Steel and aluminum tariffs...

**velik_m** · 02-02-2026

Canada Nears $3 Billion Uranium Deal With India, May Be Inked In March

Canada and India are tantalizingly close to a 10-year multibillion dollar uranium supply deal that will likely be signed at a heads of state meeting in March, according to sources from both sides at the recently concluded India Energy Week, held in Goa, India, last week.

Canada is the world’s second-largest producer of uranium, accounting for 13% to 15% of global output, according to the International Energy Agency, while India is the world’s third-largest consumer of energy.

Given its burgeoning economy, India is on a quest for secure uranium supplies as it expands its nuclear power footprint tenfold to 100 gigawatts by 2047, and both sides are looking to partner on that front.

...

https://www.forbes.com/sites/gauravs...nked-in-march/

**TSA** · 02-02-2026

Big deal: ISM Manufacturing just snapped back into expansion at 52.6. That's a +4.7-pt jump and the strongest reading since Aug 2022.

This doesn't look like a blip. New Orders (57.1) and Production (55.9) surged to 2-year highs, signaling a real demand rebound after 10 straight months of contraction.

Historically, ISM is one of the most predictive indicators for in bent-party performance in presidential election years. As for midterm years, who's to say but a clean move back above 50 matters.

With GDP tracking north of 5%, this points to an economy re-accelerating, not rolling over.

Watch follow-through but this reads like a regime shift, not just a bounce.

Diving deeper into today's ISM surge: The jump to 52.6 isn’t a fluke. Companies are actually getting more orders and making more stuff. New orders surged to 57.1 (best since early 2022) and production jumped to 55.9. That’s signals real demand coming back, not just optimism.

This wasn’t driven by one niche industry either. Most major manufacturing sectors grew, from machinery to chemicals, which tells us the pickup is broad, not fragile.

Why now? Some firms are restocking early ahead of possible tariffs and continuing to bring production back home. Exports also improved, suggesting the global slowdown may be easing.

After a weak 2025, manufacturing is back in growth mode and that supports the case for a re-accelerating U.S. economy, not a late-cycle fade.

Overall, bullish tilt for US economy as re-acceleration strengthens.

muh experts

**TSA** · 02-02-2026

**velik_m** · 02-02-2026

Trump says U.S. and India reached trade deal, will lower tariffs immediately

The U.S. and India have reached a trade deal and will immediately move to lower tariffs on each other’s goods, President Donald Trump announced.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also agreed to buy American products “at a much higher level” as part of the agreement, Trump said in a Truth Social post on Monday following a call with the Indian leader.

Modi also committed to “stop buying Russian Oil, and to buy much more from the United States and, potentially, Venezuela,” Trump said in the post.

...

https://www.cnbc.com/2026/02/02/trum...l-tariffs.html

**ChumpDumper** · 02-02-2026

An expert:

Susan Spence, who chairs the ISM Manufacturing Business Survey Committee, also noted that in addition to reordering after the holiday, "some buying appears to be to get ahead of expected price increases due to ongoing tariff issues."

**Blake** · 02-02-2026

Originally Posted by ChumpDumper

An expert:

Susan Spence, who chairs the ISM Manufacturing Business Survey Committee, also noted that in addition to reordering after the holiday, "some buying appears to be to get ahead of expected price increases due to ongoing tariff issues."

Tsa confused if he should lol at that expert or not

**Winehole23** · 02-06-2026

The U.S. also promised to review its 50% taxes on Argentine steel and aluminum imports — a disappointment to manufacturers in Argentina who expected the trade agreement to eliminate the crippling tariff outright. The deal also shows the U.S. quadrupling the current amount of Argentine beef it imports at a lower tariff rate to 100,000 tons per year.

https://www.npr.org/2026/02/06/nx-s1...-us-trade-deal

**Winehole23** · 02-06-2026

The U.S. also promised to review its 50% taxes on Argentine steel and aluminum imports — a disappointment to manufacturers in Argentina who expected the trade agreement to eliminate the crippling tariff outright. The deal also shows the U.S. quadrupling the current amount of Argentine beef it imports at a lower tariff rate to 100,000 tons per year.

https://www.npr.org/2026/02/06/nx-s1...-us-trade-deal

**velik_m** · 02-07-2026

Facing high Trump tariffs, Africa’s leading economy says it’s close to a new trade deal with China

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — China and South Africa signed a framework agreement for a new trade deal on Friday as Africa’s leading economy looks to other options following the high import tariffs imposed on it by the U.S. and its diplomatic fallout with the Trump administration.

South Africa’s Ministry of Trade and Industry said the agreement would start negotiations over a deal that would give some South African goods, such as fruit, duty-free access to the Chinese market. The ministry said it expected the trade deal to be finalized by the end of March.

In return, the trade ministry said China will get enhanced investment opportunities in South Africa, where its car sales have seen rapid growth.

