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Time of India
14 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
‘Very Big Trade Deal with India to Come Soon'
US President Donald Trump said a 'very big' trade deal could be signed with India soon, hinting at significant progress in the negotiation process of a long-awaited bilateral trade agreement . This comes as negotiators meet in Washington to break a recent deadlock over key issues. 'We are having some great deals. We have one coming up, may be, with India, a very big one, where we are going to open up India,' Trump said at an event at the White House. The comments offer a note of optimism for a potential interim trade deal, even as key differences persist between the two sides. His reciprocal tariffs on goods from trading partners are set to take effect on July 9, and an early deal would help New Delhi avert the hike. Talks have been strained by Washington's demand that India open its market to genetically modified crops — an ask New Delhi has rejected, citing risks to its farmers. India is also unwilling to sign a deal that doesn't address both sectoral access and reciprocal tariffs on its exports, Bloomberg has reported. Trump's remarks come as an Indian team headed by chief negotiator Rajesh Agarwal on Thursday arrived in Washington for the next round of trade talks with the US. Agrawal is special secretary in the Department of Commerce.
Irish Independent
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Hollywood is not the centre of film world, says Cate Blanchett in swipe at Trump tariffs
'Hollywood, such as it is, is a chimera,' she in an interview in London. 'The number of times I've worked on American terra firma, I could probably count on one hand. Invariably, you will shoot out of country.' Australian-born Blanchett (56) pointed to her breakout role in 1998's Elizabeth as a prime example of the industry's cross-cultural make-up. She said: 'Queen Elizabeth was played by an Australian – me, directed by a man from Bollywood [Shekhar Kapur], filmed in the UK. That's the reality of how films are made.' Her comments come weeks after the president announced plan to 'make movies American again' with steep tariffs on productions made outside the US. The proposed move has rattled the global film community and raised concerns about the future of international collaboration. I've thought as much about the Chinese and Indian film industries as I have about Hollywood Blanchett, who holds American citizenship but is unable to vote there, made it clear that her artistic choices have never been bound by borders. She said: 'I've thought as much about the Chinese and Indian film industries as I have about Hollywood. The Australian industry, where I come from, is small by scale, but culturally it was incredibly rich when I was growing up.' Now based in the UK with her husband, playwright Andrew Upton, Blanchett, who is also a UNHCR goodwill ambassador, said working abroad had always been part of the draw, adding: 'If you have the chance to travel and work in other cultures, why wouldn't you?' In May, Mr Trump first said he had authorised the Department of Commerce and the Office of the US Trade Representative to impose a 100pc tariff 'on any and all Movies coming into our Country that are produced in Foreign Lands'. 'The Movie Industry in America is DYING a very fast death,' he wrote on Truth Social, complaining that other countries 'are offering all sorts of incentives to draw' filmmakers and studios away from the US. 'This is a concerted effort by other Nations and, therefore, a National Security threat. It is, in addition to everything else, messaging and propaganda!' It was not clear how any such tariff on international productions could be implemented. It is common for both large and smaller films to include production in both the US and other countries. Several recent major movies produced by US studios were shot outside America, including Deadpool & Wolverine, Wicked and Gladiator II. Wicked was primarily filmed in the UK, with a significant portion of the production taking place at Sky Studios Elstree in Hertfordshire.
Sinar Daily
4 days ago
- Business
- Sinar Daily
Higher US tariffs impacting home appliances take effect
These include refrigerators, dryers, washing machines, dishwashers, cooking stoves and ovens, as well as food waste disposals, said a notice dated mid-June. 24 Jun 2025 08:51am An aerial view of a Pasha Hawaii container ship arriving in the Port Of Long Beach near a Cosco Shipping container ship in Long Beach, California. Photo by Mario Tama/AFP WASHINGTON - Higher US tariffs affecting several home appliances that contain steel took effect Monday, according to a recent government notice, in a move that could add to the costs of consumer goods. US President Donald Trump this month moved to double levies on steel and aluminum imports to 50 per cent and since then, the Department of Commerce added eight "steel derivative products" that will also be hit by the duties. US President Donald Trump this month moved to double levies on steel and aluminum imports to 50 per cent and since then, the Department of Commerce added eight "steel derivative products" that will also be hit by the duties. (Photo by Sebastien Salom-Gomis / AFP) These include refrigerators, dryers, washing machines, dishwashers, cooking stoves and ovens, as well as food waste disposals, said a notice dated mid-June. The tariff imposed will be assessed based on the value of steel content in each product, the notice added. This addition took effect on Monday. Since returning to the presidency in January, Trump has imposed a sweeping 10 per cent tariff on imports from most US trading partners. He has slapped higher levies on imports of steel, aluminum and automobiles as well. Economists warn that Trump's duties could fuel inflation and bog down economic growth, although they have yet to spark widespread inflation so far in the world's biggest economy. This is partly due to the fact that businesses rushed to stock up on inventory ahead of Trump's tariff hikes, analysts said. The president has also backed off some of his most punishing salvos to allow room for trade negotiations. For now, dozens of economies are rushing to strike deals with the Trump administration ahead of an early July deadline where they face steeper tariffs. So far, only Britain has reached a deal on trade since Trump's flurry of global tariffs, while Washington and Beijing also agreed to de-escalate high duties on each other's products. The Trump administration published a document Monday on the Federal Register implementing the UK deal. This includes establishing an annual quota of 100,000 UK automobiles, where these vehicles will be subject to a 10 per cent tariff rate instead of 27.5 per cent. The quota, adjusted for calendar year 2025, is set to take effect in a week, the notice said. Auto parts from the UK will also be subject to a lower tariff, while similar quotas for steel and aluminum -- and related products -- will be established at a later time. - AFP More Like This
The Sun
4 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
Higher US tariffs impacting home appliances take effect
