Bob Brewer, Author at Braumiller Law Group

China’s Global Port Investments – It’s About Control and the Reshaping of Trade Flows

September 28, 2025

By Bob Brewer, Braumiller Law Group

China owns outright or has majority control in 17 overseas ports globally, according to recent estimates. However, its broader footprint is much larger with 129 port projects worldwide that involve Chinese investment, construction, or operational control. 115 of these are active, spanning every continent except Antarctica, which is next.

Rare Earth Minerals-Part 2 – Enter Greenland’s Global Significance

September 28, 2025

By Bob Brewer, Braumiller Law Group

It’s been more than a little concerning to the Trump Administration as these deposits have everything to do with international security as they are needed in the production of the very high-end microchips. So, now that it has been discovered that Greenland apparently has one of the largest deposits on the planet, Trump has stated that we will have Greenland, one way or another. While he hasn’t explicitly committed to military action, he’s made it clear that he won’t rule it out.

Sanctions, Bans, and Tariffs How The U.S. is Fueling Chinese Innovation

September 8, 2025

By Bob Brewer, Braumiller Law Group

Just look at the current landscape of how China has been innovating through various trade related sanctions, bans, and tariffs. Necessity has always been the mother of invention, and in the case of China and the never-ending western pressure it has also been the catalyst in many cases for that which ultimately drives them to create and overcome.

As the U.S. Pushes For More Protectionism, Global Trade Turns to Another Obvious Option- China

August 3, 2025

By Bob Brewer, Braumiller Law Group

Here we are. August 1st, 2025, and the media is now publishing what facts they have on the various trade deals as well as those that have yet to come to fruition, in addition to the new announcement of imposed global tariffs which range anywhere from 10% to 41%, Yes, the trade world is on fire from a U.S. perspective. CNN, my “go-to” is reporting that the Trump Administration is imposing tariffs on over 60 countries around the globe.

Rare Earth Minerals, and China’s Global Dominance

June 9, 2025

By Bob Brewer, Braumiller Law Group

If I heard it once, I’ve heard it a thousand times, China is the sourcing capital of the world. I’ve also repeated this statement at least 400+ times in many conversations over the years regarding global trade. China, it’s also where the global market goes for rare earth minerals, among thousands of other necessary elements for a veritable plethora of life’s essential things.

All Is Fair in Love and War, But Apparently Not Trade. Closing the Gap on Global Trade Deficits with the U.S. (A monumental task for a variety of reasons)

April 7, 2025

By Bob Brewer, Braumiller Law Group

As a broad stroke of tariffs are now levied against various countries to close the trade deficit gap, without truly examining the reason(s) for the imbalance, there will most likely be automatic retaliatory tariffs in a lose-lose situation. The White House stated that currently 50 countries are on the phone with the President, but that is hard to confirm. US consumers will ultimately pay the price, as well as SME’s.

Chaebols May Wabble but They Don’t Fall Down How Samsung Became 23% of South Korea’s GDP

March 10, 2025

By Bob Brewer, Braumiller Law Group

Chaebols are large, family-owned business conglomerates that play a significant role in South Korea’s economy. These conglomerates have a significant influence on the South Korean economy and are often involved in various government decisions. This rather close relationship has resulted in not just mutual support, but the government providing subsidies, loans, and tax incentives.

All Is Fair in Love and War, But Apparently Not Trade Closing the Gap on Global Trade Deficits with the U.S.

March 6, 2025

By Bob Brewer, Braumiller Law Group

In addition to the tariffs on Mexican, Canadian and Chinese imports, Trump is also set to announce a litany of what he deems to be reciprocal tariffs across the globe come April 2, the day after the conclusion of an investigation the President ordered. These tariffs are aimed at balancing trade with other countries, some of which have higher tariff rates on US exports than the US imposes on imports from those nations.

Options to the Panama Canal Perhaps?

February 27, 2025

By Bob Brewer, Braumiller Law Group

Prior to the origination of the plans for the Panama Canal vessels of trade had few options of getting goods from Europe and Asia to N. America. One was to sail around the southern tip of South America (Cape Horn) adding months to the journey if they were lucky enough to make it through what is known as one of the most hazardous shipping routes in the world, where it’s estimated that over 800 ships have been lost over the last couple of centuries of trade.

China’s Belt and Road Initiative, Building Global Infrastructure Regarding Trade, It’s a Major Competition

February 10, 2025

By Bob Brewer, Braumiller Law Group

In 2024, China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) saw significant financial engagement. Preliminary data indicates that China invested approximately $92.4 billion in various projects across the 149 countries involved in the BRI. China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) encompasses numerous large-scale infrastructure projects across the globe.