The U.S. slapped 30% duties on some South African goods under U.S. President Donald Trump’s reciprocal tariffs policy — one of the higher rates applied across the world. South Africa has said it is still negotiating with the U.S. for a better deal.
...

https://apnews.com/article/china-sou...661ad714843382

**Winehole23** · 02-09-2026

Fire, ready, aim

Michigan has lost 6,300 manufacturing jobs since Trump took office .. Canada was Michigan’s primary export market. Now its wheat exports are down 89 percent ..

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opini...de-war-canada/

**Winehole23** · 02-09-2026

(Trump is nuking Michigan Republicans)

**Winehole23** · 02-09-2026

I think a lot of state level Republicans are starting to see the writing on the wall that Trump is electoral Kryptonite...but that realization might already be too late

**velik_m** · 02-10-2026

US Consumer Credit Rises Much more than Expected in December

Total US consumer credit rose by $24.05 billion in December 2025, following an upwardly revised $4.70 billion gain in November and way above market expectations of an $8 billion increase.

It is equivalent to an increase of about 5.7% at an annual rate.

Revolving credit increased by $13.85 billion in December, after decreasing $1.69 billion in November.

Nonrevolving credit, which includes auto and student loans, rose $10.20 billion in December, following a $6.38 billion gain in the previous month.

https://tradingeconomics.com/united-...it/news/523974

**velik_m** · 02-10-2026

Taiwan says 40% shift of chip capacity to US is 'impossible'

...
On Tuesday, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the government needed to bring semiconductors to the U.S.

"You can't have all semiconductor manufacturing 80 miles from China," he said. "That's just illogical ... So we need to bring it back."

"When we leave office my goal, for this administration, is 40% market share in leading-edge semiconductor manufacturing."

Taiwan and the U.S. reached a deal last month to lower tariffs on the island's exports to 15% from 20% and for Taiwan to increase its investment in the country.

Cheng said that there would be no relocation of Taiwan's science parks, but Taiwan was willing to share its experience in building an industry cluster and help the U.S. develop a similar environment.

She also said she was confident that Taiwan's semiconductor capacity - including existing, under construction and planned projects across advanced manufacturing, advanced packaging and the broader supply chain - would far exceed its investment in the U.S. or any other country.
...

https://www.reuters.com/world/china/...le-2026-02-09/

**Blake** · 02-10-2026

Originally Posted by velik_m

https://tradingeconomics.com/united-...it/news/523974

That's how Christmas was paid for this past year by many families apparently.

**Blake** · 02-10-2026

".....President Donald Trump's tariffs cost the average American household $1,000 last year, according to new research from the nonpartisan Tax Foundation.

The cost is set to go even higher this year to $1,300 per household, assuming the existing tariffs stay in place, the research said...."

https://abcnews.go.com/Business/trum...y?id=130003484

BUT THE COMPANIES WILL EAT IT! TRUMP SAID SO!

**Winehole23** · 02-10-2026

Mike Johnson is losing control of his own caucus

House Republican leaders are on the brink of losing a key procedural vote today as Speaker Mike Johnson once again asks GOP moderates to give President Donald Trump a pass on tariffs.

Johnson’s leadership team added a provision to the rule being voted on this afternoon that would ban members from bringing up resolutions challenging Trump’s tariff regime. The ban would remain in place until August.

Johnson has done this multiple times during this Congress to protect Trump. But now, moderates have grown sick of it.

Reps. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) and Kevin Kiley (R-Calif.) both told us they’re likely to vote no, breaking with Johnson and Trump.

“I made it clear that I’m not in favor of that,” said Kiley, who opposed Johnson’s last extension of the blockade.

Bacon said tariffs aren’t good for the economy, manufacturing jobs or the agriculture industry.
“American consumers pay the tariffs and thus it is a big tax,” Bacon added. “I support giving these authorities back to Congress.”

https://punchbowl.news/article/house...iff-rebellion/

**Blake** · 02-10-2026

Originally Posted by Winehole23

Mike Johnson is losing control of his own caucus

https://punchbowl.news/article/house...iff-rebellion/

Just words. I'm betting they all fall back in line to Trump's demands like usual.

**velik_m** · 02-10-2026

Europe’s $24 Trillion Breakup With Visa and Mastercard Has Begun

...
What’s happening? ECB President Christine Lagarde told Irish radio that Europe needs its own digital payment system “urgently,” warning that virtually all European card and mobile payments currently run through non-European infrastructure controlled by Visa, Mastercard, PayPal or Alipay. Days later, on 2 February, the European Payments Initiative (EPI) and the EuroPA Alliance signed a landmark agreement to build a pan-European interoperable payment network covering 130 million users across 13 countries. The system, built around the digital wallet Wero, aims to let Europeans pay and transfer money across borders without touching a single American network.

...

https://europeanbusinessmagazine.com...ard-has-begun/