A New 50% Tariff On Canadian Imports Set to Begin In 30 Days

©iStock/Marc Bruxelle

Is this tariff really about the wildfire smoke drifting down from Canada? Your guess is as good as mine. We'll have to wait and see – punishment seems to be the modus operandi of the current US administration.

Trump cited Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930, a law that allows a president to tariff goods up to 50% without congressional approval when a country is believed to be discriminating against American goods.

Here's the key:  The law has never been applied this way.

The new import levies are a response to alleged discrimination against American motor vehicles, alcohol and dairy, an official said.

Foodex Japan 2025: Businesses Beyond Borders

©2025 Secret Aardvark Trading Co.  All rights reserved.

As one of the world’s premier food and beverage trade shows, FoodEx Japan brings together global buyers, suppliers, and innovators shaping the future of food. For these local companies, the event presents a unique opportunity to showcase high-quality products, expand into international markets, and build partnerships that drive growth in the evolving food industry.

Check out some of the amazing businesses as they represent some of the best in the food industry on the global stage.  

In addition to Canadian companies, we are aware of another great USA company, Secret Aardvark Trading Company, who is exhibiting at Foodex 2025.

The Land of Opportunity: USA

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The United States continues to attract British businesses and entrepreneurs looking to explore the country’s vast potential.

Expanding into the US means being bold, embracing differences and using a trusted advisor that understands you and your business. 

In this article Rob Levett, Assistant Director with Evelyn Partners LLP, discusses the opportunities, risks, and considerations for increasing your chances of success. 

Is Tesla Still the Most Valuable Car Company in the World?

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Metallurgy graduate Wang Chuanfu founded BYD in 1995.  BYD is a small Chinese company focused on producing rechargeable nickel-cadmium batteries more cheaply than Japanese competitors. Nearly 30 years later, the Shenzhen-based firm has become the world’s leading manufacturer of electric vehicles (EVs), even surpassing American giant Tesla (TSLA) in global sales of pure-play electric cars in the last quarter of 2023. 

But the two companies are still running neck and neck, with Tesla regaining its crown in the first quarter of 2024. 

Here’s how they compare, in four charts.

From Japan to Global – a wegginar® with Kaori Shimazaki (2/7/24 at 11 AM CT)

©2024 Women Entrepreneurs Grow Global®.  All rights reserved.

Who is Kaori Shimazaki?  Glad you asked because she is wegg's next wegginar® presenter!

Kaori is CEO and founder of SAKE Generation.  Her journey spans diverse corporate landscapes and entrepreneurial milestones.  It goes like this ...

Before entrepreneurship, she held pivotal roles, including Business Planning Lead at Coca-Cola Bottlers Japan, P&A Manager at Asurion Japan, and Controller at Credit Suisse.  During her tenure at Coca-Cola, Kaori pursued an MBA at the University of Chicago while co-founding the pioneering SAKE project with an international team. This venture reached the finals of the Chicago Global New Venture Challenge Competition. 

Once she established SAKE Generation in 2019, her initiatives garnered recognition from various prestigious platforms, such as the U.S. Embassy’s Women’s Entrepreneurship Program, where she secured the Bronze Award in a competitive pitch contest. 

Additionally, she contributed to Tokyo’s NY Expansion Support Program (X Hub Tokyo) and the APTWoman program, which led her to explore Silicon Valley as a cultural envoy. 

Kaori’s commitment to expertise is reflected in her professional qualifications, including a U.S. CPA acquired in 2008, an MBA from the University of Chicago in 2019, and certifications as a Certified SAKE Professional and Sake Sommelier in 2019 and 2021, respectively.

If that doesn't all WOW you, this will.

You can participate in Kaori's upcoming wegginar free of charge on 2/7 at 11 AM CT thanks to wegg's generous sponsors: https://bit.ly/3vx7xik.

Find out how she accomplished all of the above when she presents: "From Japan to Global:  Exporting the new SAKE Experience!"

America: Land of the Free and Home of the Brave

©2022 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"In America, nobody says you have to keep the circumstances somebody else gives you." – Amy Tan

National Trade Estimate (NTE) Report 2023 on Foreign Trade Barriers

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The National Trade Estimate (NTE) Report 2023 on Foreign Trade Barriers covers significant barriers, whether they are consistent or inconsistent with international trading rules.  The NTE Report also discusses key export markets for the United States, covering 60 countries; the European Union; Taiwan; Hong Kong, China; and, the Arab League. Omission of particular countries and barriers does not imply that they are not of concern to the United States.

How do you define trade barriers?

Trade barriers elude fixed definitions, but may be broadly defined as government laws and regulations or government-imposed measures, policies, and practices that restrict, prevent, or impede the international exchange of goods and services; protect domestic goods and services from foreign competition; artificially stimulate exports of particular domestic goods and services; fail to provide adequate and effective protection of intellectual property rights; unduly hamper U.S. foreign direct investment or U.S. electronic commerce; or impose barriers to cross-border data flows.

Read the entire report here.

A Blast From the Past: We Are the World (Music Video)

Global Entrepreneurship Week Kickoff 2019

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Headlines from around the world celebrating Global Entrepreneurship Week, which removes unnecessary barriers to entrepreneurs in creating and growing new ventures.

• NERv Technology from Canada takes top prize at EWC global finals
• Crown Plaza Partner to invigorate startup ecosystems around the world
• Photo Exhibition at Palais des Nations shows entrepreneurial migrants and refugees
• Mind the Gap: New Index of Dynamic Entrepreneurship (IDE) encourages countries to strive for systemic balance
• Women Entrepreneurs Grow Global® weggchat® from USA conducted via Twitter brought women entrepreneurs the world over together to learn what it takes to go global

USA: Global Domination

©iStock/RomoloTavani

Here's to USA -- for its entrepreneurship, innovation, freedom, independence, and gateway to the world (e.g., global domination).

According to Wikipedia, the 4th of July “is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence 241 years ago on July 4, 1776.”

Happy 4th of July to the United States of America!

Women Worldwide Excel At Entrepreneurship

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The U.S. Department of State asked me to write the lead article "Women Entrepreneurs Energize Economies," as part of the current eJournal USA issue "Enterprising Women, Thriving Societies."

May it inspire all individuals -- men and women alike -- to pursue their dream of becoming an entrepreneur.  There's a section tips on how to start a business -- you won't want to miss it.

Immediate download: PDF version (6.5 MB). The design and photos in the PDF file are worth a look.

Posted by:  The Global Small Business Blog

The Worst Global Online Oppressors

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Here's a list of the 10 worst countries to be a blogger. Be thankful for your freedom of speech, that is, if you have it.

1. Burma
2. Iran
3. Syria
4. Cuba (e.g., Generacion Y, pictured)
5. Saudi Arabia
6. Vietnam
7. Tunisia
8. China
9. Turkmenistan
10. Egypt

Read more here about the dishonor roll of countries who oppress blogging worldwide.

Latest Global Hotspot?

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Good old USA! There's no place like home and as U.S. manufacturers become more efficient through the use of lean methodologies, flowing production back from China to the United States can be a smart business move.

Read more here.

Your USA Economy

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The Edward Lowe Foundation has created an online resource that tracks business activity in communities across the United States.

Visit www.YourEconomy.org, and you can see the breakdown of business establishments-along with the jobs they generate-at state, MSA and county levels.

New features and information (e.g., available early 2009, the entrepreneurship view will track establishments and jobs according to key entrepreneurial indicators to be determined) will be added to YourEconomy over the next few months.

Check it out.