Let’s diversify!

August 13, 2024 By Hermann Observer in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings Tags: China, Dependency, Diversification, Exports, Germany, Industry, Manufacturing, Trade Leave a comment

Just like we did with our dependency on Russian gas a few years back.

It’s called diversification through more dangerous entanglement.

German investment in China soars despite Berlin’s diversification drive – Politicians warn of rising geopolitical tensions but country’s carmakers stick with Chinese manufacturing.

German direct investment into China has risen sharply this year, in a sign that companies in Europe’s largest economy are ignoring pleas from their government to diversify into other, less geopolitically risky markets.

The Empire of Evil is now Germany’s biggest trading partner!

August 9, 2024 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Helplessness, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings Tags: China, Economy, Exports, Germany, Partners, Trade, USA Leave a comment

No, not China. US-Amerika itself.

US tops China as Germany’s biggest trading partner – The United States overtook China as Germany’s biggest trading partner in the first half of 2024, according to preliminary German statistics office data, as Berlin’s drive to reduce dependency on Beijing takes shape amid a resilient U.S. economy.

German imports and exports to the world’s largest economy totalled around 127 billion euros ($139 billion) from January to June, while for China the figure was 122 billion euros, according to Reuters’ calculations based on the data.

Sanctions work!

July 21, 2024 By Hermann Observer in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking Tags: Espionage, Exports, Germany, Russia, Sanctions, Smuggling, Spies, Trade, Ukraine, Weapons Leave a comment

In theory, at least.

Spy-linked Russians restart trade with German toolmaker – Heller Tools exported machinery to entities linked to a covert FSB smuggling network.

Companies linked to a Russian spy ring have resumed buying machinery from a German toolmaker — just months after the manufacturer was warned about sales to the same smuggling network.

Analysis by the Financial Times has established that Heller Tools, a Dinklage-based group founded in the 19th century, sold a total of $1.2mn of drills and other tools to companies linked to the so-called Serniya smuggling operation.

Ukraine

July 3, 2024 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Heconomy, Hypocrisy Tags: Arms, Exports, Germany, Military, Profit, Sales, War, Weapons Leave a comment

And Saudi Arabia.

Beautiful German weapons sales of the week.

Because somebody has to admire them.

German weapons exports on course to hit new record – Russia’s war in Ukraine and increased sales to Saudi Arabia helped German arms exports to reach €7.48 billion in the first half of the year.

A self-inflicted hostage-taking situation?

June 14, 2024 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings Tags: Automobiles, China, Dumping, Duties, Electric Vehicles, EU, EVs, Exports, Germany, Imports, Tariffs, Trade, Trade Wars Leave a comment

Why is it that big German automakers are worried about Chinese retaliation?

Because they voluntarily put themselves in the position to be retaliated against. Think Germany’s voluntary dependency on Russian gas recently. That didn’t work out very well either. But for whatever reason, this is what Germans do.

Germany launches 11th-hour bid to avert trade war with China – Germany wants the EU to set tariffs on electric vehicles at a low level to avoid severe retaliation from Beijing…

Germany’s position was “problematic,” he said: While big German automakers still entertain good ties with Beijing, that’s not necessarily the case for smaller businesses, meaning “the German economy as a whole has an interest in a more assertive policy towards China.”

Germans asked to stop being so naive

April 25, 2024 By Hermann Observer in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Hideology, Hurt Feelings Tags: China, Dependency, Espionage, Exports, Germany, Imports, Military, Spies Leave a comment

Germans reply by saying “What do you mean?”

“Just because we’re uncritical, unquestioning and easily taken in doesn’t necessarily mean that we’re naive. It worked with Russia, didn’t it?”

German spy agency warns companies against being too “naive” on China – Germany’s domestic spy agency told companies on Wednesday they should be on guard against industrial espionage by Beijing, warning them not to be naive or over-reliant on China.

The warning from the agency’s deputy head Sinan Selen came days after three German nationals were arrested on suspicion of handing over technology with military applications – a case which has highlighted mounting anxiety across Western Europe about Chinese spying.

The urge to urge

April 16, 2024 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hurt Feelings Tags: China, Exports, Germany, Imports, Industry, Restrictions, Trade Leave a comment

Urged once again. Due to the urgency, I guess.

Well, I’m sure this urge will finally do the trick.

German chancellor urges Chinese industry bosses to play fair in EU market – Olaf Scholz says European cars should have equal access to Chinese customers.

“The only thing that always needs to be clear is that the competition is fair,” he said during a discussion with students at Tongji University in Shanghai. “That means there can be no dumping, no overproduction and that intellectual property rights are not violated,” he said.

Ukraine and Israel top the list!

January 3, 2024 By Hermann Observer in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Heconomy, Home Cooking, Hypocrisy Tags: Arms, Exports, Germany, Industry, Israel, Pacifism, Profit, Ukraine, War, Weapons Leave a comment

When it comes to record German weapons export recipients.

€11.7 billion ($12.8 billion) in 2023. Wow. Not bad for a pacifist country.

German weapons exports reached record high in 2023 – Germany’s government authorized more arms exports in 2023 than ever before, according to preliminary figures disclosed to lawmakers last month.

The war in Ukraine partly fueled this uptick, with exports to Kyiv more than doubling compared to 2022. The record-breaking volume follows the government’s commitment to placing tougher restrictions on arms sales, a promise from the campaign trail.

Second-Hand Tanks 4 Sale

August 9, 2023 By Hermann Observer in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness Tags: Arms, Arms Sales, Exports, Profit, Tanks, Ukraine, Weapons Leave a comment

Never been used.

They’re a real steel, I’m sure.

Deal struck to send German-made Leopard 1 tanks from Belgium to Ukraine – Dozens of second-hand Leopard 1 tanks that once belonged to Belgium have been bought by another European country for Ukrainian forces fighting Russia’s invasion, the arms trader who did the deal said Tuesday.

Just like Germany reduced its dependency on Russian gas…

July 5, 2023 By Hermann Observer in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings Tags: Blackmail, China, Dependency, Exports, Gallium, Germanium, Germany, Industry, Trade Leave a comment

Before the war in Ukraine. Not.

What could possibly go wrong this time? China being Germany’s biggest trade partner, I mean.

German industry urges reduced dependency after China export controls –
German industry on Tuesday warned that Europe must become more self-reliant in the hunt for raw materials needed for cleaner, more digital economies, after China caused alarm by announcing restrictions on some metals used for semiconductors.

China’s commerce ministry said on Monday it would require export permits for eight gallium products and six germanium products from Aug. 1 to protect national security.

Observing Hermann

“Was interessiert mich mein Geschwätz von gestern?”

Tag Archives: Exports