More than 50 countries have reached out to the President to begin tariff negotiations

[putnam6]

I am just curious if you are implying here that you spend $350 a month on groceries? If so that is very cheap! Sheesh I seem to spend $350 per visit now! Not really, more like $100-$300. But a few times a month! Also though I don't buy the cheapest food I could perhaps lower that!

And I have changed my mind about credit cards because I got one that gives 3% back at supermarkets that I can use at Home Depot or such. Which pretty much counteracts one year of inflation, so I guess it's a bit of treading water, but it does add up. It is too painful watching cashiers try pitifully to count out change from using cash now.

 
$350 was approximately what one trip recently cost, but we go to the grocery store a lot it's just 5 minutes away. 

with 3 people; it's easy to hit, but for groceries, we get other deliveries occasionally, and we have a vegetable stand we hit for our tomatoes and other veggies, occasionally a Hello Fresh, and an Alaskan fish delivery and Omaha steaks


The salient point is that the increase is .4%, our total food/groceries bill is conservatively $1500, and the increase over 2024 would be 6 bucks a month $612 bucks a year. I saved that twice over by dropping the WaPo subscription alone.

But our main balancing point remains gasoline prices. Last time I calculated it was approaching $2700 saved already, through July...

and while I know not everybody drives that much, a lot of Americans do. 

We have had 3 months where we saved over .50 cents a gallon over the same months in 2024, and so far, only one month was the same. However, the 2025 petrol savings over 2022-2023 petrol prices are approaching $1.50 on multiple months, do the math

We can easily fill up 7-8 times a week with multiple 22-gallon tank vehicles, even more peak travel periods

[putnam6]

in other news ....


https://x.com/NewsNation/status/1971195229777633648

 

(NewsNation) — The nation’s real Gross Domestic Product increased at an annual rate of 3.8% in the second quarter of 2025, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.
That outperformed predictions of 3.3% made in Q2. The growth also comes after a 0.6% GDP decrease in Q1, revised numbers found. Original estimates placed the first quarter pullback at 0.5%.
BEA points to a decrease in imports and an increase in consumer spending for the estimated GDP growth in April, May and June.
New home sales surge 20% in August to a 3-year high Unemployment claims were also down in the BEA’s latest estimates — down 14,000 for a total of 218,000 in the week ending on Sept. 20.
The Q3 GDP will be released on Oct. 30, and some economists, investors and CEOs fear the country’s economy may be headed backward in that report because of sustained tariffs from President Donald Trump.
Yale’s Budget Lab estimates tariffs will result in a 0.5% decline in U.S. GDP both this year and next. It also forecasts a 0.3% rise in unemployment by the end of the year and a 0.7% rise by the end of 2026.
The predicted economic conditions are making it difficult for businesses to expand. Some companies are halting growth plans, while others are moving forward at great risk.
Northwestern Holdings CEO David Feniger told NewsNation his steel company is still making major capital investments, despite “scary” low demand in the past eight months.
“We had planned this prior to Trump. But we’re getting set back because we’re getting hurt on all our other business sides with the economy,” he said. “So, we’re trying to still put all this money into the business while we’re not making it.”
 

[putnam6]

Well the damn timing on this couldn't be worse, right before the largest market of the year in Chicago. It was already a chore getting appointments because of the ICE protests and hostile police and mayor in the Windy City.

Oh well, it is what it is. Uncertainty isn't good, hopefully, this is resolved quickly and is limited to a few sectors....

Coming on the heels of potentially getting gasoline below 2 bucks a gallon soon does help a little, but only if they make a deal SOON

[UltraBudgie]

Wow, Trump's affectation of surprise and puzzlement is so... convincing.

But what does he mean by "Magnets"? Why does he put that in quotes? What does it mean??? Can he not just say magnets like a normal person? Is he trying to drive us crazy imagining there's a secret code or something??

AARGH! This guy....


Anyway P hope the travel goes well

[putnam6]

Wow, Trump's affectation of surprise and puzzlement is so... convincing.

But what does he mean by "Magnets"? Why does he put that in quotes? What does it mean??? Can he not just say magnets like a normal person? Is he trying to drive us crazy imagining there's a secret code or something??

AARGH! This guy....


Anyway P hope the travel goes well

LOL I don't read or listen to Trump, he can be confusing AF.

I usually read 2-3 sentences, and my eyes are rolling uncontrollably.

Vance, Miller, Bessent, and Leavitt are much better communicators of the Trump administration

[chr0naut]

No taxation without representation!



... all those leaves in Boston harbour, it was insanitea!

[putnam6]

Just the extension of tariff pauses another 90 days alone means the apparel and textile sector gets through our main shipping months at 2024's previous tariff levels, at the very worst.

