From a small northwestern observatory…

China buys two things from the United States:  agricultural products and Treasury bonds.  Thanks to our misguided attempts at a trade war, they’ve announced today that they’re going to quit buying one of those two items.  Indeed, for the past two decades, China has been working to expand their sources of basic resources, including foodstuffs. Other countries are happy to oblige.  Since 1970, Brazil has cut down about 20% of their rainforest, mainly for agriculture.  Most of the deforested Amazon is used for cattle grazing, and about 80% of that beef is exported (guess who buys it?).  Brazil is now also the world’s 2nd biggest producer of soy beans.  (Guess who buys THAT?).  Thanks to our U.S. trade policies, Brazil is poised to leap into first place.  By the way, the impact on the global biosphere is devastating, but that’s almost an afterthought.

Is this likely to cause a recession?  Coupled with the yield curve inverting, a slow-down in housing sales, and w-a-a-a-a-y too much Federal deficit spending, and all the signs are certainly there.  If there is one redeeming thing, it’s that so many of us recognize that a recession is likely at this point.