The U.S. has introduced port fees on Chinese-built ships starting mid-October 2025 to revive its shipbuilding industry and challenge China's dominance. Fees start at $50 per ton of cargo, rising by $30 annually for three years, with container ships charged $120 per container and non-U.S.-built car carriers at $150 per vehicle. Fees apply once per voyage, up to five times yearly, with exemptions for empty vessels carrying U.S. exports, ships moving goods between U.S. ports, and U.S./Canadian Great Lakes vessels. Scaled back from a proposed $1.5 million per port visit fee, the policy aims to minimize trade disruptions. Critics, including China's foreign ministry, argue the fees will raise U.S. consumer prices without significantly reviving shipbuilding. The USTR asserts that China's dominanc

The U.S. tariff wave is shaking things up, pushing the Japanese yen to multi-month highs. Meanwhile, Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway just issued ¥90 billion in yen bonds on Nov. 11, hinting at a bold bet on Japan’s top five trading companies. Could this signal the market’s bottom and the start of an uptrend? Analysts love the setup: yen-denominated bonds sidestep currency risks, and with trading firms yielding ~3% against Buffett’s ~1.5% borrowing cost, there’s a juicy ~1.5% spread to pocket. Market Pulse: Stocks may be ready to rally! Buffett’s Fortune Grows Amid Billionaire Bust! Trump’s tariffs are hitting billionaire wallets hard, but Warren Buffett’s thriving—his wealth soared $11.5 billion in 2025, or ~NT$379.1 billion monthly, making him the only top-10 billionaire gaining groun

Hold onto your hats — President Donald Trump is feeling super optimistic about smoothing things over with China, and honestly? It’s making people a little crazy!White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt brought the bubbly news on Friday, just hours after China dramatically hiked tariffs on U.S. imports to a whopping 125% (yep, from 84% — drama much?). It’s the latest punch in the ongoing trade war soap opera, but Trump? He’s still got stars in his eyes for a deal.“The president’s made it very clear — he’s totally open to working something out with China,” Leavitt said, adding with a grin that he’s feeling “optimistic” about getting to yes. The mood in D.C.? Think hopeful... with a side of high-stress pacing and lots of strong coffee.“If China’s ready to deal, the president would be grac

For years, investors had the wind at their backs. Globalization made everything easier: Trade was booming. Supply chains ran like clockwork. Prices stayed low. That era is fading. We’re stepping into a new world—fragmentation. Countries are tightening trade. Tariffs are on the rise. Nations are shifting toward local production—even if it’s more expensive. This isn’t just politics. It’s economics. And it matters. When the world trades freely, everyone wins: Cheaper goods Higher productivity Greater access But start pulling that apart? Prices go up. Efficiency drops. Inflation gets stickier. Globalization didn’t just grow profits—it helped keep inflation down. As trade expanded, goods got cheaper. Consumers benefited. Central banks caught a break. Investors thrived. Now? That tailwind i

Okay besties, let’s be real — the challenges coming our way? Yeah, they’re legit. But so is our gov’s steady-hand rep, right? They've steered us through stuff before. Buuut now… kinda feels like we’ve got a bunch of people in charge with more vibes than actual expertise. Like, you don’t even need relevant experience to be a minister? Make it make sense. And yeah, Singapore’s calm, cool, collected vibes in this messy world? Super important. But let’s not pretend a “proven track record” is a forever pass. Remember Nokia? Used to be the phone brand, but no new ideas + bad calls = RIP. Just saying, past wins don’t guarantee future Ws. Now let’s talk about that spicy 10% tariff: 1. It's not just about us, okay?? So the US dropped a 10% tariff — but plot twist: it’s for everyone, not just us. Ev

$GME 20250516 25.0 CALL$   $GameStop(GME)$  Making a small bet on GameStop 

The U.S. stock market made a big comeback, with the S&P 500 opening 1% higher yesterday and closing at the day’s high—something we haven’t seen since July 2022!  $Tesla Motors(TSLA)$ in particular, continued its strong momentum from last Friday, surging another 12%. That’s a 17% jump in just two days—is it turning into a "meme stock" again? 🤣 While the stock market soared, safe-haven assets pulled back—both gold and bond prices declined. So, should investors be aggressive or cautious right now? Personally, I’m not too worried about bond yields surging again, as the Fed remains neutral, insisting on a data-driven approach. Meanwhile, the bond market has shifted its focus to a new theme—the "Bessent Put." Over the past two months, the

On the recent weekend, I see MPs accompanied by large groups of assistants, moving from table to table and stall to stall, interacting with residents. It really gets on my nerves because, while I'm eating, I was interrupted by them. You’re expected to stop eating, stand up, and shake hands with them. It feels like they're in a rush to get through as many people as possible. The interaction feels insincere, like they're prioritizing quantity over quality.  I watched one auntie try to engage the MP for a longer conversation, but he just smiled, nodded, and seemed distracted, while an assistant took notes. Everything felt mechanical, lacking any real human connection. Next time, I’ll have to put a big "Do Not Disturb" sign on my table.