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https://www.rt.com/news/460735-us-bullying-36-countries/
What diplomacy? Here are 36 countries the US has bullied this week
Published time: 31 May, 2019 12:52 Edited time: 1 Jun, 2019 08:33
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© Global Look Press / Uwe Skrzypczak
Mexico is the latest target, slapped with 5 percent tariffs on each and every export, gradually increasing to 25 percent until it stops the flow of Latin American migrants into the US, thus fulfilling one of President Donald Trump’s election promises. Most of those migrants aren’t even from Mexico.
On the other side of the world, India is reportedly about to be forced to face a choice: ditch the purchase of Russian S-400 air defense systems or face sanctions under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA, Washington's go-to cooperation enforcement instrument).
Also on rt.com US threatens ‘serious implications’ for defence ties with India as it stands defiant over S-400 deal
Turkey is facing a similar ultimatum: abandon S-400s (something Ankara has repeatedly refused to do) or lose access to the F-35 fighter jet program. This threat was repeated on Thursday by Kathryn Wheelbarger, US acting assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs. Ankara has already invested some $1.25 billion into the super-expensive American fighter, but with a lot of its parts being made in Turkey, it’s still an open question who would be the bigger loser.
The entire European Union could be facing punishment if it tries to trade with Iran using its non-dollar humanitarian mechanism to bypass the American embargo. Having worked hard on the 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran, which has repeatedly been confirmed to be working, EU member states are not ready to ditch trade at Trump’s whim – and US Special Representative to Iran Brian Hook on Thursday reaffirmed the threat of CAATSA sanctions.
Also on rt.com US to punish anyone using EU's alternative payment system with Iran to skirt sanctions
Cuba, the rediscovered scapegoat of the Trump administration’s newfound anti-socialist drive, is being called out for supporting Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. On his Thursday visit to Canada, US Vice President Mike Pence said Ottawa must stop Havana’s “malign influence” on Caracas’ affairs – despite Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s meek objections that it could play a “positive role” in settling the crisis there.
That’s 32 countries bullied, threatened or sanctioned in one day (counting the 28 EU members). Years’ worth of gunboat diplomacy, packed into a busy few hours in Trump’s signature “my way or the highway” style.
Mentioning Iran (which was “almost certainly” behind a recent inept attack on oil tankers near the Persian Gulf), China (which dares to buy Iranian oil), Russia (which has “probably” restarted low-yield nuclear tests) and Venezuela (where the ouster of its elected president is the only result of long-awaited talks with the opposition that Washington will accept) – is almost an afterthought. There’s hardly a week passing without the Trump administration churning out half-a-dozen accusations and threats against one or all of those – and this week, the gears were grinding as hard as ever.
Here’s a visual aid: every nation the US has threatened this week, colored in on a map.
American influence, built up over decades, is undeniable: even its adversaries depend on the US dollar and are arguably at the mercy of its myriad military bases all over the globe. Trump and his hawkish inner circle have been more than willing to spend that credit by shouting at everyone to get in line.
In the worst-case scenario, he is dragging the world into devastating wars. In the best case, he is throwing that influence away, showing allies and rivals alike that an ugly divorce could be the only way out of this abusive relationship.
Subscribe to RT newsletter to get stories the mainstream media won’t tell you.
https://www.rt.com/business/460648-us-sanctions-eu-iran-instex/
US to punish anyone using EU's alternative payment system with Iran to skirt sanctions
Published time: 30 May, 2019 13:49 Edited time: 30 May, 2019 14:53
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A view of the Iranian capital Tehran's central Horr Square © AFP / Atta Kenare
Washington is ready to impose sanctions against the European financial settlement (INSTEX) mechanism, which would allow trade to continue between the EU and Iran, US Special Representative to Iran Brian Hook warned on Thursday.
The financial channel, which was announced by Germany, France and the UK in January, is aimed to enable “legitimate trade” with Iran in the wake of US sanctions against the Islamic Republic.
