Donald Trump Cries Wolf

US President Donald Trump paused tariffs on certain Canadian and Mexican goods. That makes it, two climbdowns in two days! [Note: China, however, received no such favor]. 

On Wednesday he said he would temporarily spare carmakers from 25% import taxes just a day after they came into effect – after pleas from Ford, General Motors and Stellantis, which have supply chains that stretch across North America. And on Thursday, he gave a one-month respite from 25-percent tariffs for goods covered under North America's free trade agreement, the US-Mexico-Canada agreement (USMCA), which Trump signed during his first term. 

A White House official admitted about 50% of US imports from Mexico and 62% from Canada could still face tariffs. Those proportions could change as firms change their practices in response to the order. 

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum thanked Trump for the move, while Dominic LeBlanc, Canada's finance minister said the country would in turn hold off on its threatened second round of retaliatory tariffs on US products.

This month-to-month threat of tariffs followed by last-minute reprieves is beginning to show Trump as the boy who cries wolf! 

Sure, the levy threat may compel some affected companies to make investments in the US in order to avoid the tariffs – but it remains to be seen if both the US and these firms will benefit in the long-term. I'm not so sure!

Malaysia's Pearly Tan-Thinaah Muralitharan struggled yesterday to cope with China's newly formed duo, Jia Yi Fan-Zhang Shu Xian's intensity and were eliminated in the quarter-finals of the Orleans Masters Badminton 2025, going down 21-15, 21-19. 

The Malaysian pair had previously faced the same twosome in the second round of the India Open, but the match was cut short when the latter was forced to retire due to injury.

Villainous GM

This is the story about villainous General Motors. The company knew for 13 years that their cars had a defective ignition switch that can kill people. In fact, thirteen deaths have been linked to it. 

But the company’s obsession with a "cost-benefit analysis" concluded that paying off the deceased's kin was going to be cheaper than having to install a replacement switch that cost just 57 cents. (The figure does not include labor costs). 

They then covered up their findings and continued to let millions drive around with the defective part in their cars. There would be no recalls. And even when people did die, as a result of this wilful negligence – it would seem that GM didn’t really give a damn. 

And the politics were just as disgusting. In 2007 a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration official recommended a formal investigation but was overruled by others in George W Bush's "business-friendly" Transportation Department. 

Mark Wilson/Getty Images 

It took another six years before the story emerged. That happened when Marry Barra (above photo) was named their CEO in January this year and she rightfully decided to tell the truth about what GM did. After that, it was one massive recall after another. 

Since February, GM have recalled 2.6 million cars – mostly Chevrolet Cobalts and Saturn Ions – over the faulty switch, which can cause the engine to cut off in traffic, disabling the power steering, power brakes and air bags and making it difficult to control the vehicle. 

Anyway, this is corporate America where profit reigns supreme. Even when human lives are involved, they too can be sacrificed. 

I sometimes think Malaysia is not very much different either.