Foreign Policy

Trump’s Blundering Jeopardizes Jobs and Trade With Iran

Written by SK Ashby

When Iran and other world powers including the United States signed the Iran nuclear deal, it opened up the Iranian market for American companies and manufacturers for the first time in years, but Trump's blundering has put all of that in jeopardy.

According to Reuters, the financing for a $16.5 billion purchase by Iran of Boeing jets manufactured here in America may collapse even if the Iran nuclear deal manages to survive Trump.

Several people involved in the airliner deals fear they have become too big to cancel but too sensitive to implement fully beyond a limited number of jets for which Iran has the funds to pay for in cash without foreign loans. [...]

That raises immediate concerns for Boeing as it prepares to start building 15 long-range, twin-engined 777-300ER jets, originally due for delivery to Iran from next April.

The fate of those aircraft - part of a total order for 80 jets - is seen affecting jobs as Boeing tries to put a floor under declining production of one of its most profitable models.

While Boeing's sale of jets to Iran may collapse, the sale of jets manufactured in the European Union may also collapse because many of them contain America-made parts.

That particular detail gave me pause because, as you know, America trade officials are currently pressuring their Mexican and Canadian counterparts to accept new thresholds for American-made automobile parts. I'm not necessarily directly comparing the two, but Mexico and Canada may have their own interests in trade with Iran or other nations that Trump will inevitably agitate in some way.

I have a feeling the world is going to collectively tell us to fuck ourselves in the very near future. They may need us right now, but I promise every country is looking for ways to divest themselves and become independent from the American economy.