Why are Russia, North Korea, Mexico and Canada in the list of Trump’s « bad guys »?

Four excluded excellent from the Mannaia of tariff barriers? In addition to Mexico (and Canada) they are mainly Russia and North Korea to make noise. There are many hypotheses, some allegations, even suggestive, to underline the possible « Special Relationship » Between Donald Trump with Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un who would bring to this outcome, but the reality is simpler. In the case of Putin, it is clear that the negotiation between the two Commander in Chief invests different floorsin the head the geopolitics of the spheres of influence with obvious repercussions on a respite in respite in Ukraine to which to tie its fate future. But on the commercial level, the relations between the USA and Russia are already at the historical lows due to the penalties Westerners against Moscow who gradually exacerbated by the attempted invasion of Kiev in February 2022 and are still in force.

The relationship with Moscow and the negotiations in progress

Therefore it was not necessary to further exacerbate the frictions between the two large ones, also because the maneuver margins to do so were restored. There is no longer much to be tightened in the relationship with the Russians, already banned from the oil marketbeyond the thousand escapades that Russian crude oil has managed to find to create a parallel market made of ghost ships doorsflowing flags of convenience of countries not undergoing embargo. The spokesman for the White House, Karoline Leavitt, explained that Moscow was excluded Because the US sanctions imposed on the Russians « already preclude any significant trade ». Leavitt observed that tooand Cuba, Belarus and North Korea have not been includedbecause the rates and sanctions applied against them are already very high.

The commercial exchange

Looking at the value of the commercial exchange between the United States and Russia, it is indubitable that it has collapsed since the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine, Moving from about 35 billion dollars in 2021 to 3.5 billion last year due to the sanctions imposed by Washington. For this reason, the Kremlin asked Trump to revoke some as an integral part of the interviews of ceased the fire with Ukraine, mediated by the United States, which at the moment are however largely blocked. However, a 2.5 billion dollar commercial deficit towards Moscow resists between Russia and the United States. That is, the US imported 2.5 billion more from Russia of what they exported. A negative figure, especially considering that the commercial deficit – on which Trump has insisted a lot – seems to be the main mechanism used to evaluate which were to punish.

The relationship with the two great neighbors

The other two main economies excluded from the list are precisely Canada and Mexico. Washington confirmed that this is due to the fact that Trump had already imposed 25% rates to both commercial neighbors, even if they have not yet been made operational. The duties were postponed by a month after the calls with the Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Both have committed themselves to using thousands of agents to « protect the border and stop the flow of Fenanyl ».

North Korea, Belarusia and Cuba also spared North Korea

Trump’s reasoning on the exclusion of Russia as already affected by economic and commercial sanctions, also applies to thein North Korea, but also Belarus and Cuba, On which a commercial, economic and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America continues to be in force following the Cuban revolution ended in 1959.

The immigration issue

Mexico has agreed to strengthen the northern border, with « 10 thousand soldiers of the National Guard to prevent drug trafficking ». Ottawa guaranteed the same. The United States, in turn, committed themselves to working to prevent the traffic of weapons towards Mexican signs (we wrote here). Anyway The rates of 25% on cars imports from the two neighboring countries have just entered into force. MEntre the negotiations are ongoing on the other product categories, therefore there is already a first heavy effect on the Mexico and Canada car’s chain. So much to force Stellantis to close the two plants in the countries.