The President's Daily Brief
April 29th, 2025: Factories Shutting Down In China As Tariff War Bites & North Korea’s Dirty Secret Confirmed
Tue, 29 Apr 2025
In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: U.S. tariffs are hitting China hard, forcing factories to shut down production lines and scramble for new customers as orders dry up. The world's worst kept secret is now official—North Korean soldiers are fighting alongside Russian forces, and President Putin is giving them a public nod of appreciation. The Trump administration is quietly game-planning for a potential restart of talks with North Korea, including a possible new face-to-face meeting with Kim Jong Un. And in today's Back of the Brief, the Pentagon reveals new details about its air campaign in Yemen, with more than 800 targets struck in just six weeks. To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President’s Daily Brief by visiting PDBPremium.com. Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief. YouTube: youtube.com/@presidentsdailybrief Birch Gold: Text PDB to 989898 and get your free info kit on gold TriTails Premium Beef: Visit https://TryBeef.com/PDB for 2 free Flat Iron steaks with your first box over $250. Plus, for a limited time enjoy 5% off on almost everything site-wide excluding subscriptions and B-stock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Chapter 1: What is the impact of U.S. tariffs on Chinese factories?
It's Tuesday, the 29th of April. Welcome to the President's Daily Brief. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. All right, let's get briefed. We'll start things off with the ongoing tariffs brouhaha or kerfuffle, although I'm not sure if the Chinese language has a word for kerfuffle or brouhaha. But I do know that the US tariffs are taking a real toll on the Chinese economy.
Chinese factories are reportedly shutting down production lines and hunting for new customers as orders dry up. We'll have those details. Later in the show, the world's worst-kept secret is now official. North Korean soldiers are on the battlefield alongside Russian troops. I know, shocking. With President Putin offering his appreciation for their efforts.
Plus, inside the Trump administration's discreet efforts to restart talks with North Korea, including the possibility of another face-to-face meeting with Kim Jong-un. And in today's Back of the Brief, the Pentagon is releasing new details about the extent of the US military's air campaign in Yemen, hammering more than 800 targets in just six weeks. But first, today's PDB Spotlight.
We'll begin with the ongoing fallout from the US-China trade war, which appears to be rapidly destabilizing the communist regime's export-dependent economy. As you likely know by now, the Chinese Communist Party, the CCP, and Washington are locked in a bitter trade dispute triggered by President Trump's imposition of a 145% tariff on most of China's exports.
China retaliated by placing a 125% tax on US goods. The impact on China has been swift and significant. Chinese warehouses are reportedly filled with unsent goods, and operations at two of China's most critical ports for trade have slowed to a crawl. Now, Chinese manufacturers are beginning to pause production entirely and shut down factories as they scramble to find new buyers for their goods.
That's according to a report from CNBC. Currently, the most severely impacted factories are those that are making toys, sporting goods, and low-cost dollar store type goods, though every sector is beginning to feel the crunch.
An analyst with the Shanghai-based consulting firm Tidal Wave Solutions told CNBC, quote, I know several factories that have told half of their employees to go home for a few weeks and stopped most of their production. While not large-scale yet, it is happening in the key export hubs of Yiwu and Dongguan, and there is concern that it will grow.
He added, "...there is hope that tariffs will be lowered so orders can resume, but in the meantime companies are furloughing employees and idling some production." Financial analysts warn that for small businesses in China with only several million dollars in resources, the massive tariffs are already unbearable and will likely force them to shutter permanently.
To mitigate their losses, some manufacturers are turning to new markets to try and fill their orders, though they said it will take time to build those up. Major Chinese tech companies on orders from the CCP are also exploring ways to help exporters redirect their goods to the domestic market.
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Chapter 2: How are Chinese manufacturers responding to the trade war challenges?
Cargo volumes into the U.S. have fallen dramatically, with Bloomberg analysts estimating a roughly 60% decline. Most American businesses will need to restock by mid-May, and major retailers like Target and Walmart have warned customers already to expect higher prices and empty shelves.
Analysts predict major supply shortages that could trigger layoffs across retail sectors as well as trucking and logistics. But there may be some relief in sight. As we recently discussed, reports emerged last week that China has quietly granted some American imports exemptions from its 125% tariffs and is considering lifting other levies on items critical to certain Chinese industries.
The exemptions reportedly cover aspects of the aviation, pharmaceutical, semiconductor, and industrial chemicals sectors. Still, Treasury Secretary Scott Besson said Monday that while those exemptions showed encouraging progress, it's up to China to take more meaningful steps to de-escalate the trade war.
