimed, as quoted by Russian media.
EAEU FIRMLY ESTABLISHED AS EFFECTIVE INTEGRATION UNION, ASSURES EEC MINISTER
FURTHER HARMONIZATION OF THE MEMBER STATES’ NATIONAL LEGISLATIONS
ArmenPress, Nov 7, 2024 – The Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) has firmly established itself as an effective integration union over the past decade, with Eurasian integration continually expanding and deepening. Moreover, improvements to intra-Union legislation and further harmonization of the member states’ national legislations have supported this process, Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) Minister of Industry and Agro-industrial Complex Gohar Barseghyan has said….
“Active work is underway on the Commission’s platform to develop a unified transport and logistics infrastructure, introduce new financial support tools, establish supranational legislation, and advance multilateral cooperation programs,” said Barseghyan.

NORTH AMERICA:

How would Trump’s tariffs impact large food & beverage firms? And what about USCMA?

USMCA up for review in July 2026

AgFunderNews, Nov 5, 2024 – Asked if he anticipated Trump using the threat of tariffs to renegotiate or pull out of USCMA, Schott noted that the USMCA is up for review in July 2026.
Tom Madrecki, VP campaigns and special projects at the Consumer Brands Association, added: “Blanket tariffs would violate the terms of USCMA and be subject to Canada or Mexico filing a dispute or seeking countermeasures. The same goes for other agreements.
“I think the bigger thing to watch would be…. does it matter? In practical terms, frankly any of the governments can still seek imposition of tariffs or trade rules that violate the terms of agreement, and so my guess would be that regardless of what “they’re supposed to do / not supposed to do,” the three partners (US included) are going to do what they want.”
NEBRASKA CONGRESSMAN SAYS UPCOMING USMCA REVIEW WILL BE CRUCIAL
WJAG, Nov 4, 2024 – A U.S. Congressman from Nebraska says Mexico’s ban on genetically modified corn imports is a violation of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement.
Adrian Smith tells Brownfield it’s a key item to consider in the upcoming six-year review of USMCA.

ASEAN, GCC, CHINA:

‘Great consequence’: Malaysia invites China to join Asean summit with Gulf bloc

South China Morning Post, Nov 5, 2024 – Speaking at the China International Import Expo in Shanghai on Tuesday, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said China’s inclusion in the annual summit between Asean and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) next year would be “of great consequence to the trajectory of regional growth”….
With Tuesday’s US presidential election likely to bring more tariffs and unpredictability – irrespective of whether Donald Trump or Kamala Harris makes it to the White House – Southeast Asian economies are seeking fresh partnerships to balance out the volatility.

NEW REGIONAL ORDER:

BRICS to build ‘New World Order’: Russia calls for alternative to IMF and World Bank

We have also invited the current chairs of influential regional integration organizations in Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia
Kitco News, Oct 11, 2024 – ….Russian President Vladimir Putin has also joined the call to build a new international framework with BRICS allies….
“Russia is in favor of the widest possible international discussion on the parameters of interaction in the emerging multipolar world and is open to discussing the issues of building a new world order with all our friends, partners, and like-minded people, including within the CIS, the EAEU, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and BRICS,” Putin said. “It is in this spirit that we are preparing the BRICS and Outreach/BRICS Plus summit to be held in Kazan on October 22-24.”….
[Iranian President Masoud] Pezeshkian also highlighted the importance of cooperation between the two states in BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU)….
“A whole number of ASEAN countries have been invited to attend the [BRICS] summit and these invitations have been accepted,” [Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov] said. “I have no doubts that the approaches being developed within BRICS to various issues of the agenda can quite be of interest for participants in East Asia summits, especially for member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.”
And Russia’s plans for BRICS expansion extend beyond the ASEAN region….
“We have also invited the current chairs of influential regional integration organizations in Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. In addition to state leaders and senior officials, the summit will, as usual, be attended by the secretaries-general of the UN, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Eurasian Economic Union, the Union State, and the president of the New BRICS Development Bank.”

‘MADE IN NORTH AMERICA’:

Trump to renegotiate USMCA trade deal if elected to second term

‘I will impose whatever tariffs are required’

Washington Examiner, Oct 10, 2024 – Speaking before business leaders at the Detroit Economic Club, Trump said he would invoke a six-year provision that allows him to amend the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement he negotiated to replace NAFTA in 2020….
Trump made the comments as he promised China would not be able to sell vehicles into the U.S. from plants it plans to build in Mexico. As currently negotiated, the USMCA allows foreign companies to export cars to the U.S. without steep duties if they are locally sourced.
“I will impose whatever tariffs are required — 100%, 200%, 1,000% — they’re not going to sell any cars into the United States with those plants,” Trump said.
KAMALA HARRIS SHOULD TELL THE TRUTH ABOUT HER RECORD ON TRADE
OBJECTION TO USMCA WASN’T TO PROTECT WORKERS, BUT FOR LACK OF RADICAL ENVIRONMENTALIST CLIMATE RESTRICTIONS
Newsweek, Oct 10, 2024 – Vice President Kamala Harris’ recent statement in Michigan criticizing the U.S.-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) trade agreement follows an unfortunate pattern of the Democrat’s campaign: moving from mere evasion to outright fabrication. Harris said she opposed the USMCA because it was worse than its predecessor, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and that the results of the USMCA have proven her right. The truth is quite the opposite. The facts are these: As a senator, she voted against the new agreement, and thus in favor of keeping NAFTA in place, because she thought the climate restrictions in the new agreement were not strong enough. Her objection had nothing to do with protecting workers. She was playing to radical environmentalists in an election season with an eye toward her political career.

