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Tlasso's avatar

Joel,

Your last briefing was much better in my opinion. There were some actionable ideas then with stocks that could benefit and ETF's etc. This seemed more like a gabfest with nothing actionable but just opinions about how bad tariffs were. I need to go back to listen to your last brief and see what companies mentioned then involve farmland.

There were some solid takes in this one but I was waiting for the "here are some stocks that will benefit from Trump's tariffs". It was entertaining though. I listened to it while planting my garden and yes I am in Kansas (reference the brief). Thanks for organizing it.

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Joel Bowman's avatar

Thanks for the feedback, Tlasso. Yes, this one had a bit of a different flavor than the first one. A bit more freewheeling... which seemed unavoidable, as it's difficult to gain one's footing when new policies are coming down the pipes seemingly by the day, if not hour. But I take your comments on board. Look for our next one sometime early July. Cheers!

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The Contrarian Capitalist's avatar

Thank you Joel for adding a lot of value for a lot of people

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Frank Sterle Jr's avatar

The tariffs are indeed a stupid idea all around. But the school-yard bully fears appearing impotent by NOT unilaterally intimidating and/or exploiting via absurdly unjust tariffs against the comparably insubstantial nation that resists his skewed concept of ‘fairness’.

He is especially angered by the relative weakling (nation) who in the least stands up to him. Yet, he can also be disgusted by the relative weakling’s (trade war) timidity or ‘elbows down’ response and behave even worse.

An American public-opinion survey’s results, discussed on CBC radio in mid-January, revealed that most of the Americans polled who said they supported President Donald Trump’s 25%-across-the-board tariffs on imported Canadian products (albeit a minority opinion) suddenly changed their minds if that tariff ends up costing them that much more for those products.

The Not In My Back Yard mindset is depressingly alive and well, even between close neighbors. In President Trump’s twisted case, it may be more like: ‘... ESPECIALLY between close neighbors’. And his expectation of a rightful fair share will always be at least three-quarters of the pie.

Unfortunately for Canada, the bullying dynamic can and does extend beyond dealing with the U.S. under Trump’s presidential thumb. There has been a particular irritation noticeably expressed by China's government, and lately even India's, when our government — unlike with, say, mighty American assertiveness — dared to anger/embarrass them, even when on reasonable and/or just grounds.

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Tlasso's avatar

Frank, It would be great if Canada and the USA dropped all tariffs and limitations between them. But when Canada doesn't allow but a limited amount of dairy products from the US to come into their country the field needs to be leveled. Time will tell if these tariffs have an economic impact and bring companies back to the States to build their products. There have been some big announcements so far that has added up to trillions of dollars in factories being built here which is good and the interest rates have dropped so that will help us refinance our 10 Trillion in debt that needs to be refinanced.

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Frank Sterle Jr's avatar

Ever since the U.S., under both Democrat and Republican party administrations, began applying tariffs on B.C. softwood lumber imports in (I believe) the early 1990s, the international trade tribunal has consistently ruled that there are no grounds for the tariffs under the trade agreement between the U.S. and Canada (albeit not much of it is now still intact). Yet, U.S. governments have to this day disregarded those rulings, perhaps in large part due to the formidable lobbyist influence of the American big lumber industry.

At the same time, however, we allow bulk/raw/unprocessed-natural-resource-export lobbyists WAY TOO MUCH influential access to governmental decision-makers — all without a truly independent news-media willing to investigative and expose corporate lobbyists' corrupting overreach.

After almost four decades of consuming mainstream news-media, I cannot recall a serious discussion on why our national and provincial governments will not insist upon processing all of our own oil (and lumber) here at home in Canada, instead of exporting it bulk raw abroad and purchasing it back processed at a notably higher price (as we do with the U.S., for example). That is, without the topic discussion strongly seeming to have already been parameterized thus the outcome predetermined. And I’m not talking about just on the one and same day, open and closed topic, as I’ve witnessed two or three of those insufficient efforts.

Our governments consistently refuse to alter this practice, which undoubtedly is the most profitable for the corporations extracting and exporting en masse our natural resources.

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Tlasso's avatar

Frank, Do you have any refineries in Canada? Maybe they don't want the environmental risk? But you process oil sands so that can't be the case. Lobbyists are always a problem but we have problems here with social media influencers that pander to President Trump and sway him.

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Frank Sterle Jr's avatar

We process a relatively small amount of our own oil, but it's nowhere near enough for our own consumption.

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Don Hrehirchek's avatar

Tlasso I do not know where You get Your info ,but the tariffs on dairy products are under the USMEC agreement . Signed By 3 Countries. I believe that only once has the USA over shipped on their dairy product to Canada. An agreement is an agreement. enough said!

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Tlasso's avatar

Thanks Don, I have never read the agreement. But I agree with you that an agreement is an agreement, at least until the next one is drawn up.

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Don Hrehirchek's avatar

Thanks for the acknowledgement. Appreciate it. Have a good day Eh!

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Bill's avatar

I would like to see the answer about property purchase it in argentina Idle, that is a developer.I can't do it in Canada. Additionally I had a trucking company and we acquired a company in Canada. I couldn't.

Be there for more than two weeks ..... I had to get an apartment in northern MN. Cry me a river.

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Joel Bowman's avatar

Thanks, Bill. Looks like this might be a topic for a future event. Thanks for the feedback!

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Agent22Smith's avatar

Joel, is it difficult for non-citizens to buy property in Argentina?

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Joel Bowman's avatar

Not difficult, no. Non-citizens can own property here without permanent residency. Perhaps I'll focus our next conference on real estate opportunities down here... the ins and outs of how to purchase property, from city apartments to farmland. Thanks for the comment!

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Agent22Smith's avatar

That would be terrific!

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Bob of the bald's avatar

Pres. Trump cannot win long term due to the fact the voters are not willing to bear the pain. As has been said many times; no pain, no gain. How he can put that message across, short of a miracle, I can't imagine. Watch the debit market and the heck with the equity markets; Bond vigilantes are on the prowell and they want return on those long term bonds. The fed is certainly between a rock and a hard place. It appears the fed has lost control and they if haven't they will when the next 9 trillion come due which is now. I see a good chance of hyperinflation in the near future and so I plan accordingly. I hope all you of the informed do too. God's blessings to all.

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