← The President's Daily Brief
The President's Daily Brief
PDB Afternoon Bulletin | May 12th, 2025: US-China Agree To Slash Tariffs In Major Trade Breakthrough & White House Secures Release Of American-Israeli Hostage From Hamas Captivity
00:15:49
Loading summary
Transcript11 lines
- [00:01]
Shopify Representative
Running a business comes with a lot of what ifs, but luckily there's a simple answer to Shopify. It's the commerce platform behind millions of businesses, including Thrive Cosmetics and Momofuku, and it'll help you with everything you need, from website design and marketing to boosting sales and expanding operations. Shopify can get the job done and make your dream a reality. Turn those what ifs into sign up for your $1 per month trial@shopify.com specialoffer.
- [00:41]
Mike Baker
It'S Monday 12th May. Welcome to the PDB Afternoon Bulletin. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. All right, let's get briefed. First up, the US And China reached a breakthrough during trade negotiations this weekend. How about that? Agreeing to a 90 day tariff pause that will significantly slash rates, marking a major de escalation in the economic standoff that has global investors celebrating. Markets are up on the news. We'll have those details later in the show. Following direct talks between Hamas and the Trump administration, the Iranian backed terror group unconditionally released American Israeli hostage Eden Alexander from captivity in Gaza on Monday. But first, today's afternoon spotlight. We'll begin today with a surprise breakthrough regarding US China relations as the two global economic powers agreed to substantially roll back tariffs on each other's goods for 90 days, as well as to remove most economic barriers as part of a deal to defuse the trade war. As we've been tracking here on the pdp, delegations from the US And China met in Geneva this weekend for marathon trade negotiations and the talks apparently did not disappoint. Both sides agreed to lower their reciprocal tariffs on the other by 115 percentage points for a period of 90 days during which discussions will continue on securing a long term trade deal. That's according to a report from NBC News. The announcement, which was made in a rare joint statement released by Washington and Beijing, signaled the short lived but economically devastating trade war may soon be coming to an end. The temporary pause will effectively lower U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods from 145% to 30%, leaving in place only the 10% baseline tariff that Trump has imposed on all countries, along with the 20% duty imposed on China earlier this year related to fentanyl manufacturing. China will in turn slash its 125% retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods to just 10% and will remove all non tariff countermeasures such as export restrictions on certain rare earth minerals. In their joint statement, both sides said they recognized, quote, the importance of a sustainable Long term and mutually beneficial economic and trade relationship, end quote. Oh, just get a room. Many analysts did not expect much to come from this first round of trade talks which were, as you know, led by Treasury Secretary Scott Besant and Trade Representative Jameson Greer on the US side and top economic star Heifeng on the Chinese side. But it appears they overestimated just how much economic punishment China was willing to absorb. As we previously discussed, China's export dependent economy has been battered by the tariffs which have forced factories across the country to shut down and put as many as 16 million jobs in jeopardy. Secretary Bessen remarked that the tariff war had amounted to, quote, the equivalent of an embargo between the US And China that threatened to imperil the global economy. Besson said that both sides, quote, concluded that we have a shared interest. The consensus from both delegations is that neither side wanted a decoupling. President Trump echoed that sentiment on Monday, saying, quote, we're not looking to hurt China. The reductions are set to take effect on Wednesday 14 May, at which point both nations have agreed to establish a mechanism to continue discussions about economic and trade relations. The discussions will take place in China, the US and possibly mutually agreed upon third countries. Secretary Besson said, quote, I would imagine that in the next few weeks we will be meeting again to get rolling on a more fulsome agreement. Notably, President Trump said Monday that as part of their new understanding, China has agreed to, quote, open up to US businesses, calling it perhaps the quote, most important thing to come out of the negotiations, though he did not elaborate on the development. Secretary Besson, however, said the communist regime had discussed potential purchase agreements of key American goods, which if they materialize, could go a long way towards narrowing America's nearly $300 billion trade deficit with China. That deficit, which Trump says is the result of unfair trade practices that have offshored American jobs and