Trump, meanwhile, relented somewhat from his hardline stance against China last week, saying he planned to be, quote, very nice to the communist regime and that he was confident the U.S. and China would soon reach a, quote, fair deal. But on Monday, Chinese officials once again denied that any official talks were taking place and accused the U.S. of using trade to bully the world.
All right, coming up after the break, North Korean troops are officially fighting for Russia. Putin and Kim Jong-un officially acknowledged what the entire world already knew. And the Trump administration is reportedly quietly laying the groundwork for new talks with Kim Jong-un. I'll be right back. Hey, Mike Baker here. Well, the temps have warmed up, the cover's off the grill.
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Chapter 3: What are the economic consequences of the U.S.-China trade dispute for U.S. businesses and consumers?
The deployment, KCNA said, was carried out under the terms of a mutual defense treaty signed by Kim and Russian President Putin in June of last year, pledging joint support in the event of, quote, aggression against either nation.
The deployment of North Korean troops to Russia's front lines was, well, frankly, no secret, with South Korean and Western intelligence agencies long reporting that Pyongyang had dispatched thousands of soldiers to support Russia's war effort just last fall. But this does mark the first time that North Korea has officially fessed up to its involvement.
Kim himself weighed in, according to KCNA, calling the troops, quote, heroes and representatives of the honor of the motherland, framing the mission as a historic display of loyalty and sacrifice.
The state-run report went further, hailing the fighting in Kursk as proof of a, quote, alliance and brotherhood between the two nations and promising that the, quote, friendship proven by blood would continue to deepen. Certainly, it's been proven by the blood of the North Korean soldiers that have reportedly been cannon fodder for counteroffensives in the Kursk region.
Notably absent from the triumphant tone was any mention of what will happen to the North Korean soldiers afterward or whether they'll ever return home. U.S. officials reacting to the confirmation said Pyongyang must now bear responsibility for helping to prolong the war. Meanwhile, the human cost of North Korea's intervention has been, well, staggering.
As we've been tracking here on the PDB, Western officials told the BBC that at least 1,000 North Korean troops out of roughly 11,000 deployed have been killed over the past three months.
Military experts say North Korea dispatched units from what it calls its Storm Corps, its so-called elite force, which frankly is elite in name only, operating under outdated Soviet-era tactics and outfitted with obsolete gear.
A former British Army tank commander was blunt in his assessment earlier this year, describing them as, quote, barely trained troops led by Russian officers who they don't understand. In other words, as mentioned, cannon fodder. Still, numbers do matter.
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Chapter 4: What official steps have China and the U.S. taken to ease the trade tensions?
Ukraine's top military commander warned that the sheer size of the North Korean force, combined with aggressive Soviet-style tactics aimed at overwhelming defenses, has created serious pressure on the front lines. Ukraine does continue to contest Russia's claim, though, of full control over the Kursk region. In Moscow, the Kremlin had its own official praise.
In a formal statement on Monday, Putin expressed, quote, deep gratitude to North Korea for its assistance. Speaking through a state-run news agency, Putin praised the deployment as an act of, quote, solidarity, justice, and genuine camaraderie, personally thanking, quote, comrade Kim Jong-un and lauding the, quote, leadership and people of North Korea for their contribution.
The confirmation of North Korean boots on the ground from Pyongyang marks a milestone in the evolving relationship between Moscow and Pyongyang, one that's been reshaping the battlefield realities in Ukraine. Okay, shifting to the U.S.
The Trump administration has begun quietly evaluating options to restart dialogue with North Korea amid mounting concerns over the regime's accelerating nuclear advancements. According to a senior U.S.
Chapter 5: What is North Korea’s confirmed involvement in the Russia-Ukraine conflict?
official and three sources familiar with the matter, while nothing is imminent, President Trump has made it clear that he's eager to reconnect with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, potentially face-to-face. Behind the scenes, his national security team is laying the groundwork for a possible diplomatic reboot. But for now, North Korea sits relatively low on Trump's immediate foreign policy agenda.
Between the escalating tariff war with China, the conflict between Israel and Hamas, and ongoing nuclear negotiations with Iran, well, there's little bandwidth left for little Rocket Man. Still, Trump officials admit the regime's nuclear progress over the past four years under the Biden administration has made renewed engagement not just desirable, but urgent.
Behind closed doors, administration officials have been huddling with think tank experts, current officials, and former diplomats working to map out various scenarios for a new Trump-Kim meeting.
Chapter 6: How has North Korea officially acknowledged its troops fighting alongside Russia?
The State Department has engaged with outside experts, with one major topic on the table being the identification of new North Korean interlocutors, given that nearly every regime official who handled diplomacy with Washington during Trump's first term has since been purged or sent for re-education. That sounds pleasant.
