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Simon Lester

@simonlester.com

6.6K followers 710 following 6.4K posts

Founded WorldTradeLaw.net & ChinaTradeMonitor.com Non-Resident Fellow @bakerinstitute.bsky.social Formerly @wto.org @cato.org Trade Policy feed: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:xqzu2eazvxb5fohoc4nap33y/feed/aaab5ctu4u4fc .. more

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Political science 43%

Economics 28%

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Simon Lester @simonlester.com · Apr 3

I see lots of new followers popping up today. I assume you are here for the trade policy, in which case you might like my custom trade policy feed: bsky.app/profile/did:...

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Simon Lester @simonlester.com · 2h

Airbus would appreciate that.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 2h

Trump says he might put export control on airplanes and airplane parts to China

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Reposted by Scott A. Imberman, Simon Lester

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 2h

Trump says he might put export control on airplanes and airplane parts to China

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Reposted by Simon Lester

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 2h

Hours after posting that "there seems to be no reason" to meet with President Xi, Trump now says "I would assume we might have" a meeting after all

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Simon Lester @simonlester.com · 3h

They take whatever happens in the real world and turn it into whatever they want it to be. They are the masters of hyperbole and grievance!

Simon Lester @simonlester.com · 3h

Probably this: www.chinatrademonitor.com/china-expand...

China Expands Rare Earth Export Controls

Today, China's Ministry of Commerce expanded its dual-use item list for export control purposes, by adding rare earths, rare earth-related technologies, raw materials, alloys, and processing equipment...

www.chinatrademonitor.com

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Reposted by Alan Richardson, Simon Lester

Prem Thakker ツ @premthakker.bsky.social · 5h

Update: Bari Weiss’s first pitch at CBS — a roundtable with Antony Blinken, Mike Pompeo, and Hillary Clinton that ended up being a virtual interview with Clinton & Condoleezza Rice — has about 150 viewers on YouTube.

Added with the 24/7 CBS stream, it’s just over 1200 viewers.

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Simon Lester @simonlester.com · 5h

Maybe worth doing a new ad, focusing on the last part.

Simon Lester @simonlester.com · 6h

Yep, that'll work.

Simon Lester @simonlester.com · 6h

One of the things I hate about Substack is how you have to click "no thanks" on subscribing before reading a post. Can that be disabled? If so, I wish people would do it.

(And also consider switching platforms!)

Simon Lester @simonlester.com · 6h

I haven't seen any Spanberger ads with this clip yet, but if I were them I'd be running it 24/7.

MeidasTouch @meidastouch.com · 2d

EXCLUSIVE: Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears in a 2022 interview warned supporters of reproductive rights that "one day it’s going to be your turn."

"Murder is murder. And one day it's going to be your turn."

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Reposted by Simon Lester

Kelsey McKinney @mckinneykelsey.bsky.social · 7h

i loved the 2025 philadelphia phillies. no playoffs can make me hate them. defector.com/what-ill-rem...

What I'll Remember About The Phillies | Defector

At the Phillies’ 2025 home opener, we decided that it was our year. As my friend Dana and I stood next to the giant balloon arch and let someone take our photo, people around us were feeling optimisti...

defector.com

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Reposted by Tom Clark, Mark D. White, David R. Miller , and 4 more Tom Clark, Mark D. White, David R. Miller, Brian Keegan, Cullen S. Hendrix, Simon Lester, David Darmofal

Carl Quintanilla @carlquintanilla.bsky.social · 8h

“Stabilizing Argentina is ‘America First’.”

🇦🇷 🇺🇸

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Reposted by Simon Lester

Matt Peterson @mattpeterson.bsky.social · 9h

China knows it can hurt Trump. Look at soybeans. US farmers are shut out of a critical market in retaliation for tariffs. With the government shut down, Trump can’t easily pull funds for farmers and is attempting to blame Dems for the lack of farm aid.

Any climb down here admits defeat.

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Reposted by Simon Lester

Matt Peterson @mattpeterson.bsky.social · 9h

The Trump admin put export controls up for negotiation in its tariff talks, and has been making an ask of Beijing in the TikTok deal. Trump has declared victory on each incremental negotiation that maintains the status quo.

China has leverage and is using it. US response so far is to dig in.

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Reposted by Simon Lester

Matt Peterson @mattpeterson.bsky.social · 9h

Trump says he was blindsided by new Chinese trade restrictions. He is “calculating at this moment is a massive increase of Tariffs on Chinese products coming into the United States of America.” Market not happy.

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Reposted by Simon Lester

Matt Novak @paleofuture.bsky.social · 10h

Trump on China: “We have been contacted by other Countries who are extremely angry at this great Trade hostility, which came out of nowhere.”

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Some very strange things are happening in China! They are becoming very hostile, and sending letters to Countries throughout the World, that they want to impose Export Controls on each and every element of production having to do with Rare Earths, and virtually anything else they can think of, even if it's not manufactured in China. Nobody has ever seen anything like this but, essentially, it would "clog" the Markets, and make life difficult for virtually every Country in the World, especially for China.
We have been contacted by other Countries who are extremely angry at this great Trade hostility, which came out of nowhere. Our relationship with China over the past six months has been a very good one, thereby making this move on Trade an even more surprising one. I have always felt that they've been lying in wait, and now, as usual, l have been proven right! There is no way that China should be allowed to hold the World
"captive," but that seems to have been their plan for quite some time, starting with the "Magnets" and, other Elements that they have quietly amassed into somewhat of a Monopoly position, a rather sinister and hostile move, to say the least. But the U.S. has Monopoly positions also,

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Simon Lester @simonlester.com · 10h

Ha, yes, they did recently make a free market hire, but it seems like mostly they are sucking up to Trump because they think it's good for business. Given the political views in the DC area, I think they may have miscalculated!

