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Germany, the strongest economy of Europe and the nation facing big onslaught from the United States President Donald Trump in his second term, is finally getting back its mojo to carve out a strong independent position distancing from its longtime ally the U.S. Despite the spectacular victory of the far right pro-Trump AFD in the recent national elections, the political mood in Berlin is aligned against far right and Trump helping the chancellor designate Frederick Merz of the CDU/CSU to consolidate his position as the head of a strong nation caring for its sovereignty and national interests.

On January 20, 2025, US President Donald Trump issued an executive order suspending all USAID and State Department-funded projects, totalling $60 billion, for 90 days. This decision was framed as a reassessment of foreign aid effectiveness and its alignment with the administration’s strategic priorities. The abrupt termination of nearly 10,000 foreign aid grants and contracts has sent economic and humanitarian shockwaves through countries in the Middle East, North Africa (MENA), and South Asia, raising concerns over regional stability, economic sustainability, and geopolitical realignments.

Continued from Part I of the article published at https://tryxyz.com/article29787-TRUMP-S-TARIFF-HIKE-ON-STEEL-AND-ALUMINIUM-WILL-HAVE-LITTLE-IMPACT-ON-CHINESE-INDUSTRY.

Analysts are in consensus that steel exports by China will remain elevated in the current year too as the country’s property market faces weak recovery prospects and investment in infrastructure projects is experiencing moderate growth. The two sectors have more than half the share of China’s steel use. Fall in demand there was partly compensated by higher order for steel emerging from the manufacturing sector. But this could not be enough to arrest the fall in China steel use in 2024 by 4.4% to below 900m tonnes.

There is a pressing need to create quality jobs for India’s growing population, and advancing difficult factor and product market reforms, complemented by continuing efforts to streamline regulations and address skill mismatches could reinvigorate private investment and increase formal employment, says International Monetary Fund (IMF).

President Donald Trump is keeping the pot boiling with daily major announcements. Globally, the trade front changes are creating turmoil and uncertainty among nations and financial markets. ‘Are they on or off?’ - Nations are left guessing. Should they retaliate or wait? If they retaliate, Trump promises to increase the tariffs further and if they wait, it would look like Trump has cowed them down. Indian officials are keeping quiet but have lowered tariffs on goods of interest to the USA.

Muslims live under the increasing threat of Hindu fundamentalism is explicit from what happened yesterday in the states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Hindu zealots enjoying patronage of the RSS and Narendra Modi resorted to all kind of manoeuvres to foment violence. The gangs of Bajrang Dal cadres and members of the other saffron militant outfits moved around the cities and towns raising slogans which were not all relevant for the auspicious occasion. They even scripted “Jai Sriram” on the walls of some the mosques.

KOLKATA: Even one instance of burial of one victim of violence can serve as a commentary on the ethnic strife-scarred Manipur, which witnessed a fresh bout of violence – though short-lived – on March 8 as the administration under President’s rule proceeded to implement Union home minister Amit Shah’s directive on March 1 that there should be free movement of vehicles and people with effect from March 8.

VIENNA: With European sovereignty under attack from Donald Trump and his national security plunderers, er, advisors—will Denmark eventually capitulate to the orange monster’s protection racket threat to take over Greenland? It is still refreshing to note that there are at least oases of the old continent’s Social Democracy which stand against the ever more powerful encroachment of American neo-liberal domination. One of those oases is Vienna, where the hard-fought gains of the Socialist movement of the 1920s still endure.

The US President Donald Trump, in his first address to the US Congress following his election, has threatened to impose tariffs on countries that he considers are taking advantage of US trade policies. In his list is India, along with Canada, Mexico, China, Brazil and the European Union. Trump has repeatedly named India as a country that is levying exorbitant tariffs on US products. He even called India a ‘tariff king’. Trump threatened that from April 2, he would levy ‘reciprocal tariffs’.

Corporate capitalism in India is today in the grip of crisis. Economy keeps falling deeper. Data predicts further sliding to be a four year low of 6.4 per cent in 2024–25, mainly on account of a poor showing in the manufacturing and services sectors, according to government data released on January 8, 2025.