Trump’s Latest Epstein Distraction: Flimsy “Deals” That Only Benefit Big Corporations
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Trump administration announced that it reached new trade deals with several Latin American countries that it claims will help consumers in the United States. Upon announcement of so-called deals with Argentina, Ecuador, El Salvador, and Guatemala, Global Trade Watch director Melinda St. Louis issued the following statement:
“Here we go again. Trump needs to distract from inconvenient news? More headline-grabbing announcements of ‘deals’ that aren’t deals at all, but just goals for future negotiations.
“It appears that these frameworks follow the same callous logic as recent announcements of deals after Trump’s Asia trip: More imperialist bullying where Global South countries are forced to make all the concessions – to bend to the demand of Big Tech, Big Pharma, and other large corporate interests.
“Meanwhile the U.S. only agrees to potentially remove select “reciprocal” tariffs on products that the U.S. can’t grow, mine or produce, i.e., tariffs that never served any logical purpose. The fact of the matter is that regular people fed up with high prices would have demanded he remove those tariffs anyway.
“All the announced frameworks explicitly push Big Tech’s agenda. El Salvador, Ecuador and Guatemala agree not to tax Big Tech companies for the revenues they earn on digital services in their country. Guatemala and Argentina agree to not to regulate the flow of their citizens’ data across borders.
“Big Pharma’s fingerprints are obvious as well. The Guatemala, Ecuador and Argentina announcements specifically mention that the countries will address the policies listed in Big Pharma’s “Special 301” hit list.
“Without public scrutiny over the contents of these future trade talks, Trump will continue to wield his illegal tariffs to further consolidate his authoritarian power grab.”