It pairs w/ this @rethinktrade.bsky.social .bsky.social chart showing a handful of nations in chronic global trade surplus vs. 67 global deficit nations incl India, MX, Brazil w/ U.S: rethinktrade.org/wp-content/u...

Bottom line: Will the Trump admin remove USMCA digital trade rules that internationally preempt laws made since USMCA went into effect or let Big Tech hijack Trump’s NAFTA redo to undermine 8 US state right to repair laws, Tex & Montana child online safety/privacy laws, etc 9/9

Another former USTR staffer, Jonathan McHale, who wrote USMCA’s “digital trade” rules Big Tech loves & now lobbies for the Computer & Communications Industry Assoc, couldn’t resist asking for more! New rules to limit AI oversight, back to uninspected de minimis imports etc. 8

The witness from a group called The Internet Society (members include Amazon, Google, China Telecom) began saying they dont have a business stake & dont engage on trade & then literally mouthed Big Tech’s talking points defending the 5 USMCA terms limiting Big Tech regulation 7/

The Consumer Technology Assoc. digital trade lobbyist, another revolving door former US Trade Representative staffer, had the vibe too: This is a review, NOT a renegotiation of USMCA. Do no harm (to USMCA’s extreme limits on common govt policies regulating Big Tech). Then… 6/

Wish I had not respected the 5-min limit when I spoke — see below for our comments.

One of the many former US government trade officials now repping Big Tech at this USMCA 6-year review hearing just went on (unblissfully) for almost ten mins…5/ t.co/zN0ZuG4AKZ

The Business Software Alliance witness didn’t discussing USMCA & instead “countered” dangerous “myths” about digital trade, which turned out to be a rhetorical poke at critiques documented in the body of analytical & research literature found at our rethinktrade.xn--org-l353b 4/

“Us” is small biz, consumers, our privacy, our kids, our right to repair our stuff… The rules Big Tech got into USMCA use a form of international preemption. Ie “trade” agt rules simply forbid common policies governments use to counter Big Tech abuses 3/ rethinktrade.org/reports/inte...

The defensive “do no harm” call for no changes to USMCA shows Big Tech realizes many in Congress, unions, consumer/digital rights groups are on to their ploy of using closed door trade talks & wonky trade rules to forbid Congress & state legislatures from protecting us-meaning 2/

Absent action against price gouging, corp. concentration I bet we won’t get cheaper bananas, coffee, etc. ie. 3 corps have 80% of US banana sales, etc.

Firms can use tariffs as cover to up prices even if exporters cover tariff costs or goods arent tariffed and never cut... 5/5

It seems POTUS is feeling pressure from the Democrats' "affordability" election sweep.

So why not target the real cause of high beef prices -- 4 huge meatpackers controlling 85% of the US beef market! (Read @basel.bsky.social's great 9/24 report w/ FarmActionUS to learn more.) 4/

Obviously announcing tariffs cuts on items w/o tariffs won't cut prices

But tariff cuts on goods that do also won't likely cut prices

@RethinkTrade
tracked the consumer price index vs China tariff rate & corporate profits. Prices📈tracked corp profit trends not tariff levels 3/

So, there should never have been tariffs on “tropical products” like coffee, cocoa, pineapple, mangoes etc. that we don’t produce here. The elimination of these tariffs now seems to be the unfortunate Trump “READY, FIRE, AIM!” general tariff chaos. But🤔on beef and tomatoes! 2/

Thank you!