Tariffs don’t work…

May 31, 2025 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Heconomy, Hideology, Home Cooking Tags: Automobiles, BMW, Cars, Donald Trump, Germany, Mercedes, Tariffs, Trade, USA, VW Leave a comment

Until they do.

Then an agreement is reached and the tariffs are lowered. We could ask Elon but this doesn’t seem like rocket science to me.

Trump’s Tariffs Cost BMW $11 Million A Day, So Germans Want A Deal – European carmakers are losing millions daily to US tariffs despite American production bases.

Trade wars rarely end well for anyone involved, and when the crossfire hits the automotive industry, the damage adds up fast. Nowhere is that more evident than in Germany, where the ongoing tariff standoff is racking up some eye-watering costs. According to a new report, BMW is losing a staggering $11.3 (£8.4 / €10) million per day thanks to U.S. tariffs.

World champions of misjudgement accuse Donald Trump of misjudgement

May 21, 2025 By Hermann Observer in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology Tags: Boris Pistorius, Donald Trump, Germany, Russia, Ukraine, USA, Vladimir Putin Leave a comment

So I judge this to probably be another misjudgement.

Trump misjudged influence on Putin, German defence minister says – U.S. President Donald Trump misjudged his influence on Russian President Vladimir Putin, Germany’s defence minister said on Wednesday, after a phone call between the two leaders yielded no progress in Ukraine peace talks, prompting Europe to announce new Russia sanctions.

“I suspect he assessed his negotiating position incorrectly,” Boris Pistorius told the Deutschlandfunk radio broadcaster, following Trump’s now-abandoned efforts to pressure Putin into accepting an unconditional 30-day ceasefire.

German of the day: Umgehen

May 8, 2025 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Helplessness, Home Cooking Tags: Audi, Exports, German, Germany, Imports, Language, Manufacturing, Tariffs, USA Leave a comment

That means to circumvent.

Punitive tariffs: Audi apparently plans production in the USA – According to media reports, Audi is planning to build cars in the USA in order to avoid import tariffs. Until now, Audi has been serving the US market via imports, but the Ingolstadt-based car manufacturer is now confronted with the 25 percent tariffs announced by US President Donald Trump in recent weeks.

According to the report, Audi is looking at three US sites and could also use production capacities of the Volkswagen Group – the manufacturer has not yet wanted to comment on the media reports.

They twisted our words!

April 23, 2025 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings Tags: Borders, Customs, Germans, Germany, Travel, USA, Visas Leave a comment

We weren’t “intending to work” hard.

German teens who ‘intended to work’ were denied entry to US for traveling ‘under false pretenses’: Customs – A pair of backpacking German teens booted from the US lied about the purpose of their trip, Customs and Border Protection said — but the women claim US officials “twisted” their words to trump up the allegations…

“Both claimed they were touring California but later admitted they intended to work — something strictly prohibited under US immigration laws for these visas.”

But the women — who were planning to continue on to Los Angeles and then Costa Rica after Hawaii — insisted they were interrogated by CBP for hours, and that transcripts show their words were “twisted” and outright falsified.

Unity is good

April 3, 2025 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings Tags: EU, Germany, Tariffs, Trade, USA Leave a comment

Reciprocity is better.

Germany urges EU unity after Trump unveils sweeping tariffs – The EU’s Ursula von der Leyen has warned that the bloc is prepared to respond to new US tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump’s administration. Germany also criticized Trump’s trade measures. DW has more.

Let’s talk

March 27, 2025 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Heconomy, Hideology, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings Tags: Automobiles, Cars, Europe, Imports, Tariffs, USA Leave a comment

Talking is always good. But action is better.

Until today, the EU imposed import tariffs on US cars five times higher than the tariffs imposed by the US on European imports.

That’s changed now.

German minister, autos lobby call for urgent EU-US talks over tariffs.

German of the day: Begrenzte Waffenruhe

March 19, 2025 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Hostility Tags: Ceasefire, Donald Trump, German, Language, Russia, Ukraine, USA, Vladimir Putin, War Leave a comment

That means limited ceasefire.

Trump and Putin agree on limited ceasefire – further negotiations from Sunday in Jeddah.

Russia has agreed to cease attacks on energy facilities in Ukraine for 30 days. This was announced by the Kremlin following a telephone conversation between Russian head of state Putin and US President Trump. According to the US, negotiations on an end to the Russian war of aggression are to continue in Saudi Arabia at the end of the week.

But I always take my tattoo equipment with me wherever I go

March 14, 2025 By Hermann Observer in Habeas Corpus, Hard Facts, Helplessness, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings Tags: Borders, Detention, Germans, Ice, Immigration, Mexico, USA 1 Comment

Doesn’t everyone?

I had no intention of working. Honest. And so I forgot my Esta travel permit. No big deal. Shit happens.

And then of course shit happened.

German tourists’ ordeal reportedly ending as they are returned from US detention – A German tourist detained by US immigration authorities is due to be deported back to Germany on Tuesday after spending more than six weeks in detention, including eight days in “solitary confinement…”

The families of the two tourists, who were detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice), had compared their ordeals to “a horror film.”

German of the day: “Timing ist alles”

February 11, 2025 By Hermann Observer in Home Cooking, Hard Facts Tags: Germany, Deficits, Trade, USA, Trump, Tariffs Leave a comment

That means timing is everything.

Germany’s trade surplus with US reaches new record – Germany’s trade surplus with the United States reached a record level, data from the statistics office showed, as countries wait to learn how US President Donald Trump will impose tariffs on imported goods.

Germany’s trade surplus with the U.S. expanded to €70 billion (HK$563.1 billion) in 2024, well above the previous record of €63.3 billion reported for the full year 2023.

“It would be hard to imagine worse timing,” said Holger Goerg, from the Kiel Institute for the World Economy.

Trump substantially raised tariffs on steel and aluminum imports on Monday to a flat 25 percent “without exceptions or exemptions.”

German of the day: Handelsüberschuss

February 8, 2025 By Hermann Observer in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking, Hypocrisy Tags: Donald Trump, EU, German, Germany, Language, Tariffs, Trade, Trade Surplus, USA Leave a comment

That means trade surplus.

As Trump threatens EU with tariffs, Germany announces trade surplus worth $74.1 billion with U.S. – Germany logged a record trade surplus with the United States last year, data showed Friday, news that could stoke tensions with US President Donald Trump as he threatens the EU with tariffs.

The United States also returned as the top trading partner for Europe’s biggest economy last year, it showed, overtaking China which had been in the number one spot since 2016…

Germany accounts for a hefty chunk of the European Union’s large trade surplus with the United States, which has been a source of anger for Trump.

Observing Hermann

“Was interessiert mich mein Geschwätz von gestern?”

Tag Archives: USA