Latest news with #U.S.DepartmentofCommerce
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Killing the U.S.-Mexico tomato agreement would spell trouble for Texans
Most Texans probably haven't heard of the Tomato Suspension Agreement. It's not exactly dinner table conversation. Yet this nearly 30-year-old trade agreement, which governs the 4 billion pounds of tomatoes grown every year in Mexico and sold in the United States, is in jeopardy of being terminated unnecessarily by the federal government. If that happens, Texans will feel the impact of this 'tomato tariff' in their grocery bills, and an untold number of Texans could find themselves out of work. Since 1996, the U.S. has had this agreement with Mexico to prevent unfair pricing on imported tomatoes. It's not a free pass. It's a negotiated deal that protects American growers while still allowing for international trade. Now the U.S. Department of Commerce is considering canceling the agreement and placing a 17% duty (a kind of tariff) on all fresh tomatoes coming in from Mexico. If they do, Texas loses. Texas is a major hub for fresh produce — especially from Mexico. Nearly 300,000 U.S. jobs depend on the fresh fruits and vegetables moving through our state. Every day, tons of tomatoes cross the border through Texas ports, destined for grocery stores, restaurants and even food banks. Ending the agreement means tomatoes will get more expensive, and that cost will trickle down to your grocery bill. Just look at Walmart, which spent the last month raising prices on other goods because of tariffs. It's not a far stretch to think a tomato tariff would do the same. And it's not just about what you pay at H-E-B. Many Texas-based companies — trucking, warehousing, banks, insurance companies, staffing agencies, box and material providers — depend on this supply chain. If it gets disrupted, so do the paychecks of Texans who work in and around the fresh produce industry. We support fair trade and American farmers. When Mexico was not making their payments on the water treaty, we demanded America act. But with tomatoes, that's not the case. Mexico has not cheated on the Tomato Suspension Agreement. Nearly 30 years of annual audits and reviews by the U.S. government have shown the agreement protects fair trade and Mexican tomato exporters are following the rules. In fact, the Department of Commerce has not found a single violation in the most recent version of the agreement, and more than 99% of Mexican tomatoes have passed mandatory quality inspections at the border. In addition, research has shown that American-grown tomatoes have benefited from higher prices as a result of the agreement. Terminating this agreement would throw out a system that works. Not to mention Mexico is likely to retaliate with tariffs of its own, further driving up grocery prices for Texans. This isn't just about tomatoes. It's about American jobs, American food prices and American trade relationships that matter to our state. We should maintain and modernize the Tomato Suspension Agreement, not terminate it. Whether you're a farmer, a grocer, a school teacher, a parent buying tomatoes for your family, or someone trying to stretch every dollar, our government should do what's best for Americans — and that's not increasing grocery prices or putting Texans out of work. Dante L. Galeazzi is the president/CEO of the Texas International Produce Association. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Killing the tomato agreement would spell trouble for Texans | Opinion
Forbes
6 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Gloomy Days For Global Solar Power
The tariffs announced by the Trump Administration at the beginning of April have cast a shadow across international energy supply chains. The new policies were delayed for ninety days less than a week later, and the much-feared shortages and price hikes haven't yet materialized. Nevertheless, the mood in the industry remains pessimistic. In May, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced that companies based in Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam are dumping solar panel cells at low rates into the U.S. market while receiving subsidies from the Chinese government, setting the stage for the imposition of tariffs on all parties involved. The paradox is that, for years, the United States encouraged the transfer of industrial production from China to these Southeast Asian countries. The rationalization was that while 'friendshoring' would still partially