Sunday, October 12, 2025

The World Is No Longer Flat

What happened to that guy, whatshisname? Trump is destroying the world he birthed, and he's been pretty quiet about it.
Thousands of U.S.-bound packages shipped by UPS are trapped at hubs across the country, unable to clear the maze of new customs requirements imposed by the Trump administration.

As packages flagged for customs issues pile up in UPS warehouses, the company told NBC News it has begun “disposing of” some shipments.

Frustrated UPS customers describe waiting for weeks and trying to make sense of scores of conflicting tracking updates from the world’s largest courier.
I'm one who thinks tariffs (maybe not that big of a deal) are less important than trade wars (what Trump is doing, absurdly), and economists tended to exaggerate the importance of the first to try to prevent the second.

In addition, the basic costs of tariffs are often exceeded by the complications and difficulties of importing/exporting. Fine, I'll pay the 20% if it's simple and straightforward. But if it isn't? If I can't just click the button and pay the bill? If I worry my time sensitive shipment will be held up?