By March 27, 2018, 12:36 AM EDT Auto workers in the U.S. hoping President Donald Trump’s tougher approach to China will help create jobs at home and cut the trade deficit by $100 billion may be in for a huge disappointment.Companies such as General Motors Co. and Ford Motor Co. are among companies that already make cars in China with domestic partners for the local buyer, not only to avoid the 25 percent import duty but also to take advantage of lower costs. GM’s partners in China include SAIC Motor Corp., while Ford has tied up with Changan Automobile Group and holds a stake in Jiangling Motors Corp.Cutting the tariff “will have no measurable impact on the U.S. trade deficit,” said Steve Man, an analyst with Bloomberg Intelligence. “It just doesn’t make sense to ship high volumes of vehicles into China since it’s still cheaper to build them there.”But for Elon Musk, the levy is a hurdle. The billionaire’s attempts to set up … [Read more...] about Trump’s Tariff Crusade Hardly Matters for U.S. Automakers in China
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Asia steel exporters seek more info on U.S. tariffs amid trade war fears
By Jane Chung and Kaori Kaneko SEOUL/TOKYO (Reuters) – Asian steel exporting nations took a wait-and-see approach to plans announced by U.S. President Donald Trump to impose hefty tariffs on steel and aluminium, saying they would talk to U.S. officials and see details of the plans before responding. Fears of an escalating trade war, hit the share prices of Asian steelmakers and manufacturers supplying U.S. markets particularly hard on Friday following a rough night on Wall Street. Trump said the duties of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminium would be formally announced next week, although White House officials later said some details still needed to be ironed out. Steel has become key focus for Trump, who pledged to restore the U.S. industry and punish what he sees as unfair trade practices, particularly by China. Although China only accounts for 2 percent of U.S. steel imports, its massive industry expansion has helped produce a global glut of steel that has driven … [Read more...] about Asia steel exporters seek more info on U.S. tariffs amid trade war fears
Seed firms scramble to stop a ‘cancer’ in Canada’s cash crop
By Rod Nickel WINNIPEG, Manitoba (Reuters) – Inside a laboratory in Winnipeg, Manitoba, a Monsanto Co research technician uses tweezers to transfer pollen from one canola plant to another, a small step toward creating a new breed of the vegetable oil-producing crop. It’s an early stage of a high-stakes effort to control the biggest threat to Canada’s C$27-billion canola industry – a crop disease called clubroot that presents unique challenges for Monsanto, along with rival seed developers DowDuPont and Bayer AG. The firms are scrambling to create new clubroot-resistant seeds, but all three firms say that the process takes most of a decade – and any solution may not last long because the clubroot pathogen quickly adapts. Worse, clubroot spores make themselves at home in the soil for up to 20 years, unlike most crop diseases that damage harvests for a single season. Another challenge is canola farmers themselves, who have rapidly spread clubroot by planting … [Read more...] about Seed firms scramble to stop a ‘cancer’ in Canada’s cash crop
Help create ‘poppy field’ at museum for WW1 tribute
TANK Museum visitors are invited to help sow a field of poppies today, as part of a national campaign marking 100 years since the end of the First World War. Inspired by a campaign led by The Memorial Mob – a group dedicated to creating memorials and events to help remember the uniformed services – visitors will be given special Flanders Remembrance Poppy seeds to sow in the Bovington museum's arena, in a bid to create ‘a carpet’ of the red flowers across the UK. The event was due to to be held yesterday but was postponed due to the bad weather. Museum director Richard Smith said: “We hope our visitors will join in to help us create what will be a beautifully poignant centrepiece for our First World War event this summer – where thousands of red flowers will act as an enduring reminder of those who gave their lives in the conflict.” Poppies are a well-known symbol of remembrance, beginning after they grew in abundance on the disturbed … [Read more...] about Help create ‘poppy field’ at museum for WW1 tribute
Ice Maidens create Antarctica record
An Army reservist who grew up in Bredgar was part of the first all-female team to cross Antarctica unaided. Sophie Montagne was one of six soldiers, dubbed the Ice Maidens, who travelled up to 45km a day, navigating treacherous crevasse fields while pulling sledges weighing up to 80kg and battling temperatures as low as minus 56C. They crossed the finish line at the Hercules Inlet on the western edge of the continent after spending 62 days trekking across frozen desert. The Ice Maidens in Antarctica Sophie, 34, lived in Bredgar most of her life until moving to Sussex 10 years ago. She went to Tunstall Primary until the age of 11 and then to an Ashford school. She grew up with parents, Vanessa and Jan-Ernst and brother Ross, now 36, on a farm in Bredgar. Her mum and dad still own the village farm shop which they lease out. Vanessa, 64, said: “We got a fantastic call from her on Saturday. “They were obviously thrilled to have done it. It was a huge selection process … [Read more...] about Ice Maidens create Antarctica record