enrich China, it would decrease China's profit share while empowering neighbors with contentious relations to Beijing and friendlier attitudes towards Washington. Now, the Trump administration and the solar power industry must contend not only with likely supply chain disruptions but also with the possibility that the tariffs designed to harm Chinese manufacturing and empower America could have precisely the opposite effect. The International Trade Commission has until June 2nd to decide whether to accept the DOC's final determination. If tariffs are imposed, domestic results will be mixed. American solar manufacturers, which filed the initial complaint in 2024 and triggered the DOC's investigation, will likely benefit immediately from relief from overseas competition. However, in the short term, the price of solar panels in the United States is likely to rise. Since news about the tariffs broke, companies like First Solar have seen significant decreases in their stock prices. Tariff proponents argue that, in the longer term, the American solar industry will expand, bringing jobs to the US. Currently, 77% of all American solar module imports originate in the countries named in the DOC's report. U.S. solar manufacturing has grown in recent years and will need to continue to do so to meet the predicted increase in demand. The American solar cell industry produced only 2.2% of the global supply in 2023, while the demand for solar technology and for energy overall continues to grow rapidly. Even with tariffs in place, the high cost of US manufacturing may hinder the transition to solar energy in America. The Southeast Asian market is heavily linked to China, the world's foremost solar energy leader. Beijing controls roughly 80% of the global solar supply chain and continues focusing on growing the industry abroad. Chinese domestic electricity production capacity from solar also continues to grow, boasting a 227 gigawatt increase in 2024. This brought it to the top rank globally at 887 GW – more than quadruple that of the second-place United States. Cambodian, Malaysian, Thai, and Vietnamese solar manufacturers could sell back to China, break into the emerging Middle Eastern and European markets, or focus more on their largely untapped domestic markets. Experts believe that roadblocks remain for demand to increase exponentially in domestic South-Eastern markets, as buy-in and infrastructure tend to be lacking in these markets. In light of the coming tariffs, many Chinese and foreign-owned solar cell manufacturers have already moved out of the four countries. The path ahead for the United States will necessitate substantial investment and growth in American solar cell production. The White House has placed greater emphasis on promoting fossil fuels and nuclear energy rather than on renewable energy. However, limiting China's market share in the solar energy industry is critical to reducing its value offerings overseas. On the other hand, American renewable energy continues to grow, and even outproduced fossil fuels in terms of total electricity flowing to the U.S. grid for the first time in March 2025. Reports indicate that even in the face of a government skeptical of clean energy, rising electricity demand will enable 'green' production to grow rapidly. China is likely to maintain its current course, regardless of the tariffs. The Chinese government is far from pleased with the recent developments, warning not only of negative consequences but also potential breaches in World Trade Organization rules by the United States. There is the possibility of further retaliatory tariffs from Beijing. Still, China primarily focuses on growing its international influence rather than wrestling with the United States. Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam will face the brunt of the economic harm from these tariffs. This economic dislocation may be a boon to Beijing's regional foreign policy aspirations. Vietnam has already come to the negotiating table looking to avoid the worst of what the tariffs could bring, and others may follow suit. As with the broader wave of tariffs announced at the beginning of April, a pause, reduced rates, or even the abandonment of the solar production tariffs remain possible. However, if implemented, these tariffs could drive significant shifts in the global distribution of photovoltaic panel and component production, adversely affecting the competitiveness of the American solar industry and impacting US ties with South Asian partners.