undermined US manufacturing, has been the main driver of the President's tariff agenda. Investors reacted jubilantly. And when was the last time you used the word jubilantly to the news of a trade breakthrough with China which comes on the heels of a trade deal struck between the US and UK Just last Thursday. All major US Stock indexes rallied after the announcement with the S&P 500 hitting a more than two month high and the Dow Jones Industrial Average jumping more than 900 points. Still, we should caution that uncertainty remains and much hinges on the actual progress made towards a lasting trade deal in the in the weeks ahead. All right, coming up next, Hamas unconditionally released American Israeli hostage Eden Alexander from captivity in Gaza on Monday following direct talks between the Iranian backed terror group and and the Trump administration. I'll have those details when we come back. Hey, Mike Baker here. Now this July, and maybe you've heard about this, but this July there's going to be a global summit of what's known as the BRICS nations in Rio de Janeiro. Now this block of emerging superpowers, it includes China and Russia and India and Iran are meeting with the goal of displacing the US Dollar as the global currency and they're calling it the real Reset. That's a catchy name. As the BRICS nations push forward with their plans, well demand for US Dollars could decrease and that would bring down the value of the dollar. Of course, while the transition won't happen overnight, of course. Well, the real Reset does mark a pivotal moment when BRICS objectives move from possibility toward reality. So you ask yourself, well, what could you do to protect your dollars, to protect your hard earned savings? I'll tell you. Birch Gold Group could help you move your hard earned savings into a tax sheltered Iraq in precious metals. So claim your free information kit on gold simply by texting PDB on the number 989898 with an A plus rating. With a Better Business Bureau and tens of thousands of happy customers. Let Birch Gold arm you with a free information kit on owning gold before July. And that Rio reset just text PDB to 989-898 today Mike Baker here. Let's take a few seconds to talk about eating smart, right? Eating healthy. Now a big part of that effort is knowing where your food comes from, right? That just makes sense. How it was raised and how it was handled. After all, if you don't take control of your food supply, well someone else will. And that would probably be a large faceless corporation. Now if you're a fan of beef like I am, then I've got just the place for you to turn to. I'm talking about where you can go for high quality beef and of course I'm talking about Tritails beef. Tritails is a fifth generation Texas ranch with run by real ranchers. There's no corporate nonsense, no middlemen, just pasture raised grain, finished black Angus beef that delivers tenderness and rich marbling and great taste in every cut. This grilling season, stock up before it's too late. And right now when you order over $349, you get a free choice New York strip. Just go to tribe beef.com PDB Grill. That's tribe.com PDB Grill your family, your friends and your girl. Well, thank you.
- [08:17]
Hey, Mike Baker here. Did you know that Fast Growing Trees is the biggest online nursery in the.
- [08:22]
U.S. did you know that?
- [08:23]
With thousands of different plants and over 2 million happy customers, they have all the plants you need. Fruit trees, privacy trees. You got your flowering trees, you got your shrubs. You name a plant, they've likely got it. Whatever plants you're interested in, Fast Growing Trees has you covered to get your dream yard delivered directly to your door. It's a great company helping you spruce up your outdoors or your indoors with a huge range of plants and without the time and trouble of visits to crowded nurseries. And this spring, they have the best deals, up to half off on select plants. While listeners to The PDB get 15% off their first purchase when using code PDB at checkout. That's an additional 15% off at fastgrowingtrees.com using the code PDB at checkout. Fastgrowingtrees.com code PDB and of course, with spring arriving, now's the perfect time to plant. The offer is valid for a limited time. Terms and conditions may apply.
- [09:19]
Hey, Mike Baker here. All right, let's talk security. Specifically, let's talk about your online security now. Going online without ExpressVPN, it's like, it's like leaving your phone without a passcode, right? You wouldn't do that. You're making it incredibly easy for anyone to steal your digital life. Whenever you connect as an example to an unencrypted network in places like cafes or hotels or airports, your online data is vulnerable. Hackers on the same network can access and steal your personal information such as passwords or bank logins and credit card details. ExpressVPN protects your data by creating a secure encrypted tunnel between your device and the Internet. Rated number one by top tech reviewers like CNET and the Verge, ExpressVPN is.
- [10:04]
Incredibly easy to use.