"If this mechanism starts working ... We are ready to impose sanctions on any activity subject to restrictions," Hook said during a telephone briefing.
Bloomberg had reported earlier that the US Treasury Department’s undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, Sigal Mandelker, sent a letter on May 7 warning that INSTEX and anyone associated with it could be barred from the US financial system, if it goes into effect.
Also on rt.com EU countries move to evade US’ Iran sanctions by setting up payment channel for ‘humanitarian’ trade
Sources told the media that European envoys had earlier downplayed the significance of the payment mechanism, in discussions they'd held with the White House. Washington, however, has decided that the three largest EU powers (France, Germany and the UK) were far more serious about it than they had originally said.
The EU countries had been considering the idea of a special payment channel with Iran since last year, after the US’ dramatic withdrawal from the landmark nuclear deal, signed by Tehran and six world powers in 2015. Washington then reintroduced its sanctions against Iran, ignoring its partners' advice.
Also on rt.com Switzerland & Iran developing payment channel to bypass US sanctions
The new mechanism aimed to preserve the 2015 Iranian deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), by continuing trade with the Islamic Republic, and it is “conditioned upon Iran’s full implementation of its nuclear-related commitments.”
Some experts, however, said the mechanism was useless and won’t change anything for European companies, who cannot feel confident that they could work in Iran without being subject to US sanctions.
READ MORE: Tired of waiting: Iran slams Europe for ‘lagging behind’ in launching trade mechanism
At the initial stage, INSTEX would have facilitated trade between the companies of the three EU nations and Iran by bypassing the SWIFT international payments system and focussing on high-priority “humanitarian goods,” such as food and medical supplies.
Tehran has recently criticized Europe for “lagging behind” in launching the trade mechanism. The country’s foreign minister, Mohammed Javad Zarif, said that Europeans have “no excuse” for delaying the launch of the mechanism any further and that Iran would not simply “continue to wait for them.”
For more stories on economy & finance visit RT's business section
https://www.rt.com/news/460713-us-india-sanctions-s400/
US threatens ‘serious implications’ for defence ties with India as it stands defiant over S-400 deal
Published time: 31 May, 2019 07:49 Edited time: 1 Jun, 2019 08:32
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Russian S-400 anti-aircraft missile launching system (FILE PHOTO) © AFP/Alexander Nemenov
Moscow and New Delhi sealed a $5 billion S-400 accord in 2015. Since then, the US has been pressing India to buy American equipment instead, offering Patriot and THAAD missiles as an alternative.
“The S-400 [deal] is significant because of CAATSA sanctions. It’s also significant because of what it precludes, in terms of future high-tech cooperation,” an anonymous senior State Department official is reported as saying by the Times of India.
Also on rt.com US wants India to swap Russian S-400s for THAAD & Patriots, but will it take the bait?
Washington constantly threatens India with retaliation under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) issued by the US Congress to hinder arms purchases from Russia. Despite the pressure, New Delhi has remained defiant and made a clear point that it would stick to the deal. The Indian Army’s Chief General Bipin Rawat previously confirmed that the deal would proceed and insisted his country won’t be told what to do as it “follows an independent policy”.
India and Russia have a long history of arms trading, with Moscow being New Delhi’s biggest weapons importer. Now the US, which is number 2, apparently wants to change that.
The official added, that Washington is strongly against mixing their systems with foreign ones, saying “there are threats posed by the purchase of an S-400.” That’s why India has to choose where “its military relations [are] headed” and “with who it [is] going to share the highest technology and that operating environment”.
Also on rt.com Purchase of S-400 systems will be ‘devastating’ for Turkey’s F-35 program – Pentagon
So far, the US threats have failed to stop a steady flow of S-400 orders. Washington has put massive pressure on Turkey for a similar deal with Moscow. It threatens to halt deliveries of its military equipment pre-ordered by Ankara and to suspend training programs for Turkish pilots of US fighter jets. Despite that, Turkey expects first batteries to be delivered already this summer.