In a sign of preliminary diplomatic activity, the Swedish ambassador to North Korea, who represents U.S. interests in Pyongyang, visited Washington last week for consultations. A source familiar with the visit said the meeting centered on taking the temperature regarding possible re-engagement with North Korea. The senior U.S.
official told Axios, "...we are convening agencies to understand where the North Koreans are today. We're evaluating, diagnosing, and talking about potential avenues." Meanwhile, Trump's personal interest in Kim hasn't exactly cooled.
A senior fellow at the American think tank Brookings Institute pointed to Trump's, quote, many positive statements about Kim over the past six months as a clear signal that the president remains keen to rekindle contact. And according to a former senior U.S. official, it wouldn't take much to jumpstart talks. A single letter from Kim, they said, could trigger rapid movement toward a new summit.
But even if dialogue resumes, the playing field, well, looks very different this time around. While previous negotiations aimed at full denuclearization, multiple sources say that Kim is now deeply entrenched and unlikely to even entertain giving up his nuclear arsenal. North Korea's nuclear status is now enshrined in its constitution and woven into the Kim family legacy.
Now, if talks shift toward arms control or even de facto recognition of North Korea as a nuclear weapon state, the regime might be more willing to engage. But that shift would come at a steep price. Such an acknowledgement could trigger deep unease among regional U.S. allies like South Korea and Japan, who could be pushed closer toward developing their own nuclear deterrence.
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Chapter 7: What are the human and military costs of North Korea’s intervention in Ukraine?
And this time, Trump's team knows that they're negotiating from a weaker hand. North Korea's capabilities have surged. China, once pivotal in applying pressure on Pyongyang in Trump's first administration, well, they've shown little interest in playing ball this time. And the deepening ties between Russia and North Korea have further realigned the playing field. The senior U.S.
official admitted, quote, we're in a much worse situation today, placing the blame squarely on the Biden administration for allowing North Korea's nuclear program to advance unchecked. While Trump appears open to reigniting diplomacy, this time, any path forward will be steeper, riskier, and more uncertain than the history-making summits of his first term.
All right, coming up next in the back of the brief, the Pentagon lifts the curtain on its air war in Yemen. Over 800 targets struck from command centers to weapons stockpiles. We'll have those details next. Hey, Mike Baker here. Well, you've heard about tariffs, right? And the trade wars. And you know that all that has thrown the global economy into chaos.
Potential widespread inflation tied to massive supply chain disruptions. Well, frankly, you know, it's weighing heavily on all of us. But I'm here to tell you there's a silver lining that I think most people have missed. And it's also a gold lining, frankly, because what I mean is President Trump specifically exempted gold and silver bullion from the sweeping tariffs.
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Again, text PDB to 989-898 to claim your free information kit right now. In today's Back of the Brief, the Pentagon has issued their first official update on ongoing military operations against the Iranian-backed Houthi militants of Yemen. So, you ask, how are U.S. efforts to diminish the group's capabilities to disrupt global trade going so far? Well, I'm glad you asked.
According to an announcement issued by U.S. Central Command, American airstrikes have hit more than 800 targets since the campaign, dubbed Operation Roughrider, kicked off on March 15th.
Officials said that over the past six weeks, they've taken out multiple command and control facilities, air defense systems, advanced weapons manufacturing facilities, and advanced weapons storage locations, according to a report from The New York Times.
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Chapter 8: What is the current status of U.S. efforts to restart talks with North Korea?
As we've been tracking here on the PDB, since Hamas launched its terror attacks on Israel back on 7 October 2023, the Houthis have carried out at least 145 attacks on commercial vessels and 174 attacks on U.S. military ships in the Red Sea and Suez Canal. Their attacks have rattled global trade, driving up shipping costs and disrupting critical supply chains across the world.
Some 70% of global trade traffic is now diverting around South Africa to avoid Houthi attacks near the Suez Canal. Officials with U.S. Central Command said, quote, We will continue to ratchet up the pressure until the objective is met, which remains the restoration of freedom of navigation and American deterrence in the region, end quote.
While the Trump administration's campaign has impeded the Houthis' ability to operate and appears to have slowed down the frequency of their attacks, the group has proved resilient, particularly thanks to Iran's ongoing support. On Monday, officials with the Houthis said they were undeterred by U.S. strikes and vowed to continue their attacks in Middle East waters.
And that, my friends, is the President's Daily Brief for Tuesday, the 29th of April. Now, if you have any questions or comments, please just reach out to me at pdb at thefirsttv.com. And, of course, to listen to the show ad-free, well, you can do that. Very simple. Just become a premium member of the President's Daily Brief by visiting pdbpremium.com.
I'm Mike Baker, and I'll be back later today with the PDB Afternoon Bulletin. Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool.
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