NORTH AMERICA’S ‘NEW REGIONAL MERCANTILISM’:

Mexico Aligns with the U.S. in Trade Conflicts Amid Growing Rivalry with China

‘Mobilize all legitimate interests in favor of strengthening the North American region’

Gateway Hispanic, Oct 11, 2024 – “There is a dispute between China and the United States, now much stronger than there was a few years ago,” said [Mexico’s economic secretary, Marcelo Ebrard] at a business forum. “And we already have a design for the route we are going to follow.”
“What would be the main design, the main idea?” asked Ebrard. “To mobilize all legitimate interests in favor of strengthening the North American region.”
And although both governments are supposedly leftist, Mexico and China are competitors at a commercial level. The most sought-after market is the US. Ebrard highlighted how, in 2023, for the first time in decades, Mexico displaced China as the main exporter of products to the US.

EUROPE’S ‘NEW REGIONAL MERCANTILISM’:

Emmanuel Macron Warns ‘The EU Could Die’, Wants to Devote His Energy to Reforming Europe

The answer, inevitably, is more ‘Europe’, meaning more rule from Brussels

Breitbart, Oct 4, 2024 – He said, reports Politico of his address: “If we want clearly to be more competitive and have our place in this multipolar order first we need a simplification shock… Twenty-five years ago, we thought that [with] China joining WTO it would comply with the laws. It is not the case… I have a suggestion… when both U.S. and China do not respect the rules, we should not be the only one in the room to just abide the rules.”
This approach should fall short of Europe becoming protectionist, he said — although many would state protectionism is woven into the bloc’s DNA — but “this is an awful world” and the Union should be fair to “our industry, our farmers, our people.”
EU STATES SIGN OFF ON LOADING EXTRA TARIFFS ON CHINESE ELECTRIC VEHICLES
Breitbart, Oct 4, 2024 – EU countries on Friday gave a definitive green light to hefty additional tariffs on electric cars made in China, despite strong opposition led by Germany and fears it will spark a trade war with Beijing.

NORTH AMERICA’S ‘FENTANYL EXPRESS’:

How fentanyl traffickers are exploiting a U.S. trade law to kill Americans

Reuters, Oct 1, 2024 – In the past few years, the United States has become a major transshipment point for Chinese-made chemicals used by Mexico’s cartels to manufacture the fentanyl that’s devastating U.S. communities, anti-narcotics agents say. Traffickers have pulled it off by riding a surge in e-commerce that’s flooding the U.S. with packages, helped by that trade provision….
Individual parcels of clothing, gadgets and other merchandise valued at up to $800 – one of the highest such limits in the world – now enter the country duty-free and with minimal paperwork and inspections. Fully 90% of all shipments now enter the country this way, and most arrive by air, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection….
America’s ports of entry are now so jammed with these packages, most of them from China, that just a tiny fraction of the nearly 4 million de minimis parcels arriving on U.S. shores daily are inspected by U.S. Customs. Security officials say that has made it easy for Mexican traffickers to sneak in small boxes of fentanyl ingredients from China disguised as mundane household items. Even modest amounts of these chemicals, known as precursors, can produce vast numbers of pills.
OPINION: TRUMP TARIFFS WILL FACILITATE FAIR TRADE
Here’s the truth: The Trump tariffs did not cause inflation during his presidency. They will not cause inflation in Mr. Trump’s second term.
By Peter Navarro, Washington Times, Oct 1, 2024 – When America imposes tariffs on major trading partners such as China or Germany, the Trump tariffs force these trading partners to reduce the prices of their goods sold to us. The American market is too important to their export-dependent economies for them to try to pass along the full tariffs to American consumers.
Nowhere are the broken promises of the WTO, NAFTA and free trade better understood than in the battleground states of Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin — ground zero for the carnage wrought by free rather than fair trade.

EURASIAN ECONOMIC UNION:

Will the Kremlin allow Armenia to slip from its grasp?

Emerging Europe, Oct 1, 2024 – Western commentators who extol Pashinyan’s pro-European rhetoric fail to explain that no country can be in two customs unions. To sign an Association Agreement with the EU, which had been the intention eleven years ago, Armenia must first ‘Armexit’ from the EAEU.
No member of the EAEU has yet tested whether Putin would allow it to withdraw. The legal basis for the UK’s withdrawal from the EU was based on Article 50 of the Treaty of the European Union. No such article exists in EAEU documents.

VIDEO: GLOBAL SHAKEDOWN (2015)
The world’s developing and projected regional blocs. (Excerpt @ 20:15 of 27:33)