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https://www.thestar.com.my/news/wor...-to-india-drops-its-developing-nation-status/
Trump brings tariff war to India, drops its developing nation status
WASHINGTON (Bloomberg): President Donald Trump opened another potential front in his trade war on Friday, terminating india’s designation as a developing nation and thereby eliminating an exception that allowed the country to export nearly 2,000 products to the US duty-free.
"I have determined that India has not assured the United States that India will provide equitable and reasonable access to its markets,” Trump said in a proclamation.
"Accordingly, it is appropriate to terminate india’s designation as a beneficiary developing country effective June 5, 2019.”
The action, which the administration has foreshadowed for months, ends india’s preferential treatment under the Generalized System of Preferences, a decades-old program designed to promote economic development around the world.
India said in response that it had offered resolutions to the US during bilateral trade discussions, and it’s "unfortunate” that those weren’t accepted. While the country will continue to work on improving ties with the US, its trade decisions would be guided by its own "development imperatives and concerns,” India’s trade ministry said in a statement.
The Trump administration has said concerns over market access for US goods being exported to india led them to withdraw the benefits, which prohibited duties on about US$5.7bil in imports in 2017, according to the Congressional Research Service.
It follows a move by Trump in May to end Turkey’s preferential trade treatment.
Turkey was the fifth-largest beneficiary of the programme – which allowed some Turkish exporters to sell products in the US duty free – in 2017 with US$1.7bil in covered imports to the US.
India was the largest with US$5.7bil, according to a Research Service report issued in January.
The White House announcement came just a day after indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was sworn into office for a second term after a landslide victory in last week’s national elections.
Indian lawmakers warned of a potential economic crisis.
Trump’s decision was a "double whammy” after the nation "succumbed to US pressure” by not buying crude oil from Iran on favourable terms, Randeep Surjewala, chief spokesman of the National Congress Party, said Saturday, according to the Economic Times.
Among the industries most at risk would be agriculture, auto parts and pharmaceuticals, Surjewala said. "We urge Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make a comprehensive statement on the issue to the nation and place before the public a way forward to overcome this grave trade and economic crisis,” Surjewala told reporters in New Delhi.
Indian exporters may have forgo benefits worth US$260mil after the US elimination, according to the Federation of Indian Export Organisations.
While the warning came months ago that the White House could cut India’s preferential treatment, the Trump administration decided to hold off on the announcement until after India’s elections to avoid hurting Modi politically, according to people familiar with the matter who asked to not be identified in order to discuss internal deliberations.
US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, who’s grown increasingly irked over India’s trade barriers and practices, has a longstanding frustration with the country’s self-designation as a developing nation at the World Trade Organization, the people said.
Still, earlier this week Trump removed India from its currency monitoring list of major trading partners – it had been added to the list a year ago – and Secretary of State Michael Pompeo termed the country a "great ally.”
The March notice gave India two months to address the administration’s concerns before Trump made the end to the tariff treatment official.
The proclamation issued by the White House on Friday also subjects solar cells and washing machines from India and Turkey to duties imposed by Trump in 2018. Both nations had been exempted because of their status as developing countries.
Dan Anthony, executive director of the Coalition for GSP, a trade group, said that the decision "will cost American businesses over US$300mil in additional tariffs every year.”
"There are no winners from today’s decision,” Anthony said in a statement.
"American importers will pay more, while some American exporters will continue to face current market access barriers in india and others, including farmers, are very likely to be subject to new retaliatory tariffs.” – Bloomberg
What diplomacy? Here are 36 countries the US has bullied this week
Published time: 31 May, 2019 12:52 Edited time: 1 Jun, 2019 08:33
Get short URL
© Global Look Press / Uwe Skrzypczak
- 6521
- 3
Mexico is the latest target, slapped with 5 percent tariffs on each and every export, gradually increasing to 25 percent until it stops the flow of Latin American migrants into the US, thus fulfilling one of President Donald Trump’s election promises. Most of those migrants aren’t even from Mexico.
