Lori Wallach

We compiled the manufacturing indicator & trade balance data for Trump’s first six months, which show a bigger trade deficit and manufacturing decline — the opposite of Trump’s promises and stated goals.

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Posted last night:

📢The US goods & services trade deficit was 47% larger in first 5 months of '25 than 1st 5 months of '24. ie. $165 billion opposite of Trump's trade promises. Even B4 the full 6 month data is out 8/5, we can see the trade deficit up in Trump’s 2nd term. We'll have more tomorrow!

Americans cannot wait until 2027 when de minimis is slated to be terminated by statute. Every day, deadly fentanyl-laced pills, dangerous and fake products and forced labor imports are flooding in. That's why this news is a big deal! 4/4 t.co/QlIGhZXoJL

If courts invalidate the EOs based on the Int'l Emergency Economic Powers Act now used to end de minimis, we urge the admin. to use its authority under Sec. 321 of the Tariff Act of 1930 to issue a new EO to enact the same global de minimis termination. 3/ t.co/5sn7WCHejS

For the end of duty-free de min access to translate into fewer unsafe/deadly imports & less trade cheating hurt on domestic producers, the admin. must also strengthen customs enforcement by requiring more info about imports, boosting inspection & raising violation penalties 2/

Ding Dong De Minimis is Dead! The dangerous trade loophole letting 4 milion daily packages of online purchases mainly from China into the US w/o inspection, tariffs, taxes is ending! Big online retailers & delivery corps scoffed 6 yrs ago when we first demanded this scam's end 1/

Thank you for having me on, @democracynow.org!

“Total, Random Chaos” of Trump Tariffs Are Not Rebalancing U.S. Trade: Lori Wallach, Rethink Trade President Donald Trump is standing by his August 1 deadline for other countries to reach new trade agreements with the United States or face steep new tariffs on their exports. The administration has...

"Total, Random Chaos" of Trump Tariffs Are Not Rebalancing U.S. Trade: Lori Wallach, Rethink Trade

Press Release: Rethink Trade Celebrates End of Dangerous De Minimis Trade Loophole After Years of Advocacy Press Release: Rethink Trade Celebrates End of Dangerous De Minimis Trade Loophole After Years of Advocacy

"...This is great—if overdue—news."

@wallachlori.bsky.social on the end of the de minimis loophole.

📌 Read now: rethinktrade.org/press-releas...

SAVE THE DATE (and watch!): Rethink Trade's @wallachlori.bsky.social will be on @democracynow.org TOMORROW to discuss #tariffs during the 8-9 AM hour.

Just in case you missed Lori's latest post?

💥 - read it now. ⬇️

The old negotiations adage still relevant, "nothing is agreed until everything is agreed"

There may be a logic to these decisions that seem contrary to Trump's trade promises . But who can know or judge merits when no deets much less agt text is provided and grandiose "GOAT" deals get DJT hyped but turn out not done (latest, the UK deal). It really matters... 5/5

And a key question beyond those in our Trump Tariff Relief Trade Agreement Evaluator: With a huge US deficit in medicines w/ EU, why was the GILTI tax that promotes offshoring of U.S. meds production extended in Trump's July 4 BBB 4/

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Some details I want to evaluate:
- How is US manufacturing boosted by reducing to 15% the 25% tariffs now on Euro. cars given the huge surplus of EU car imports to US?
- What rollbacks of EU policies protecting against Big Tech abuses were sought instead US trade rebalancing? 3/

Unfortunatley, there are no details much less a text of this EU "deal" Trump (or last week's Japan "deal" or the UK June "deal" etc. - all proclaimed as "great" - that seem like agreements to try to negotiate future agreements with some toplines set. (2/)

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Trump Trade Deal Evaluator Shows if Deals Truly Prioritize American Manufacturing and Jobs | Rethink Trade Donald Trump became president twice with trade and tariff promises that drew working-class support nationwide.

How does the "trade deal" just announced with the European Union measure up to the goals of rebuilding American manufacturing and rebalancing trade that candidate and then Pres. Trump promised was the mission of his tariff and trade policy? Use our evaluator to test it out...🧵

Working class Americans who supported Trump for his trade/tariff plans wanted more American manufacturing jobs and rebalanced trade not tariffs used to boost Big Tech monopolies’ power to crush smaller businesses worldwide, abuse our privacy & hurt kids. American jobs? What jobs?

More power and wealth for Big Tech monopolies to crush smaller businesses worldwide, abuse our privacy and hurt kids was NOT what working class Americans were promised tariffs would deliver when they supported Trump…

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Congrats, @khetti.bsky.social and @thinink.bsky.social on this excellent piece!

Congrats, @khetti.bsky.social and @thinink.bsky.social on this excellent piece!

Stars, Stripes, & Supply Chains America imports more of its food than we think

Over the past 10 yrs, U.S.'s reliance on imported foods has increased significantly: its purchase of fruits, seafood, vegetables, beverages & cereal preparations now outpace its exports to the tune of $58.7 billion, said an analysis from @rethinktrade.bsky.social.

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Explaining how to use our new trade agreement evaluator tool to decide if the deals the administration hopes to announce soon will deliver on Trump's promises to rebuild US manufacturing & create industrial jobs here or have, um, 'other' goals of less benefit for the most of us.

Please try out our Trump Trade Deal Evaluator tool to make your own judgements. And, keep an eye on
@rethinktrade.bsky.social for further updates and our analysis as we watch for new "trade deal" announcements. 20/20

With some deal announcements done and others likely to follow leading up to the new Aug. 1 deadline, there already are ominous signs that "tariff relief" deals will have little to do with Trump's promises to rebuild US manufacturing, create good American jobs, & rebalance trade

❌ Parallel to a deal, a trade partner approves new Trump Organization resorts, golf courses, or other investment/IP rights, or grants permission for Starlink operations or other private business deals for Trump, his advisors, and his wealthy allies. 18/

❌ Deal requires trade partners to allow militarized deportation flights or housing non-citizen deportees.
❌ Deal requires trade partners to cede territory or fulfill other non-trade-related geopolitical demands. 17/

❌ Deal requires trade partners to weaken or eliminate food standards, including safety, labeling, inspection, or animal welfare, which could mean importing more food produced in such conditions and worsening the massive US trade deficit in food. 16/ t.co/BcQijPjmLp

❌ Deal requires trade partners to weaken or eliminate environmental, conservation, carbon, or other green policies that don't discriminate based on nationality, which could mean importing more goods that are produced without considering environmental harms. 15/

❌ Deal includes Big-Tech-favored "digital trade" terms banning regulation of data flows and guaranteeing special secrecy protections for Big Tech source code, despite the fact that many of these rules conflict with existing U.S. state and federal laws 14/ t.co/agAMtq2CEH