kscarbel2

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/detroit-carmakers-save-billions-trump-200000736.html

WSJ / 9-2-2025 Based on what’s happening in the black market for oil, the White House’s new import levy on India is backfiring. President Trump last week doubled India’s tariff rate to 50% to punish it for buying sanctioned Russian oil. Indian refineries have become major buyers of Moscow’s crude since the war in Ukraine began. The higher tariffs caused some ripples in the global black market, where around 6 million barrels of oil trade a day. Spooked Indian buyers dumped sanctioned Russian crude and ordered from the Middle East instead. Russian cargoes were bought by opportunistic buyers in China: Orders for Russia’s Urals crude that will be delivered in October increased almost 10-fold compared with levels for September. But Moscow cut the price of its oil to win back its Indian customers. A now $7 difference between a barrel of Urals and an equivalent grade from Oman is too good for India’s refineries to refuse. New Delhi also gave the green light for the purchases to continue, so flows are returning to normal. The unintended effect of the U.S. crackdown has therefore been to make Russia’s already discounted oil even cheaper for India. As of Friday, a barrel of Urals costs India $1 less than it did before the White House first threatened the higher tariff. The amount of crude under Western sanctions is at a record high: 15% of the world’s total oil supply, Kpler data shows. The black market to trade this illicit crude is increasingly sophisticated. In 2022, 427 so-called shadow vessels were suspected of transporting sanctioned energy for Iran and Venezuela. The fleet has quadrupled in size since Russia’s energy exports were sanctioned three years ago. With so much discounted oil on offer, Beijing and New Delhi have been making hay. A third of China’s crude imports now come from sanctioned producers, up from 23% in 2021. India’s share of sanctioned barrels is higher at 37% of its oil imports, up from just 1% four years ago. A barrel of Urals crude costs India $1 less than it did before the White House first threatened the higher tariff. India’s energy policy may not have been the White House’s only target. The 50% tariff rate also looks like a tactic to force concessions in trade talks with New Delhi. U.S. demands that India open up its agricultural market have been a sticking point in negotiations. The new levy will be painful for India, potentially shaving 0.8 percentage point off the country’s economic growth. So far, the pressure hasn’t worked. New Delhi is reacting by moving closer to Russia and China. Prime Minister Narendra Modi made his first trip to China in over seven years this week to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit. India’s Foreign Minister traveled to Moscow in recent days and the countries agreed to increase bilateral trade by 50% over the next five years. The episode makes the White House’s energy policies look conflicted. Until recently, it suited the U.S. and Europe for India to buy Russian crude because it keeps energy prices in check for Western consumers by keeping supply high and reducing demand for unsanctioned oil. And the U.S. hasn’t moved as aggressively against China, which also imports millions of barrels a day of sanctioned oil from both Russia and Iran. The White House probably wants to remove the advantage that cheap oil hands to India and strategic rival China. But enforcing sanctions properly will mean higher prices at the pump for Americans. Its latest policy has only made black-market oil more enticing.

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https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2025/08/28/nolte-cracker-barrel-finally-removes-grooming-page-from-website/

“Effective immediately, we are pausing all issuance of worker visas for commercial truck drivers. The increasing number of foreign drivers operating large tractor-trailer trucks on U.S. roads is endangering American lives and undercutting the livelihoods of American truckers.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio https://www.breitbart.com/economy/2025/08/21/marco-rubio-denies-new-visas-migrant-truckers/

From 1:39:20 .

COVID began in North Carolina ? Watch 11:30 to 22:00 .

I see Zelensky still hasn't figured out how to properly dress for a visit to the White House.

FCA was foolish not to bring the Iveco Powerstar and/or Strator to the US and market it under the Dodge brand.

This is a sad and mistaken development. I knew many of Iveco's truck engineers. Their engineering prowess was world class. I would have liked to see the Italian government give greater support to their home team truckmaker. It's convoluted when a third world country's conglomerate is in a position to takeover successful light vehicle (Land Rover) and commercial truck (Iveco) brands of the west. Just as the DoJ was all too happy to hand over the majority of American truckmakers to foreign aggressors. Very puzzling why they sell off the home team, stabbing the country in the back. Not to mention that commercial truck manufacturing is a matter of national security.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2025-08-13/bessent-says-fed-rates-should-be-150-175-bps-lower-video

The real thing now to think about is should we get a 50 basis-point rate cut in September. Scott Bessent (Two days after the Fed left rates unchanged July 30, revised data showed weaker job growth for May and June than official figures had previously indicated.)

Agreed! Ford Pro is not focused on "real" commercial trucks.

https://www.breitbart.com/immigration/2025/08/07/trump-wants-to-exclude-illegal-migrants-from-next-census/

A 30% probability of a US recession might sound like a red flag, yet global stocks remain buoyant as betting against the market momentum feels almost irrational. The key point is that the market can’t look far enough. This is why it will ignore the recession risk. Goldman Sachs

Just drove back from the west coast. I saw late model Ford mediums everywhere. I even inspected a new F-650 at a Ford Pro location. They have that truck's engineering down to a science. Best bang for the buck in medium.

JPMorgan and Bank of America “debanked” President Trump for his role in the January 6 Capitol Hill melee following pressure from the Biden administration’s banking regulators and the Federal Reserve. The exact reason for Trump and his tens of millions of dollars in holdings being kicked off the JPMorgan banking platform, and then denied access to Bank of America’s services has yet to be reported. But sources at the banks, the two largest in the US in terms of assets, confirmed the cause stemmed from the controversy surrounding Trump’s actions that day, and threats from Biden’s bank regulators that banking the former president’s money put them at in danger of falling afoul of rule that prohibit financial institution from doing business with individuals and companies that present a “reputational risk.” They said Biden’s banking cops at the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the FDIC and the Federal Reserve used the nebulous nature of the edict to go beyond debanking money launderers and drug kingpins. They were pressured to include people who have heterodox political and business ties that often included conservatives and anyone who participated in the January 6 protests.

https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/36024-the-autocar-gas-turbine-coe/#comment-248956 http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/index.php?/topic/31891-the-gas-turbine-general-motors-bison-iii/ http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/index.php?/topic/31898-the-gas-turbine-chevrolet-turbo-titan-iii/ http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/index.php?/topic/32110-where-was-cummins-during-the-gas-turbine-truck-race/ http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/index.php?/topic/32038-fords-futuristic-gas-turbine-big-red/ http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/index.php?/topic/32060-the-ford-w-1000-gas-turbine/ http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/index.php?/topic/31978-freightliners-turboliners/ http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/index.php?/topic/31951-the-gmc-astro-95-and-astro-ss-gas-turbine-tractors/ http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/index.php?/topic/32139-the-turbostar-from-international/ http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/index.php?/topic/32014-the-gt-601-gas-turbine-powered-macks/ http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/index.php?/topic/31883-paul-berliet-and-his-t100s/ .

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14974037/donald-trump-federal-takeover-washington-dc-doge-beaten.html https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-publishes-list-sanctuary-jurisdictions

. . . I want to hear that VAT on US products will be terminated. https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2025/07/27/america-first-eurocrats-lament-trump-rolled-over-brussels-in-disaster-trade-deal/