Japan Today
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Japan Today
Former Capitol riot defendant convicted of gun charges stemming from his arrest near Obama's home
FILE - Support of President Donald Trump climb the West Wall of the the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, file) By MICHAEL KUNZELMAN A military veteran whose Capitol riot case was erased by a presidential proclamation was convicted Tuesday of charges that he illegally possessed guns and ammunition in his van when he was arrested near President Barack Obama's home in the nation's capital. U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols also convicted Taylor Taranto of recording himself making a hoax threat to bomb a government building in Maryland. The judge decided the case without a jury after a bench trial that started last week in Washington, D.C. Taranto was arrested in Obama's neighborhood on the same day in June 2023 that Trump posted on social media what he claimed was the former president's address. Investigators said they found two guns, roughly 500 rounds of ammunition and a machete in Taranto's van. Taranto was livestreaming video on YouTube in which he said he was looking for 'entrance points' to underground tunnels and wanted to get a 'good angle on a shot,' according to prosecutors. He reposted Trump's message about Obama's home address and wrote: 'We got these losers surrounded! See you in hell, Podesta's and Obama's.' He was referring to John Podesta, who chaired Hillary Clinton's 2016 Democratic presidential campaign. Taranto wasn't charged with threatening Obama or Podesta. But the judge convicted him of making a hoax bomb threat directed at the Gaithersburg, Maryland-based National Institute of Standards and Technology, which is part of the U.S. Department of Commerce. Taranto's lawyers said he didn't have any bomb-making material and wasn't near the institute when he made those statements on a livestreamed video. During the trial's opening statements, defense attorney Pleasant Brodnax said the video shows Taranto was merely joking in an 'avant-garde' manner. 'He believes he is a journalist and, to some extent, a comedian,' Broadnax said. But the judge concluded that a reasonable, objective observer might have believed Taranto's statements on the video. While some viewers may have thought his words were of a "madcap nature," others could have interpreted them as coming from 'an unbalanced narrator willing to follow through on outlandish claims,' Nichols said. Nichols, who was nominated by Trump, didn't immediately schedule a sentencing hearing for Taranto. He has been jailed for nearly two years since his arrest because a judge concluded that he poses a danger to the public. After reading his verdict from the bench, the judge said he would entertain a request by defense attorney Carmen Hernandez to release Taranto from custody until his sentencing. Nichols said he intends to rule on that request later this week. Taranto, a Navy veteran from Pasco, Washington, is one of only a few people charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol who remained jailed after President Donald Trump 's sweeping act on clemency in January. Trump pardoned, commuted the prison sentences or ordered the dismissal of charges for all of the more than 1,500 people charged with crimes in the riot. Before Trump's pardons, Taranto also was charged with four misdemeanors related to the Jan. 6 attack. Prosecutors said he joined the crush of rioters who breached the building. He was captured on video at the entrance of the Speaker's Lobby around the time that a rioter, Ashli Babbitt, was shot and killed by an officer while she tried to climb through the broken window of a barricaded door. © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Winnipeg Free Press
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Former Capitol riot defendant is convicted of gun charges stemming from his arrest near Obama's home
WASHINGTON (AP) — A military veteran whose Capitol riot case was erased by a presidential proclamation was convicted Tuesday of charges that he illegally possessed guns and ammunition in his van when he was arrested near President Barack Obama's home in the nation's capital. U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols also convicted Taylor Taranto of recording himself making a hoax threat to bomb a government building in Maryland. The judge decided the case without a jury after a bench trial that started last week in Washington, D.C. Taranto was arrested in Obama's neighborhood on the same day in June 2023 that Trump posted on social media what he claimed was the former president's address. Investigators said they found two guns, roughly 500 rounds of ammunition and a machete in Taranto's van. Taranto was livestreaming video on YouTube in which he said he was looking for 'entrance points' to underground tunnels and wanted to get a 'good angle on a shot,' according to prosecutors. He reposted Trump's message about Obama's home address and wrote: 'We got these losers surrounded! See you in hell, Podesta's and Obama's.' He was referring to John Podesta, who chaired Hillary Clinton's 2016 Democratic presidential campaign. Taranto wasn't charged with threatening Obama or Podesta. But the judge convicted him of making a hoax bomb threat directed at the Gaithersburg, Maryland-based National Institute of Standards and Technology, which is part of the U.S. Department of Commerce. Taranto's lawyers said he didn't have any bomb-making material and wasn't near the institute when he made those statements on a livestreamed video. During the trial's opening statements, defense attorney Pleasant Brodnax said the video shows Taranto was merely joking in an 'avant-garde' manner. 