Donald Trump, his global trade proposals and Tata Steel in Port Talbot

Good afternoon All

I came across this article today, and although here in the UK, we've been seeing some media coverage of Donald Trump's campaign, until now I hadn't really seen anything on his stance in relation to global trade with the USA.

http://theloadstar.co.uk/trumps-war-on-the-american-supply-chain/?utm_source=The+Loadstar+daily+email&utm_campaign=d87c200f28-Top_Stories_3_April4_1_2016&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c4570e43d4-d87c200f28-125883633

It's certainly sparked some strong reaction from companies with global supply chains such as Ford. It's also quite topical as here in the UK, we're facing the shutdown of our last major steel plant (Tata) in Port Talbot and it's been said that the Chinese have been "dumping" their excess capacity into foreign markets such as the UK and making it impossible for the UK to compete. 

So Donald Trump's talk of 45% duty on Chinese imports is quite ironic as we (and the EU) are currently considering imposing what are known as "anti-dumping duties" on steel from China. However I heard yesterday that the Chinese have just imposed a +40% import duty on UK steel so they're clearly getting in there first!

Global trade - one things for sure, it's never boring...!

Please follow me on Twitter @AndyCliffSCL, visit our website www.straightforwardconsultancy.co.uk  and our blog http://straightforwardconsultancy.blogspot.co.uk/

Andy Cliff is an industry professional who launched his own logistics consultancy, Straightforward Consultancy Ltd (SCL) after a 30 year career in international logistics, working for companies such as DB Schenker, Kuehne & Nagel and DHL Global Forwarding in operational, sales and management roles.

 

Andy felt that in an increasingly complex and confusing world of logistics, UK importers and exporters needed a company alongside them which could help them to reduce costs, lessen their workload and provide expert advice and support day-to-day. Andy was part of the  judging panel for the 2015 Global Freight Awards, which recognize quality, innovation and performance in the field of international logistics.