On the other side of the world, India is reportedly about to be forced to face a choice: ditch the purchase of Russian S-400 air defense systems or face sanctions under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA, Washington's go-to cooperation enforcement instrument).
Also on rt.com US threatens ‘serious implications’ for defence ties with India as it stands defiant over S-400 deal
Turkey is facing a similar ultimatum: abandon S-400s (something Ankara has repeatedly refused to do) or lose access to the F-35 fighter jet program. This threat was repeated on Thursday by Kathryn Wheelbarger, US acting assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs. Ankara has already invested some $1.25 billion into the super-expensive American fighter, but with a lot of its parts being made in Turkey, it’s still an open question who would be the bigger loser.
The entire European Union could be facing punishment if it tries to trade with Iran using its non-dollar humanitarian mechanism to bypass the American embargo. Having worked hard on the 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran, which has repeatedly been confirmed to be working, EU member states are not ready to ditch trade at Trump’s whim – and US Special Representative to Iran Brian Hook on Thursday reaffirmed the threat of CAATSA sanctions.
Also on rt.com US to punish anyone using EU's alternative payment system with Iran to skirt sanctions
Cuba, the rediscovered scapegoat of the Trump administration’s newfound anti-socialist drive, is being called out for supporting Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. On his Thursday visit to Canada, US Vice President Mike Pence said Ottawa must stop Havana’s “malign influence” on Caracas’ affairs – despite Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s meek objections that it could play a “positive role” in settling the crisis there.
That’s 32 countries bullied, threatened or sanctioned in one day (counting the 28 EU members). Years’ worth of gunboat diplomacy, packed into a busy few hours in Trump’s signature “my way or the highway” style.
Mentioning Iran (which was “almost certainly” behind a recent inept attack on oil tankers near the Persian Gulf), China (which dares to buy Iranian oil), Russia (which has “probably” restarted low-yield nuclear tests) and Venezuela (where the ouster of its elected president is the only result of long-awaited talks with the opposition that Washington will accept) – is almost an afterthought. There’s hardly a week passing without the Trump administration churning out half-a-dozen accusations and threats against one or all of those – and this week, the gears were grinding as hard as ever.
Here’s a visual aid: every nation the US has threatened this week, colored in on a map.
American influence, built up over decades, is undeniable: even its adversaries depend on the US dollar and are arguably at the mercy of its myriad military bases all over the globe. Trump and his hawkish inner circle have been more than willing to spend that credit by shouting at everyone to get in line.
In the worst-case scenario, he is dragging the world into devastating wars. In the best case, he is throwing that influence away, showing allies and rivals alike that an ugly divorce could be the only way out of this abusive relationship.
Subscribe to RT newsletter to get stories the mainstream media won’t tell you.
https://www.rt.com/business/460648-us-sanctions-eu-iran-instex/
US to punish anyone using EU's alternative payment system with Iran to skirt sanctions
Published time: 30 May, 2019 13:49 Edited time: 30 May, 2019 14:53
Get short URL
A view of the Iranian capital Tehran's central Horr Square © AFP / Atta Kenare
Washington is ready to impose sanctions against the European financial settlement (INSTEX) mechanism, which would allow trade to continue between the EU and Iran, US Special Representative to Iran Brian Hook warned on Thursday.
The financial channel, which was announced by Germany, France and the UK in January, is aimed to enable “legitimate trade” with Iran in the wake of US sanctions against the Islamic Republic.
"If this mechanism starts working ... We are ready to impose sanctions on any activity subject to restrictions," Hook said during a telephone briefing.
In call, US’ Hook says still doesn’t believe INSTEX will get interest from European companies. And says sanctions would only apply if it were used for sanctionable trades, NOT for “permitted transactions” — food, agri, medical devices, medicine. @eu_eeas
— laurence norman (@laurnorman) May 30, 2019
The US representative voiced doubts that Tehran would be able to build a "mirror mechanism" to ensure transactions from its side. Washington doesn’t see any demand from businesses for incorporation into such a mechanism, Hook noted.— laurence norman (@laurnorman) May 30, 2019
Bloomberg had reported earlier that the US Treasury Department’s undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, Sigal Mandelker, sent a letter on May 7 warning that INSTEX and anyone associated with it could be barred from the US financial system, if it goes into effect.
