Trump Launches Trade War with Canada, Mexico, EU

Trump is imposing a 25% tariff on steel + a 10% tariff on aluminum imported from three of our largest trading partners: Canada, Mexico, and the EU. "The announcement immediately raised the risk of retaliatory tariffs against American products." No kidding. https://t.co/0s9PUKZrfA

— Melissa McEwan (@Shakestweetz) May 31, 2018

According to Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, an animated corpse whose hobbies include laundering Russian oligarchs' money, the "trade penalties" take effect at midnight.

Along with the EU, Mexico immediately announced its intention to retaliate with tariffs against American products. Mexico specifically announced tariffs on pork, apples, grapes, cranberries, and cheese, among other products — so, once again, U.S. farmers are going to be hurt by Trump's trade warring.

In related news, Donald Trump reportedly told French President Emmanuel Macron last month that he has a plan "to impose a total ban on the imports of German luxury cars. ...Trump reportedly told Macron that he would maintain the ban until no Mercedes-Benz cars are seen on Fifth Avenue in New York."

The last line of that story reads: "A number of German automakers have plants in the U.S., including Mercedes-Benz in Alabama and BMW in South Carolina."

So, in sum: The President of the United States, who is under investigation for collusion with a foreign adversary during a campaign in which he promised to "Make America Great Again" by striking the best deals and putting "America First," has launched a multi-prong trade war with our closest allies, while bailing out a Chinese telecom company in exchange for a Trump-branded golf course loan and trademark approvals for Ivanka.

It was always obvious that Trump would use the presidency to fuck over average Americans and enrich himself and his despicable family. And here we are.