America, we have a problem.
No, it is not hypersonic Russian or even Chinese nuclear missiles. It’s not terrorists crossing our border with nuclear materials that could contaminate a US city with a dirty bomb. I don’t mean to scare you, but it is not even a really bad cold that kills old people with health issues and diabetics with weak immune systems that originated from a USDA lab in China.
In fact, if this item were to be declared a terrorist weapon, tens of millions would be under arrest for possession of a deadly weapon.
What is it?
That’s correct boys and girls, a butter knife. Tableware. An innocent item that apparently is now a national security threat.
Perhaps I exaggerate just a tad, but by using the law that President Trump’s administration declared an emergency over, tableware from foreign nations is a threat to United States national security. Hell, a salad fork is rumored to be enough to defeat the mighty Republic of California!
Now that I am done with all the hyperbole and mocking of this action, just what is your esteemed author talking about?
Via Bloomberg/YahooFinance:
Trump Widens Metal Tariffs to Target Baby Gear and Motorcycles
From the article:
President Donald Trump stunned the logistics industry on Friday by widening his steel and aluminum tariffs to include more than 400 types of consumer items that contain the metals, such as motorcycles and tableware.
Customs brokers and importers in the US were given little notice to account for the change, which went into effect Monday and did not exclude goods in transit.
The new tariff inclusion list was posted by US Customs and Border Protection just as many were leaving for the weekend and appeared in the Federal Register on Tuesday, creating fresh headaches for trade professionals. Official guidance has been muddled, especially for goods already on their way to the US, and it’s unclear whether the metals levies stack on top of country-by-country tariffs.
Emphasis of course is yours truly. But where oh where does this so-called taxation on tableware appear?
Can I still get my relish fork cheap? Will my teaspoon cost more? Is this real or is this more mainstream media propaganda?
God do I wish this was just leftist propaganda. However, it is real and here are the pages published this morning which reflect the new tariff rates on items like “tableware” that will impact the consumer:
Now for those skeptics who say “you’re just posting anti-Trump nonsense” nay, I do support some of his policies but pointing out the absurd with any administration dating back to the George W. Bush idiocracy has always been part of this author’s analysis.
With that being established, what is the harmonized code 8215.99.10? From the EU European Customs Protal HS code webpage, universally used by the majority of shipping companies for trade:
How did President Trump impose the US Trade Expansion act of 1962, US Code 19 U.S.C. 1862, Section 232 to impose these tariffs?
From Trump’s Presidential Proclamation on June 3, 2025:
7. Accordingly, I have determined that it is necessary and appropriate to increase the tariff rate for imports of steel articles and derivative steel articles, and aluminum articles and derivative aluminum articles, from 25 percent ad valorem to 50 percent ad valorem effective as of 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time on June 4, 2025. I have also determined that it is necessary and appropriate to modify the way in which the tariff measures described in Executive Order 14289 of April 29, 2025 (Addressing Certain Tariffs on Imported Articles), apply to steel articles and derivative steel articles, and aluminum articles and derivative aluminum articles, to ensure the effectiveness of the tariff changes described in this proclamation and the alignment of policy priorities between this proclamation and Executive Order 14289. I have further determined that it is necessary and appropriate to allow for the implementation of the U.S.-UK Economic Prosperity Deal of May 8, 2025 (EPD), and to accordingly provide different treatment, as described below, for imports of steel and aluminum articles, and their derivatives, from the United Kingdom.
Ah, that’s all? But what is Section 232 and how is my using too much “I Can’t Believe it’s Not Butter” spread with my Communist Chinese butter knife a threat to national security?
US Trade Expansion Act of 1962, Section 232, 19 USC 1862
Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution gives Congress
power to impose duties and regulate foreign commerce.
Congress has delegated some of these authorities to the
President through statutes. Section 232 of the Trade
Expansion Act of 1962 (19 U.S.C. §1862, as amended)
allows the President to impose restrictions on goods imports
or enter into negotiations with trading partners if the U.S.
Secretary of Commerce determines, following an
investigation, that the quantity or other circumstance of
those imports “threaten to impair” U.S. national security.
This information is from the US Congressional Research Service and provides some insight as to why many speculate the threat posed by butter knifes might need to be taxed at a higher rate than if those items were manufactured in the United States.
Is the United States Military Threatened by Foreign Tableware?
Apparently so, as it has been deemed a threat to our national security per the Section 232 implementation of the 50% tariffs by President Trump.
Just who dominates the tableware industry if it is not the United States?
The total number of Tableware Manufacturers in the world is 29,084. The largest number of Tableware Manufacturers are based in China with a 26% market share in the worldwide Tableware manufacturers industry (7,673 Tableware manufacturers). Second is Poland with 3,719 Tableware Manufacturers (13%). Italy also has a large number of Tableware Manufacturers: 3,477 These three countries combined have a 51% market share in the global Tableware Manufacturers industry.
By God we can not have those evil ChiComs and Poles dominate this! America is losing the race for the ultimate cake knife which might ruin our holidays forever.
They might deny our poor citizens relish forks for Thanksgiving or give out the salad forks for free to Islamist terrorists to attack our soldiers when we discover uranium or gold in their nations!
Enough of the absurdity, however. This data presentation was to provide the obvious to anyone who is actually paying attention. I could just have easily chosen harmonization code 2106 as apparently someone in the administration has a financial network in condensed milk products made in the USA.
Or perhaps it’s one of the aluminum can manufacturers with the HTS code of 7612?
I point this out only to illustrate the absurd.
This has NOTHING, zero, zip, nada to do with national defense.
This is about ego and this bizarre belief that the manufacture of these products will flee back to the United States and suddenly start manufacturing again even if the products they produce will cost 10, 20, 30, or even 50% more than foreign made competitors.
America, we have a problem and economic illiteracy is the biggest one that I have ever witnessed in my lifetime.
And it starts in the White House.