If we were to get a 5-15% reduction compared to 2024 levels, we could see real, sustained growth 

https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-econo...pe=section
 What we’re seeing now is a bit of a climbdown from those earlier positions,” said Chim Lee, a senior analyst at the Economist Intelligence Unit.


A “major deal” between the US and China is expected to be announced after the Trump-Xi meeting,
which will formalise the earlier framework agreement and extend existing tariff pauses,

according to James Downes, executive co-director of the Italian think tank Centre for Research and Social Progress (CeRSP).
 
“However, caution remains warranted, given the Trump administration’s unpredictable foreign policy behaviour in recent times,” he said. “A framework is only the first step. The real test will lie in execution between both giants.”

US-China framework deal only ‘first step’ towards ending trade war: analysts Talks in Malaysia may have paved the way for a broader trade deal, but the ‘real test’ will be implementing the pledges, analysts say
 
After two days of high-level US-China trade talks in Malaysia, Washington hinted the world’s two largest economies had found common ground on key issues ranging from tariffs to Beijing’s expanded rare earth export controls. But analysts cautioned the “real test” would come when both sides had to execute a resulting deal.
Both Chinese and US trade officials described the negotiations in Kuala Lumpur over the weekend as “constructive”, with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent adding that the meetings had been “very good”.
In an interview with CBS News on Sunday, Bessent hinted that issues that had arisen during a recent flare-up in tensions – including US threats to impose a 100 per cent additional tariff and China’s plans to expand its rare earth export control regime – were now off the table.He also indicated the two sides had ironed out details related to a prospective TikTok ownership agreement and that US farmers would be “extremely happy with this deal”, a possible reference to China resuming purchases of US soybeans.
Chinese trade representative Li Chenggang, meanwhile, said the talks had covered a wide range of topics, including export controls, tariffs, the US probe into Chinese shipbuilders and a possible “expansion of bilateral trade”.
Analysts said both sides were “walking a fine line” ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) forum in South Korea – where Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping are expected to meet on Thursday for the first time since the US president’s return to office in January – with both sides now seeking “strategic stability”.

“Both have been playing their cards extensively in the negotiations, and what we’re seeing now is a bit of a climbdown from those earlier positions,” said Chim Lee, a senior analyst at the Economist Intelligence Unit.
A “major deal” between the US and China is expected to be announced after the Trump-Xi meeting, which will formalise the earlier framework agreement and extend existing tariff pauses, according to James Downes, executive co-director of the Italian think tank Centre for Research and Social Progress (CeRSP).
“However, caution remains warranted, given the Trump administration’s unpredictable foreign policy behaviour in recent times,” he said. “A framework is only the first step. The real test will lie in execution between both giants.”

[putnam6]

IF and it's a big IF but Trump gets decent trade deals with China and the rest of Asia.

Watch the economy stretch its wings....The textile/apparel industry will be more than fine; it's those other crucial sectors 

[putnam6]

Market reaction should give us some clues 

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomac...e=homepage

‘We have a deal’: Trump reveals 1:12PM
Shipbuilding probe postponed: Greer
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, also speaking on board Air Force One after the leaders’ summit, says the US will postpone its investigation into Chinese shipbuilding. The issue has become a point of contention between the two nations, as Washington pushes its “Make American Shipbuilding Great Again” initiative and seeks support from allies to revitalise its shipbuilding industry.

1:04PM
Rare earthsTrump also claims the roadblock of China’s rare earth controls “is gone now”.
“Hopefully it will be disappeared from our vocabulary for a little while,” Trump tells reporters on Air Force One.
He says a one-year agreement for Beijing to pause controls on rare earths will be extended after a year.


1:00PM
Fentanyl tariff cutAccording to Trump, the two leaders agreed that China would “work very hard” on the fentanyl issue, despite it being complex. He says the 20 per cent fentanyl-related tariffs on Chinese goods will be reduced to 10 per cent, effective immediately.


12:58PM
‘Amazing’ meeting, visits setTrump describes the meeting as “amazing” and friendly and says he is headed to China next year. Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, he says: “We agreed I’ll be going to China in April” and that Xi was also expected to visit Palm Beach or Washington in the US.
The White House started livestreaming audio of the president taking questions from the press on Air Force One minutes after Trump’s departure.
Trump says the two sides agreed on several issues. He also rates the meeting as a 12 out of 10. “On the scale from 0 to 10 with 10 being the best, I would say the meeting was 12,” he says.
Trump says many issues were discussed but “Taiwan never came up”.
He says the issue of Ukraine was raised and the two sides talked about it for a long time, and that the US is willing to work together with China to see if they can “get the war finished”.


 

[putnam6]

https://www.wsj.com/economy/trade/trump-...t-89a1ea8d