Also on rt.com EU countries move to evade US’ Iran sanctions by setting up payment channel for ‘humanitarian’ trade
Sources told the media that European envoys had earlier downplayed the significance of the payment mechanism, in discussions they'd held with the White House. Washington, however, has decided that the three largest EU powers (France, Germany and the UK) were far more serious about it than they had originally said.
Hook says U.S. doesn't see any corporate demand for INSTEX and that it would sanction any sanctionable behavior,
— Golnaz Esfandiari (@GEsfandiari) May 30, 2019
The US has been warning businesses, government officials and staff working to set up the mechanism about the consequences they face if they continued to do business in Iran, the sources said.— Golnaz Esfandiari (@GEsfandiari) May 30, 2019
The EU countries had been considering the idea of a special payment channel with Iran since last year, after the US’ dramatic withdrawal from the landmark nuclear deal, signed by Tehran and six world powers in 2015. Washington then reintroduced its sanctions against Iran, ignoring its partners' advice.
Also on rt.com Switzerland & Iran developing payment channel to bypass US sanctions
The new mechanism aimed to preserve the 2015 Iranian deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), by continuing trade with the Islamic Republic, and it is “conditioned upon Iran’s full implementation of its nuclear-related commitments.”
Some experts, however, said the mechanism was useless and won’t change anything for European companies, who cannot feel confident that they could work in Iran without being subject to US sanctions.
READ MORE: Tired of waiting: Iran slams Europe for ‘lagging behind’ in launching trade mechanism
At the initial stage, INSTEX would have facilitated trade between the companies of the three EU nations and Iran by bypassing the SWIFT international payments system and focussing on high-priority “humanitarian goods,” such as food and medical supplies.
Tehran has recently criticized Europe for “lagging behind” in launching the trade mechanism. The country’s foreign minister, Mohammed Javad Zarif, said that Europeans have “no excuse” for delaying the launch of the mechanism any further and that Iran would not simply “continue to wait for them.”
For more stories on economy & finance visit RT's business section
https://www.rt.com/news/460713-us-india-sanctions-s400/
US threatens ‘serious implications’ for defence ties with India as it stands defiant over S-400 deal
Published time: 31 May, 2019 07:49 Edited time: 1 Jun, 2019 08:32
Get short URL
Russian S-400 anti-aircraft missile launching system (FILE PHOTO) © AFP/Alexander Nemenov
- 1
Moscow and New Delhi sealed a $5 billion S-400 accord in 2015. Since then, the US has been pressing India to buy American equipment instead, offering Patriot and THAAD missiles as an alternative.
“The S-400 [deal] is significant because of CAATSA sanctions. It’s also significant because of what it precludes, in terms of future high-tech cooperation,” an anonymous senior State Department official is reported as saying by the Times of India.
Also on rt.com US wants India to swap Russian S-400s for THAAD & Patriots, but will it take the bait?
Washington constantly threatens India with retaliation under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) issued by the US Congress to hinder arms purchases from Russia. Despite the pressure, New Delhi has remained defiant and made a clear point that it would stick to the deal. The Indian Army’s Chief General Bipin Rawat previously confirmed that the deal would proceed and insisted his country won’t be told what to do as it “follows an independent policy”.
India and Russia have a long history of arms trading, with Moscow being New Delhi’s biggest weapons importer. Now the US, which is number 2, apparently wants to change that.
The official added, that Washington is strongly against mixing their systems with foreign ones, saying “there are threats posed by the purchase of an S-400.” That’s why India has to choose where “its military relations [are] headed” and “with who it [is] going to share the highest technology and that operating environment”.
