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Mish's Global Economic Trend Analysis |
China's Exports Plunge 8% in July; Spotlight on US Trade Imbalance With China Posted: 09 Aug 2015 04:25 PM PDT In addition to bubble-busting events in real estate and the Chinese stock market, China now has to deal a plunge in exports. Following Saturday's report Chinese Exports Slump Over Eight Percent, analysts expect more China stimulus. Chinese exports tumbled 8.3 percent in July, their biggest drop in four months and far worse than expected, reinforcing expectations that Beijing will be forced to roll out more stimulus to support the world's second-largest economy.Cries for More Stimulus Excessive stimulus created property bubbles and an enormous stock market bubble. The average stock speculator has not even graduated from high school. The Washington Post reports: "Before peaking on June 12, China's stock market had risen by about 150 percent in a year, completely divorcing itself from increasingly worrying economic and corporate fundamentals. Frenzy gripped the nation; from high school students to farmers, ordinary Chinese citizens pooled ideas to take advantage of what looked like easy money. Thousands of people gathered in "street stock market saloons" in Shanghai from early afternoon until late in the evening to swap tips." Yet analysts want and expect more stimulus. The cry "do something" is overpowering even though huge problems were created precisely by "doing something", typically stimulus to meet absurd growth targets. Mish Action Item Proposal No one in their right mind believes Chinese growth is as high as China proclaims. And if China wants to do something that truly makes sense, I offer this simple proposal: abolish growth targets completely. Then, no analysts could make inane comments about needing more stimulus to meet targets, because there would be no inane targets to hit. Spotlight on US Trade Imbalance With China On May 5, Fortune reported U.S. trade deficit with China reaches all-time high. Just as the debate over free trade deals heats up in Washington, free trade advocates were hit with the ill-timed news that the trade deficit surged to $51.4 billion in March, up sharply from $35.9 billion in February.Current US Trade Numbers The above report was based on March trade, no doubt affected by the end of the West coast port strike. So let's hone in on the BEA Balance of Trade Report released August 5, for the month of June. The U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, through the Department of Commerce, announced today that the goods and services deficit was $43.8 billion in June, up $2.9 billion from $40.9 billion in May, revised. June exports were $188.6 billion, $0.1 billion less than May exports. June imports were $232.4 billion, $2.8 billion more than May imports.Comparison For July, China recorded a $43 billion trade surplus with the world. The latest numbers from the US are for June, but let's assume they will not change much. Of China's $43 billion surplus, $29 billion of it is from the US, the other $14 billion with the rest of the world. Analysts claim the "Yuan exchange rate has risen by 13.5 percent since June 2014". And on May 26, the IMF made this statement "Appreciation over the past year has brought the exchange rate to a level that is no longer undervalued." Yet, the US deficit with China persists, as do cries of Yuan manipulation in Congress. Mike "Mish" Shedlock http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com Mike "Mish" Shedlock is a registered investment advisor representative for SitkaPacific Capital Management. Sitka Pacific is an asset management firm whose goal is strong performance and low volatility, regardless of market direction. Visit http://www.sitkapacific.com/account_management.html to learn more about wealth management and capital preservation strategies of Sitka Pacific. |
Posted: 09 Aug 2015 09:24 AM PDT Pat Buchanan is the only high-profile Republican making any sense on the treaty with Iran. I discussed this on August 3 in Gulf Countries Now Back Iran Deal; Buchanan Explains Republicans' No-Win Situation. Obama vs. Bibi Buchanan continues to hit them out of the park. Here is his latest: Obama v. Bibi -- Fight to the Finish In his desperation to sink the Iran nuclear deal, Bibi Netanyahu is taking a hellish gamble.The Way to War Bibi is the way to war. So are the positions of any Republicans who wish to undo this deal. It is both hypocritical and unwise for Republican candidates to moan the US cannot trust Iran, then give Iran every reason to not trust the US. To help end this mess, the US should do exactly what Buchanan says, send Israel Ambassador Ron Dermer packing. Mike "Mish" Shedlock http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com Mike "Mish" Shedlock is a registered investment advisor representative for SitkaPacific Capital Management. Sitka Pacific is an asset management firm whose goal is strong performance and low volatility, regardless of market direction. Visit http://www.sitkapacific.com/account_management.html to learn more about wealth management and capital preservation strategies of Sitka Pacific. |
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That's the first and best defense every toddler learns. If you don't do anything, you don't get in trouble.
Somewhere along the way, it flips. "I didn't do anything when I had the chance," becomes a regret. The lost opportunity, the hand not extended, the skill not learned...
Wouldn't it be great if we knew what our regrets were when we still had time to do something about them?
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