[The following is exactly what you are alluding too. Poor reading skills on my part. Still relevant I guess.]
I heard a piece on the news that several Tesla's are under investigation for ghost sales on cars to take advantage of the government subsidy to buy EVs. There is an investigation started.
"Whenever the price of something is expected to rise dramatically on a certain predetermined date, a bull rush is practically inevitable. Just look at how enthusiastic Quebecois motorists helped Canada run out of federal EV rebate money early. It turns out, though, that drivers weren’t the only ones going all-in. Tesla claims to have sold a ridiculous number of cars right at the end, a number so preposterous the Canadian government is looking into it.
On Jan. 13, Canadian federal EV rebates hit pause due to insufficient funding, but not before Tesla reportedly made a break for it. The Toronto Star reports that the automaker claimed 8,653 rebate-eligible sales in 72 hours. That’s just over two cars every minute around the clock, which doesn’t sound particularly feasible. The rebates claimed by Tesla over this period total up to $43.1 million, leading Huw Williams of the Canadian Automobile Dealers Association to comment that “Tesla had a run on the bank.”
Definitely seems fishy. If I've googled my numbers correctly the entire program was $280M, and Tesla got about $50M in the last 3 days. So almost 20% of the volume of the entire program from just 4 stores in just 3 days?
Even if they were saving forms and submitting late because they realized the program was wrapping up (leaving literally millions in accounts receivable on the table because they were too lazy to process the forms?) that seems like a ridiculous amount to have go throuh.
So are steel tariffs increasing to 50% tomorrow or not? I’m seeing conflicting information.
Yes, and no. He has changed his mind about 10 times today. I think the latest is it is back to 25% but that was an hour ago, so it could have changed again.
It should be an easy concession to give up. It wouldn't impact us much but would be an easy way for Trump to claim a victory. As much as I detest him, if it gives him some kind of off ramp, let him think what he wants.
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Does anyone have theories on how this all ends and Trump starts to negotiate normally? I'm not looking for snarky answers, but I do wonder what the end game is? He can't piss off every developed country and come out ahead.
Does anyone have theories on how this all ends and Trump starts to negotiate normally? I'm not looking for snarky answers, but I do wonder what the end game is? He can't piss off every developed country and come out ahead.
Not snarky, but it's become more and more obvious he's a tool of the Russians, and if you view his actions through the window of it being good for Putin, there is no end game here that is a success for America. Look up Bezmenov. A lot of what is happening now was planned decades ago. There will be no "normal" negotiations with Trump. People are really having trouble coming to terms with that.
Does anyone have theories on how this all ends and Trump starts to negotiate normally? I'm not looking for snarky answers, but I do wonder what the end game is? He can't piss off every developed country and come out ahead.
I don't think he'll ever negotiate normally. It's all just theatre to him, and he just wants to get richer. To get a new trade deal signed, we're likely gonna have to give him a couple of fake concessions, or something that makes it look like he wins, even though we don't really give up anything.
Or he's just gonna keep doing what he's been doing with the tariff threats, 30 day pauses, and annexation rhetoric. There are lots of theories out there, but I don't think anyone has any clue what he really wants, as it seems to change on an hourly basis. The guy clearly has dementia at this point. He's not well. Notice he hasn't mentioned fentanyl once over these last couple of days? It's all just so bizarre.
I don't think he'll ever negotiate normally. It's all just theatre to him, and he just wants to get richer. To get a new trade deal signed, we're likely gonna have to give him a couple of fake concessions, or something that makes it look like he wins, even though we don't really give up anything.
Basically this.
I think it'll have to wait until after the Federal election. Then we'll agree to expedite a renegotiation of CUSMA (fake concession #1 it was due to happen in 2026 anyways)... which will basically be the same. We'll allow a partial lowering of the Tariff rates on dairy... the U.S. doesn't even pay those since we don't import the amount that crosses the threshold to trigger them but sure let Trump brag that he "won" a higher quota and lower tariffs (Fake consession #2), then we'll agree to some kind of trilateral commission to ensure agreement compliance (Fake concession #3 since we already have dispute panels but sure allow him to brag that he's "policing" trade as a result) and we'll maintain the border mumbo-jumbo and commitments we've already made to defense $ to GDP that we already have in place so he say he "made" us do that as well.
If he's actually set on the 51st State bull#### or redrawing maps he's only getting that with blood.
Not snarky, but it's become more and more obvious he's a tool of the Russians, and if you view his actions through the window of it being good for Putin, there is no end game here that is a success for America. Look up Bezmenov. A lot of what is happening now was planned decades ago. There will be no "normal" negotiations with Trump. People are really having trouble coming to terms with that.
I watch what Trumps doing...and think this will make for a great reboot of the Americans about 10 years from now.
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O’Leary on FOX News tonight with his economic union crap. However, in his defence, he:
- suggested that FOX and other media tone down the rhetoric
- reminded Watters that Trudeau and Frydland are gone and that we are going thru an election cycle
- suggested there are several deals to be done on trade and border security that will be win-win for both countries
- got Watters to agree that we are essentially related to one another and a periodic renewal of any relationship is a good thing.
No #### there are deals to be made. That is how sane governments work. Free trade has never meant that its just free and nobody ever actually negotiates how it works.
The whole thing is messed up because Trump is an assclown who has no idea what he's doing. At this point even when Canada & the US come to the table to work on USCMA, Canada has every right to be as obstructive as possible.
No #### there are deals to be made. That is how sane governments work. Free trade has never meant that its just free and nobody ever actually negotiates how it works.
The whole thing is messed up because Trump is an assclown who has no idea what he's doing. At this point even when Canada & the US come to the table to work on USCMA, Canada has every right to be as obstructive as possible.
Yep. And what's to say Trump respects any trade deal that is negotiated? He already signed USCAMA and isn't following that.
Yep. And what's to say Trump respects any trade deal that is negotiated? He already signed USCAMA and isn't following that.
Exactly. Even if we do get some kind of new deal signed, it might give us a much needed reprieve from the uncertainty and rhetoric for a little while, but there's nothing stopping the orange lunatic from breaking it again by declaring another stupid "border emergency" or some other dumb s***.
The only shred of hope regarding a new USMCA is that maybe it buys us some time until the mid-terms. And you can't even put much faith in that right now, as they will probably be rigged in the GOP's favour, or they might just cancel elections altogether through executive order. Not even sure if a President can do that, but just looking at the damage they've already caused, I wouldn't put it past them to try.
At this point I think the only way forward for Canada is to shore up our economy as much as we can, get rid of all inter-provincial trade barriers, diversify and find new markets for our products and strengthen existing trade relationships with other allies, get the necessary pipelines/infrastructure built as quickly as possible, and gradually wean ourselves off the U.S. completely. And just hope that they don't try to invade any time soon.