Chinese Industrial Parks in Mexico, Mexico a Growing Hub for Chinese FDI (And BYD)

February 10, 2025

By Bob Brewer, Braumiller Law Group

As of now, the start of 2025, there are several Chinese industrial parks in Mexico, with notable examples including the Hofusan Industrial Park near Monterrey, which hosts manufacturing plants for ten Chinese companies. When one is considering how to navigate the U.S. import tariffs, for many Chinese manufacturers, pulling the trigger on nearshoring is the right move.

Mercosur-EU – A New Potential Powerhouse in Trade Blocs if Ratified

December 11, 2024

By Bob Brewer, Braumiller Law Group

After 25 years of negotiations, the European Union and the Southern Common Market, commonly known as Mercosur, comprised of Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay, signed a free trade agreement. I think this, among many more regional deals to come was suddenly expedited due to the anticipated land mines with the upcoming Trump 2.0 administration and trade policy regarding tariffs for all.

Tariffs, and the Temptation to Use Them as Geopolitical Leverage

December 11, 2024

By Bob Brewer, Braumiller Law Group

The United States has a long history of using tariffs. The first significant tariff legislation was the Tariff Act of 1789, signed by President George Washington. Tariffs have been used for various purposes over the years, including protecting domestic industries, generating government revenue, and negotiating trade agreements. The use of tariffs however has evolved, with significant changes during different historical periods, such as the high tariffs of the 19th century and the shift towards free trade in the mid-20th century, as well as the current U.S. trade war with China, and possibly soon to be with Mexico and Canada.

China and Walmart, Please, for the Love of ____, Let’s Observe a Silver Lining Partnership in an Otherwise Dismal Global Landscape

October 7, 2024

By Bob Brewer, Braumiller Law Group

At a glance, gauging where we stand in our relationship with China overall, one would assume the key operative word in most descriptions would be “dismal” at best. This is of course accurate to a certain extent but looking at trade and commerce between the two countries, let’s take a look at the largest retailer in the U.S. as Walmart gives us a prime example of where we stand regarding unity as nations.

Coming Soon: A New Polar Icebreaker Competition in the Arctic Region for Trade Route Supremacy

August 9, 2024

By Bob Brewer, Braumiller Law Group

The US, Canada, and Finland are launching a joint partnership to build more ice-breaking ships to compete with China and Russia in Arctic. Sad but true, here we go again. Whether it’s the South China sea, or even the moon, there will be territorial disputes to challenge ownership where no ownership should actually exist. The pact aims to produce a fleet of ice-breaking ships to display a posture of power in the polar regions and enforce international norms and treaties.

BRICS–A Focus on De-Dollarization and Global Expansion

June 7, 2024

By Bob Brewer, Braumiller Law Group

The new world order apparently has some merit as more than 30 nations have reportedly submitted applications to join the BRICS alliance wanting to reduce reliance on the US dollar. This wave of applications is a testament to the trust in the BRICS alliance as a viable option to a traditional economic structure. The BRICS alliance has broad shoulders and is representative of considerable economic growth.

De Minimis An Ever-Growing Problem of De Maximus Proportion

April 1, 2024

By Bob Brewer, Braumiller Law Group

De minimis is a term that refers to a threshold below which certain goods are exempt from import duties or taxes. However, in the landscape of international trade, it has become a contentious issue for the United States. Those “bad actors”, and even some, not so bad, but willing to take advantage of a loophole have found a way around the tariffs. This so-called loophole of allowing goods with a fair retail value of $800 or less to enter the U.S. without paying an import tariff has become a monster that Customs needs to find a way to deal with conclusively.

Parallel Imports, A Global Phenomenon, And a Very Grey Area Regarding International Trade

February 5, 2024

By Bob Brewer, Braumiller Law Group

At the core of the definition, a Parallel import is a non-counterfeit product imported from another country without the permission of the intellectual property owner. They are also goods that are not authorized for importation into the U.S. It’s a global phenomenon, a very grey area, and their presence varies across different parts of the globe.

U.S. Trade, Nearshoring & China
Mexico is Becoming a Popular Manufacturing Destination

November 8, 2023

By Bob Brewer, Braumiller Law Group

The implementation of trade policies in what many consider acts of protectionism and manipulation are the norm, and of course China and the U.S. are a prime example. Solutions include nearshoring, reshoring, and protectionism. It’s complicated, so for the purpose of this article, let’s stick with nearshoring.

Taiwan – U.S. 21st Century Trade Initiative, More Than Just a Trade Agreement. A Statement to Beijing Perhaps

August 4, 2023

By Bob Brewer, Braumiller Law Group

A little over a year ago on June 1, 2022, the United States and Taiwan launched the United States-Taiwan Initiative on 21st-Century Trade to deepen their economic ties and trade relationship, and advance mutual trade priorities based on shared values, promoting innovation, and economic growth for workers and businesses. About 2 months ago the agreement was made official.

Bob Brewer