'He believes he is a journalist and, to some extent, a comedian,' Broadnax said. But the judge concluded that a reasonable, objective observer might have believed Taranto's statements on the video. While some viewers may have thought his words were of a 'madcap nature,' others could have interpreted them as coming from 'an unbalanced narrator willing to follow through on outlandish claims,' Nichols said. Nichols, who was nominated by Trump, didn't immediately schedule a sentencing hearing for Taranto. He has been jailed for nearly two years since his arrest because a judge concluded that he poses a danger to the public. After reading his verdict from the bench, the judge said he would entertain a request by defense attorney Carmen Hernandez to release Taranto from custody until his sentencing. Nichols said he intends to rule on that request later this week. Taranto, a Navy veteran from Pasco, Washington, is one of only a few people charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol who remained jailed after President Donald Trump 's sweeping act on clemency in January. Trump pardoned, commuted the prison sentences or ordered the dismissal of charges for all of the more than 1,500 people charged with crimes in the riot. Before Trump's pardons, Taranto also was charged with four misdemeanors related to the Jan. 6 attack. Prosecutors said he joined the crush of rioters who breached the building. He was captured on video at the entrance of the Speaker's Lobby around the time that a rioter, Ashli Babbitt, was shot and killed by an officer while she tried to climb through the broken window of a barricaded door.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Former Capitol riot defendant is convicted of gun charges stemming from his arrest near Obama's home
WASHINGTON (AP) — A military veteran whose Capitol riot case was erased by a presidential proclamation was convicted Tuesday of charges that he illegally possessed guns and ammunition in his van when he was arrested near President Barack Obama's home in the nation's capital. U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols also convicted Taylor Taranto of recording himself making a hoax threat to bomb a government building in Maryland. The judge decided the case without a jury after a bench trial that started last week in Washington, D.C. Taranto was arrested in Obama's neighborhood on the same day in June 2023 that Trump posted on social media what he claimed was the former president's address. Investigators said they found two guns, roughly 500 rounds of ammunition and a machete in Taranto's van. Taranto was livestreaming video on YouTube in which he said he was looking for 'entrance points' to underground tunnels and wanted to get a 'good angle on a shot,' according to prosecutors. He reposted Trump's message about Obama's home address and wrote: 'We got these losers surrounded! See you in hell, Podesta's and Obama's.' He was referring to John Podesta, who chaired Hillary Clinton's 2016 Democratic presidential campaign. Taranto wasn't charged with threatening Obama or Podesta. But the judge convicted him of making a hoax bomb threat directed at the Gaithersburg, Maryland-based National Institute of Standards and Technology, which is part of the U.S. Department of Commerce. Taranto's lawyers said he didn't have any bomb-making material and wasn't near the institute when he made those statements on a livestreamed video. During the trial's opening statements, defense attorney Pleasant Brodnax said the video shows Taranto was merely joking in an 'avant-garde' manner. 'He believes he is a journalist and, to some extent, a comedian,' Broadnax said. But the judge concluded that a reasonable, objective observer might have believed Taranto's statements on the video. While some viewers may have thought his words were of a "madcap nature," others could have interpreted them as coming from 'an unbalanced narrator willing to follow through on outlandish claims,' Nichols said. Nichols, who was nominated by Trump, didn't immediately schedule a sentencing hearing for Taranto. He has been jailed for nearly two years since his arrest because a judge concluded that he poses a danger to the public. After reading his verdict from the bench, the judge said he would entertain a request by defense attorney Carmen Hernandez to release Taranto from custody until his sentencing. Nichols said he intends to rule on that request later this week. Taranto, a Navy veteran from Pasco, Washington, is one of only a few people charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol who remained jailed after President Donald Trump 's sweeping act on clemency in January. Trump pardoned, commuted the prison sentences or ordered the dismissal of charges for all of the more than 1,500 people charged with crimes in the riot. Before Trump's pardons, Taranto also was charged with four misdemeanors related to the Jan. 6 attack. Prosecutors said he joined the crush of rioters who breached the building. He was captured on video at the entrance of the Speaker's Lobby around the time that a rioter, Ashli Babbitt, was shot and killed by an officer while she tried to climb through the broken window of a barricaded door.