WASHINGTON: Higher US tariffs affecting several home appliances that contain steel took effect Monday, according to a recent government notice, in a move that could add to the costs of consumer goods. US President Donald Trump this month moved to double levies on steel and aluminum imports to 50 percent and since then, the Department of Commerce added eight 'steel derivative products' that will also be hit by the duties. These include refrigerators, dryers, washing machines, dishwashers, cooking stoves and ovens, as well as food waste disposals, said a notice dated mid-June. The tariff imposed will be assessed based on the value of steel content in each product, the notice added. This addition took effect on Monday. Since returning to the presidency in January, Trump has imposed a sweeping 10 percent tariff on imports from most US trading partners. He has slapped higher levies on imports of steel, aluminum and automobiles as well. Economists warn that Trump's duties could fuel inflation and bog down economic growth, although they have yet to spark widespread inflation so far in the world's biggest economy. This is partly due to the fact that businesses rushed to stock up on inventory ahead of Trump's tariff hikes, analysts said. The president has also backed off some of his most punishing salvos to allow room for trade negotiations. For now, dozens of economies are rushing to strike deals with the Trump administration ahead of an early July deadline where they face steeper tariffs. So far, only Britain has reached a deal on trade since Trump's flurry of global tariffs, while Washington and Beijing also agreed to de-escalate high duties on each other's products. The Trump administration published a document Monday on the Federal Register implementing the UK deal. This includes establishing an annual quota of 100,000 UK automobiles, where these vehicles will be subject to a 10 percent tariff rate instead of 27.5 percent. The quota, adjusted for calendar year 2025, is set to take effect in a week, the notice said. Auto parts from the UK will also be subject to a lower tariff, while similar quotas for steel and aluminum -- and related products -- will be established at a later time.
Newsweek
19-06-2025
- General
- Newsweek
Juneteenth Is Under Attack Because It Tells the Truth About Power
On Dec. 21, 1848, two people boarded a train in Macon, Ga., beginning a journey to Philadelphia. They were traveling together, but laws, particularly slave codes, made it so they needed to sit in separate cars. To others on the train, everything seemed relatively normal. In their eyes, a white man with an injured arm and bandages on his face had boarded the train with his dark-skinned slave. He sat down in the comfortable "whites only" section while his devoted slave, assured that his "master" was relaxed, proceeded to the crowded "negro" car to find his seat. On a surface level, the traveling pair symbolized differences in the life experiences of Black men versus white men. At each stop on their four-day journey, the Black man was degraded and sent away to eat and sleep where he would not be seen and where conditions would be subpar. The white man, on the other hand, traveled in luxury, welcomed with sympathy. In other words, one of the two travelers was seen as a human being with rights to live freely and make their own decisions, to be treated with dignity and care; the other was either infantilized at best or completely dehumanized. A Juneteenth flag waves in front of the main door of the Department of Commerce, on June 21, 2024. A Juneteenth flag waves in front of the main door of the Department of Commerce, on June 21, 2024. Getty Images What the people they encountered were unaware of was that this duo was relying on the assumptions of their time, the prejudices of their contemporaries, and the dictates of the status quo for far more than a medical trip. They were heading to Philadelphia in search of freedom from it all, to release the chains of captivity that bound them, and to escape the cruel, inhumane practice of slavery. This quest was not solely for the liberation of William Craft, the Black man. It was also for his wife, an enslaved woman named Ellen, who cut her hair to neck length, sewed herself a pair of men's trousers, and wore a hat and glasses to conceal her identity. The couple knew that if Ellen were to pose as a white man she would be required to sign documents on behalf of her "slave," but because both of them had been restricted by law from learning to read or write, they wrapped her arm in bandages and feigned an injury. As we celebrate Juneteenth this year, all while facing the attempted erasure of this important day on behalf of our current administration, the true story of Ellen and William Craft reveals far more than historical injustice. It shows us how the desire to eliminate the day that commemorates Black American freedom is an attempt to uphold a social order that relies on categorizing human beings based on skin color and sex, a social order that I refer to as American patriarchy. American patriarchy is a system that has long defined national identity by the dominance of white, cisgender, straight, able-bodied men. This ideology has always relied on the exclusion, suppression, and erasure of other histories. Their story reminds us that understanding and resisting American patriarchy is essential if we hope to create something new. The Craft's ability to run to freedom in this way displayed a mastery of a book they had been forced to study all their life. Ellen knew her character well because her survival had already depended on it long before she cut her hair and sewed her pants. She had picked up the knowledge she needed to turn American patriarchy into her escape, by observing those who called themselves her masters. She had been forced to learn the intricacies of American patriarchy from the moment she was born, to examine those who aimed to oppress her down to the smallest of details. Once fluent in their ways, with the story of American patriarchy memorized, she transferred it beautifully into her four-day journey as a white man. This is why knowledge of Juneteenth, Black Independence Day, is under attack: it threatens the story that power must remain unchallenged. When we know stories like those of Ellen and William Craft, we know how far we have come, we know we cannot ever stop being keenly aware of what we are facing, and we know we must use that knowledge to escape the traps of American patriarchy. When Juneteenth and all the stories it carries are erased from our institutions, it is not because they are unimportant; it is because they threaten a narrative that insists power must remain concentrated and historical accountability avoided. Juneteenth is a reminder of a different legacy, one of resistance, survival, and the persistent redefinition of what this country can become. Recognizing Juneteenth, defending its place in our national consciousness, is not just about honoring the past. It is about being fully aware of what we are up against and choosing the kind of future we are willing to fight for. Anna Malaika Tubbs is a scholar, advocate, and two time bestselling author currently making headlines for her newest release Erased: What American Patriarchy Has Hidden from Us. The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.
