Trump’s Trade-War is now hitting East Africa: Because of possible lost trade with Second-Hand Clothes!

Museveni buying shoes in Wandegeya, 02.06.2017.

United States of America is really just cherry-picking the world right now, they are evolving into a beast and not an Uncle Sam. President Donald J. Trump don’t like to have friends, unless they are related or Roger Stone. That is now seen with his recent activity, not that he knows of these countries or these market. That I say, because he has no hotel or haven’t laundered money from there. The countries being hurt by his new policies are Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania. Places he would never travel to or have consideration about. That is because in his mind, they are shitholes, but as long as they serve as vassal states for the United States. Everything is fine and dandy.

What we are talking about is this:

“(A) THE PRESIDENT IS AUTHORIZED TO DESIGNATE A SUB-SAHARAN AFRICAN COUNTRY AS AN ELIGIBLE SUB-SAHARAN AFRICAN COUNTRY IF THE PRESIDENT DETERMINES THAT THE COUNTRY (SEE NOTE*)

(1) (A country that) has established, or is making continual progress toward establishing–

(A) a market-based economy that protects private property rights, incorporates an open rules-based trading system, and minimises government interference in the economy through measures such as price controls, subsidies, and government ownership of economic assets” (AGOA – ‘AGOA Country Eligibility’).

It is special that the US President is using this against these three states on the imports of used-clothes and shoes. That these three republics trying to develop their own textile and clothes industry, to create work and also revamp the economies. That would mean, that people would also earn more money and spend more money. In the end buying foreign produced clothes on the fashion-lines, that usually are branding American and European brands. Therefore, I don’t understand why Trump suddenly acts like this, when Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania wants to secure their industries.

Because, it is not many days ago, since the President himself used rules and provisions to secure the Steel and Aluminum industry on his own soil. So, that the giant United States can control it, but their trading with other can be spoiled, because it doesn’t favor the President. Seems like double-standard to be. It is easy to muffle the poor and the ones with lack budgets, that are in need of donors. They need to stifle the demands of the powerful, but the ones with power can just use the same means themselves. Still, that doesn’t make it right.

That the United States are trying to force their used-clothes on Rwanda. Like they don’t deserve their own clothes industry and to secure better products, local designs and local textiles is insane. Why shouldn’t they strive for that? Why shouldn’t Uganda strive for their own Bata’s? What is wrong with Tanzanian made shoes? Nothing really, that should be supported, especially if the United States wants to think long-term and create better exports. They would earn even more on ordinary trade of clothes, not second-hand that sold bulk and through other channels. But I am sure that Trump has no knowledge of this or even could imagine it.

This is clearly a step of imperialism from United States, since they cannot stomach, that the partners and the ones getting donations through USAID. Isn’t accepting to be a bazaar for their used stuff. The products that is B-Level and already had their day in the sunshine.

Knowingly, how he is America First, the man himself should understand how others wants to build to their own industries, but thinking Trump has that capacity of thinking is overstepping and thinking that he could actually calculate, that others are sovereign too and not only his state. The East African Republic’s shouldn’t be punished for acting in their own interests over second-hand clothes. Neither second hand shoes. That is insulting and infuriating. If it was just charity and done out direct needs. It would make sense, but if your forcing bad products, because of own will for quick-profits and at the same time destroying local industries. I understand why Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda is trying to ban it and stop it. I respect that and stand behind it. Who wants a old T-Shirt, when you can buy a local-made?

If you buy a local-made, it would create a job for the one making it, the one designing it and the one selling, plus the distribution within the state. That is good business and create lots of job. These jobs create other jobs and funnel money in the system. So some of them will buy foreign design and clothes, that might even be American. That is how the United States should think, if they cared about a free-market narrative, but they are now planning to punish Rwanda and others, because they want to build-up own industry.

Trump is creating a trade-war over Second Hand Clothes.

Second Hand Clothes to East Africa!

“Washington, DC – The President determined today the eligibility of Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda for trade preference benefits under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). In response to a petition filed by the U.S. used clothing industry in March 2017, the Administration initiated an out-of-cycle review of Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda’s AGOA eligibility regarding their decisions to phase in a ban on imports of used clothing and footwear. The review found that this import ban harms the U.S. used clothing industry and is inconsistent with AGOA beneficiary criteria for countries to eliminate barriers to U.S. trade and investment. Based on the results of the review, the President determined that Rwanda is not making sufficient progress toward the elimination of barriers to U.S. trade and investment, and therefore is out of compliance with eligibility requirements of AGOA. Consequently, the President notified Congress and the Government of Rwanda of his intent to suspend duty-free treatment for all AGOA-eligible apparel products from Rwanda in 60 days” (AGOA – ‘ President Trump Determines Trade Preference Program Eligibility For Rwanda, Tanzania, And Uganda’ 30.03.2018).

