International Trade
Carlos Slim has terminated collaboration with Elon Musk's Starlink following controversial accusations, redirecting $22 billion investment to Chinese and European companies. The decision came after Musk posted unsubstantiated claims about Slim's alleged criminal connections, resulting in a $7 billion loss for Musk and reduced US commercial presence in Latin America.
Multiple Executive Orders in early 2025 introduced significant tariff changes, including a 25% tariff on Mexico/Canada imports (currently paused) and an additional 10% tariff on China/Hong Kong imports. Steel and aluminum tariffs were amended to 25% for all imports, while various products face increased tariffs ranging from 25% to 100% through 2026.
Acer CEO announces 10% price increase on laptops in the US starting March 2025 due to Trump's tariffs, with the company's high-end gaming laptops potentially costing up to $4,178. The Consumer Technology Association warns that these tariffs could cost US customers $143 billion collectively, while offering minimal benefits to US industry.
Fentanyl, responsible for over 74,000 American deaths in 2023, primarily enters the US through Mexico using chemicals sourced from China and increasingly from India. Mexican cartels manufacture the drug using Chinese precursor chemicals, with 98% of US seizures occurring at the southwest border, while China maintains it has strict drug laws despite evidence of companies knowingly selling fentanyl-related chemicals.