Also on rt.com Purchase of S-400 systems will be ‘devastating’ for Turkey’s F-35 program – Pentagon
So far, the US threats have failed to stop a steady flow of S-400 orders. Washington has put massive pressure on Turkey for a similar deal with Moscow. It threatens to halt deliveries of its military equipment pre-ordered by Ankara and to suspend training programs for Turkish pilots of US fighter jets. Despite that, Turkey expects first batteries to be delivered already this summer.
Think your friends would be interested? Share this story!
https://www.thestar.com.my/news/wor...-to-india-drops-its-developing-nation-status/
Trump brings tariff war to India, drops its developing nation status
- World
- Sunday, 2 Jun 2019
9:14 AM MYT
WASHINGTON (Bloomberg): President Donald Trump opened another potential front in his trade war on Friday, terminating india’s designation as a developing nation and thereby eliminating an exception that allowed the country to export nearly 2,000 products to the US duty-free.
"I have determined that India has not assured the United States that India will provide equitable and reasonable access to its markets,” Trump said in a proclamation.
"Accordingly, it is appropriate to terminate india’s designation as a beneficiary developing country effective June 5, 2019.”
The action, which the administration has foreshadowed for months, ends india’s preferential treatment under the Generalized System of Preferences, a decades-old program designed to promote economic development around the world.
India said in response that it had offered resolutions to the US during bilateral trade discussions, and it’s "unfortunate” that those weren’t accepted. While the country will continue to work on improving ties with the US, its trade decisions would be guided by its own "development imperatives and concerns,” India’s trade ministry said in a statement.
The Trump administration has said concerns over market access for US goods being exported to india led them to withdraw the benefits, which prohibited duties on about US$5.7bil in imports in 2017, according to the Congressional Research Service.
It follows a move by Trump in May to end Turkey’s preferential trade treatment.
Turkey was the fifth-largest beneficiary of the programme – which allowed some Turkish exporters to sell products in the US duty free – in 2017 with US$1.7bil in covered imports to the US.
India was the largest with US$5.7bil, according to a Research Service report issued in January.
The White House announcement came just a day after indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was sworn into office for a second term after a landslide victory in last week’s national elections.
Indian lawmakers warned of a potential economic crisis.
Trump’s decision was a "double whammy” after the nation "succumbed to US pressure” by not buying crude oil from Iran on favourable terms, Randeep Surjewala, chief spokesman of the National Congress Party, said Saturday, according to the Economic Times.
Among the industries most at risk would be agriculture, auto parts and pharmaceuticals, Surjewala said. "We urge Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make a comprehensive statement on the issue to the nation and place before the public a way forward to overcome this grave trade and economic crisis,” Surjewala told reporters in New Delhi.
Indian exporters may have forgo benefits worth US$260mil after the US elimination, according to the Federation of Indian Export Organisations.
While the warning came months ago that the White House could cut India’s preferential treatment, the Trump administration decided to hold off on the announcement until after India’s elections to avoid hurting Modi politically, according to people familiar with the matter who asked to not be identified in order to discuss internal deliberations.
US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, who’s grown increasingly irked over India’s trade barriers and practices, has a longstanding frustration with the country’s self-designation as a developing nation at the World Trade Organization, the people said.
Still, earlier this week Trump removed India from its currency monitoring list of major trading partners – it had been added to the list a year ago – and Secretary of State Michael Pompeo termed the country a "great ally.”
The March notice gave India two months to address the administration’s concerns before Trump made the end to the tariff treatment official.
The proclamation issued by the White House on Friday also subjects solar cells and washing machines from India and Turkey to duties imposed by Trump in 2018. Both nations had been exempted because of their status as developing countries.
Dan Anthony, executive director of the Coalition for GSP, a trade group, said that the decision "will cost American businesses over US$300mil in additional tariffs every year.”
"There are no winners from today’s decision,” Anthony said in a statement.
"American importers will pay more, while some American exporters will continue to face current market access barriers in india and others, including farmers, are very likely to be subject to new retaliatory tariffs.” – Bloomberg