- [10:05]
And that's very important. Simply open the app and click one button to get protected. Secure your online data today by visiting expressvpn.com baker that's B A K E R. That's expressvpn.com baker to find out how you can get up to four extra months free again, go to expressvpn.com.
- [10:27]
Baker welcome back to the afternoon bulletin. After over a year and a half in Hamas captivity, Eden Alexander, the last known living American Israeli hostage, was released unconditionally today following direct talks between the Iran backed terror group and the Trump administration. The release took place just north of Khan Yunis, where Hamas transferred Alexander to the International Committee of the Red Cross. He was then handed off to a special unit of the Israel Defense Forces, evaluated by military doctors and reunited with his family before being airlifted to a hospital in Tel Aviv for further care. The major win for President Trump follows days of direct engagement between Hamas and the President's special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, who landed in Israel earlier today to meet with Prime Minister Netanyahu. According to Israeli officials, Trump's team informed the Prime Minister's office Sunday night that that the release would be offered as a, quote, gesture to the Americans without conditions or concessions. Alexander, a 21 year old dual citizen raised in New Jersey, moved to Israel after high school to enlist in the idf. He served in the Golani Brigade and was abducted during Hamas's 7 October 2023 terror attacks on Israel. His release after more than 550 days in captivity marked a sharp departure from previous hostage spectacles staged by Hamas, which were covered here on the pdb. Gone were the public parades, the masked gunmen and the forced expressions of gratitude by the hostages. This time, Hamas's military wing made clear there would be no ceremony, no release certificates, no propaganda optics. Alexander's freedom was granted without demands or performance. It was. In a statement posted to Truth Social, President Trump called the release, quote, a step taken in good faith toward the US and the efforts of the mediators to put an end to this very brutal war and return all living hostages and remains to their loved ones. Hamas framed Alexander's release as part of, quote, steps toward a ceasefire, the opening of border crossings and the entry of aid and relief into Gaza. But Israeli officials were quick to downplay any notion that that this marked a shift in war policy. Government spokesman David Menser credited the release to, quote, relentless military pressure exerted by our brave IDF forces, while Netanyahu's office reiterated that, quote, negotiations will take place as fighting continues. As of today, 59 hostages remain in Hamas captivity. Only 21 are believed to be alive. Prime Minister Netanyahu acknowledged as much last week and stark terms saying, quote, we know for certain that there are 21 alive. There's no argument about this. There are three where there is doubt. The bodies of four American citizens believed to have died in captivity remain in Gaza. Alexander's parents issued a statement thanking President Trump and Witkoff, calling their son's return, quote, the greatest gift imaginable. They urged Israeli leaders to keep pressing forward, adding that no hostage, living or dead, should be left behind. For now, Hamas says no further hostages will be released unless Israel agrees to end the war. And that is an ultimatum that Netanyahu has flatly rejected. And that, my friends, is the PDB afternoon bulletin for Monday 12th May. Now, if you have any questions or comments, and I hope you do, please reach out to me at bdb@the first tv.com and I hope you had a chance over the weekend to catch our latest episode of the PDB Situation Report. If you did not, well, don't fret. You can find past episodes of the Situation report on our YouTube channel, which you can find at President's Daily Brief. And of course, we're on all the podcast platforms. Wherever you get your podcast stuff, I'm Mike Baker. I'll be back tomorrow. Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool.
- [14:32]
Foreign.
- [14:38]
Baker here, let's talk about your security, right? Especially your online security. And what I want to do is tell you about a great company called Delete Me. Now, Delete Me makes it easy, quick and safe to remove your personal data online at a time when surveillance and data breaches, well, are common enough to make everyone vulnerable. Luck is easier than ever to find personal information about people online. You know that. And having your address, your phone numbers, your family members names hanging out on the Internet can have actual consequences in the real world. And it makes everyone vulnerable. With Delete Me, you can protect your personal privacy or the privacy of your business from doxing attacks before sensitive information can be exploited. Take control of your data and keep your private life private by signing up for Delete Me now at a special discount for our PDB listeners today. Get 20% off your Delete Me plan by texting PDB to the number 64000. The only way to get that 20% off again, just text PDB to 64000. That's PDB to 64000. Message and data rates may apply.