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Reposted by Robert Wolfe

Simon Lester @simonlester.com · 10h

So the "anti-globalists" want some foreigners involved in building an air force base in the US ... OK, I admit it, I'm just lost now.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 10h

Hegseth: "I'm also proud that today we're signing a letter of acceptance to build a Qatari Emeri air force facility at the Mountain Home Airbase in Idaho."

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Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 10h

Hegseth: "I'm also proud that today we're signing a letter of acceptance to build a Qatari Emeri air force facility at the Mountain Home Airbase in Idaho."

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Reposted by Gavin A. Schmidt, Simon Lester

Drew Harwell @drewharwell.com · 10h

The tech billionaire and Palantir co-founder Peter Thiel says the antichrist is ... Greta Thunberg www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...

Inside billionaire Peter Thiel’s private lectures: Warnings of ‘the Antichrist’ and U.S. destruction

In leaked recordings of private lectures by tech billionaire Peter Thiel he argued that “the Antichrist” is likely to take the form of a critic of technology.

www.washingtonpost.com

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Simon Lester @simonlester.com · 11h

I'm embarrassed for the author of that piece that he put that nonsense out there and let everyone read it. From beginning to end, every word is wrong.

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Reposted by Simon Lester, Nathan P. Kalmoe

David Dayen @ddayen.bsky.social · 11h

When Pam Bondi tried her hand at insult comedy this week, four Senators asked her about antitrust corruption. It's a real point of vulnerability, and the pressure has led to a few better outcomes. More importantly, states and the public are squarely attuned to fighting corporate power. From me:

How Antimonopoly is Enduring Despite Trumpian Corruption

Public pressure and partisan attacks have yielded some new cases, and citizens are waking up to corporate power’s harms.

prospect.org

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Simon Lester @simonlester.com · 11h

OK countries around the world, you heard him, Trump thinks you should impose tariffs on US exports.

Matt Novak @paleofuture.bsky.social · 1d

Flawless argument, Mr. President. Thanks.

Trump: Tariffs are only good if you want your Country to be Rich, Influential, and Powerful. If you want your Country to be a Third World Country, you should Vote against Tariffs!
3 ReTruths 12 Likes
10/9/25, 9:01 AM

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Reposted by Mark D. White, Mark Alfano, R. M. Wilson , and 2 more Mark D. White, Mark Alfano, R. M. Wilson, James Goodwin, Simon Lester

Dave Itzkoff @ditzkoff.bsky.social · 14h

Donald trump can still win the Nobel Peace prize if Mike Pence has the courage

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Reposted by Simon Lester

Bloomberg News @bloomberg.com · 1d

Mexican lawmakers will pause discussion of a government proposal to impose tariffs of as much as 50% on cars, steel and other products imported from China and several other Asian nations

Mexico Congress Halts China Tariff Debate on Lawmakers’ Concern

Mexican lawmakers will pause until late November the discussion of a government proposal to impose tariffs of as much as 50% on cars, steel and other products imported from China and several Asian nations that don’t have a trade deal with the country, according to a top congressman.

bloom.bg

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Reposted by Simon Lester

Sam Shirazi @samshirazi.bsky.social · 1d

The Virginia Governor Debate is about to start

Tune in below

I’ll post any hot takes

www.youtube.com/live/i4JEgkU...

LATEST UPDATES: Spanberger, Earle-Sears Facing Off In Nexstar’s Virginia Gubernatorial Debate

YouTube video by The Hill

www.youtube.com

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Reposted by Mark D. White, Johan P. Olsen, Kevin Carey , and 7 more Mark D. White, Johan P. Olsen, Kevin Carey, Lesley Bartlett, Robert B. Reich, José Antonio Noguera, Noel D. Johnson, Simon Lester, Klaus Oschema, David Darmofal

James Medlock @jdcmedlock.bsky.social · 1d

“I’ll declare war on you if you don’t give me the peace prize” is an incredible bit

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Reposted by Juan Cole, David R. Miller, Bessma Momani , and 1 more Juan Cole, David R. Miller, Bessma Momani, Simon Lester

max tani @maxtani.bsky.social · 1d

New: Bari Weiss booked Hillary Clinton, Mike Pompeo, and Antony Blinken for a roundtable on Gaza, her first major move at CBS.

Notably on a CBS call today in which the panel was floated, one producer also repeatedly emphasized the need to hear from Palestinians in Gaza (Weiss did not respond).

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Simon Lester @simonlester.com · 1d

OTOH, ICE is already in your city, so ... maybe not.

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Simon Lester @simonlester.com · 1d

A good prank would be for someone with a Norwegian accent to call the White House and tell them Trump won.

cc @aslak.bsky.social

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 1d

Larry Kudlow to Sen. Eric Schmitt: "You and I should get on a plane, go to Davos or go to the UN or go to the Democratic Socialists who make these Nobel Prize decisions -- I think they'd rather shoot themselves than give him the Peace Prize. He deserves the Peace Prize."

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