This is infuriating and not cool. AGOA should be used as a method to not destroy industry in the developing countries, but add revenue both ways. Now the United States is just using imperialism. Trade-War with East African Countries.

Trump is foolish and also, this is not gaining sympathy and the reasons for this. This isn’t adding and just show how belittling and narrow-minded he is. But that we knew, we just have to see who spanks him. Peace.

#SOTNUG16 rehashed his own 1980s ideas; The Old Man in a Hat gone full circle!

Here I will take something that hasn’t changed in the 30 years of National Resistance Movement in Uganda, as the same Executive said the same things, apparently within 30 years space. That is possible in the world we live in and how he really have talked and walked in circles. Will take parts of the speech yesterday and to speeches President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni did in the late 1980s, to prove how he has spin all around and have run back to start, actually.

With that in mind a little look into words said on his first speech in the General Assembly of United Nations on the 21^st October 1987 in New York, when in his speech then, he said this:

“Those Countries with a tourist industry cannot, in most cases, service it on it own. For instance, the cornflakes, jam, cheese, and wines to feed the tourists all come from all outside the Third World. So-called factories are, therefore, no more than assembly plants”.

In a Speech at the Opening of the National Workshop for the Development of Small-Scale Industries on the 3^rd April 1989, when he said this:

“I have managed with a lot of difficulty, to get some figures from the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development. I wanted some figures for tractor prices, but the ministry could not get them. If they do not have such figures, I do not know how they operate. Anyhow, they managed to get me prices for Bedford trucks. Since 1980, a Bedford truck has been rising in price with 6,5 percent per annum” (…)”If we look at coffee prices, however, while the price of the Bedford truck have been rising by 6,5 percent per annum, coffee prices fell by 32 percent between 1980 and 1987. It is not only Bedford’s that are going up in price, it is any manufactured product you care to import. You can see the situation is not in our favor”.

Then we jump in space and time, we end up in Kampala in the Ugandan Parliament, the opening of the 10^th Parliament, as the still President Museveni in 2016; with another new State of the Nation Address, this time in the year of 2016, on the 31^st May 2016, when he was actually saying this:

“One sector, for instance, is assembling cars rather than importing the already assembled cars.  When a car is imported in knockdown state and is assembled here, it is about 25% cheaper because it is cheaper to transport car parts on ships and trains than importing assembled cars.  When a car is already assembled, it occupies more space on the ship and on train flat-bed wagons.  Hence, it is more costly” (…)“All this is not just about stopping the haemorrhage of our money to the outside and paying more than we should pay.  It is also about jobs for our children.  By importing so much from outside, we are creating jobs for the children of the Chinese, the Indians, the Japanese, the Europeans, the Americans and the Middle Easterners and forgetting about our own children. This must stop.  If all the textiles that are used in Uganda are made here, we shall save US$888 million, annually and create about 45,000 direct manufacturing jobs.  By insisting on only allowing vehicles that are assembled in-country (lorries, buses, mini-buses, pick-ups and piki-pikis) to be sold in the Ethiopian market, they have created 160,000 jobs.  You can check that easily” (…)”I have talked to our importers. These policy changes or evolutions should not take one year.  We can phase them; but they must be triggered. Otherwise, we shall be slaves.  We shall continue to run a supermarket for foreign products but which we call country”.

What do you think, he has gone in circle and lost his way somewhere between Gulu-Masindi-Hoima-Mbarara-Masaka-Kampala, right? Maybe he crossed to Kabale at one point or into Kisoro to delegate some troops for the DRC or Rwanda, depending on which year of his rule. Not easy to know, what is easy to know by now how he has lost control of his mind, and is even recycling the same agenda as in 1980s and not even trying to sound fresh, clean and ready to run the country. He cannot be taken serious as he hasn’t delivered this in 30 years, why should he manage it in to his 35 years, I am just sneezing as his Opposition is detained in the Museveni-ocracy… or whatever a Police-state/totalitarian regime infused with re-hashed ideas of old. Welcome The Old Man in a Hat! Peace.

PS: If you want to read the old speeches of the dictator and the grand Don Museveni, the NRA/NRM head honcho, you should either check out the library an read the book named “What is Africa’s Problem?” Written by Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, the book we’re published in 2000 from the University of Minnesota Press, United States of America.

PLO Lumumba – “We are Co-Authors of our misfortune”

Interesting, right? Enlightenment, right?

Peace!