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Data Protection has imposed a fine

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In recent years, many large clubs have tried to modernize their relationship with members through digital tools. FC Barcelona took a further step by promoting a system that allowed it to verify the identity of its members using biometric data, such as voice or facial image, within its census update process. The initiative sought to strengthen identification and reduce possible impersonations. However, this project has ended up generating a regulatory conflict that has resulted in a fine of 500,000 euros imposed by the Spanish Data Protection Agency (AEPD). The file. The AEPD does not generically question the use of biometric tools, but rather a prerequisite that the regulator considers essential. According to El ConfidencialFC Barcelona did not carry out an impact assessment on data protection in accordance with what is established article 35 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). This type of analysis must be carried out before implementing treatments that may pose a high risk to the rights and freedoms of the affected people. Partner Digital Profile. In this process, the system processed certain biometric traits with the objective of authenticating each person within the club’s digital ecosystem. The documentation analyzed by the AEPD indicates that the mechanism allowed “biometric vectors to be generated from the member’s image and their voice for authentication.” These vectors were used as a reference to validate the identity of the member in different procedures linked to the club. Campaign organized in several phases. The verification phase began on March 21, 2023 using digital identification tools. In this way, partners could complete the update process both remotely and in person. The system also included an alternative route for those who did not want to use biometrics, who could continue to identify themselves through traditional mechanisms. The scale factor. One of the elements that the regulator took into account was the number of people affected by the system. The FC Barcelona census has around 143,000 members, which places the project in a particularly sensitive dimension from the point of view of data protection. This volume, in the opinion of the AEPD, raised the level of potential risk for the rights and freedoms of those affected. Prior evaluation process. The GDPR requires a data protection impact assessment to be carried out when processing may pose a high risk to people’s rights and freedoms. During the investigation, the aforementioned media reports, FC Barcelona presented reports on the biometric systems used in the project. The AEPD concluded that these documents could not be considered a complete impact assessment in the terms required by article 35 of the Regulation. Avoiding a violation. Article 9 of the GDPR regulates, among other aspects, the processing of biometric data when it is used to uniquely identify a person, within the so-called special categories of data. According to the resolution, the AEPD finally decided to archive this possible infringement as the necessary elements to apply that provision were not proven. The answer. FC Barcelona has decided to appeal the sanction imposed by the AEPD and defends its actions in the process of updating the census. Barça’s legal services also highlight that the sanction initially proposed was much greater than the one finally set by the regulator. In the club’s words, a penalty of almost 6 million euros was proposed, but they managed to reduce it to 500,000 euros. Images | Fikri Rasyid In Xataka | OpenAI promised them very happy as the army’s new AI. Until thousands of users started uninstalling ChatGPT

The European Commission did not like how Spain has imposed the V16 beacon. That has potential consequences.

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The V16 beacon has generated all a wave of criticismboth because of its obligation, and because their capabilities and legislation around it. In this last aspect, the European Commission has confirmed that Spain did not follow the mandatory notification procedure before imposing the connected beacon. From here, the consequences can range from a formal infringement procedure to Spanish courts refusing to apply the rule. It is mandatory, but Brussels has a different opinion. Since January 1, 2026, drivers in Spain are required to carry a V16 beacon connected that, in the event of a breakdown or accident, allows the DGT to geolocate the vehicle. Just like account the executive vice-president of the European Commission, Stéphane Séjourné, in response to the parliamentary question of the PP MEP Dolors Montserrat, this obligation was established by two royal decrees: the 159/2021 and the 1030/2022. The problem is that, according to Séjourné, neither of them was communicated to Brussels before their adoption, something that European legislation expressly requires. Why does that matter? There is a European directive, 2015/1535which obliges Member States to notify the European Commission of any draft technical regulation before approving it. The objective is that both the Commission and the rest of the EU countries can analyze it and detect if it could cause problems for trade or contradict community law. If a State does so, it has a waiting period of three months before being able to adopt the standard. And Séjourné suggests that Spain would have skipped this step entirely. What the Commission has said. The executive vice president of the European Commission confirmed in its response expressly that the Spanish royal decrees “have not been notified in accordance with the procedure of Directive (EU) 2015/1535”. Furthermore, it also warns that, if a Member State fails to comply with this obligation, the Commission “may open a formal infringement procedure under the article 258 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU”. lJudges may not apply the rule. Beyond the sanctions that the alleged infringement may entail, the Commission recalls that the Court of Justice of the EU has already established in its jurisprudence that “national courts must refuse to apply technical regulations that have not been properly notified.” In other words: if you as a Spanish driver They fine you for not carrying the V16 beacon You could, in theory, challenge that sanction by alleging precisely this failure to notify. Minterior market Brussels also warns of another aspect. As the use of danger signaling devices is not harmonized at the European level, each State can regulate according to its traffic regulations. But when very specific technical requirements are imposed on what that device must be like, as is the case with the beacon and its mandatory connectivity, Séjourné warns that this can “become a restriction on free trade within the internal market”, something that would violate article 34 of the TFEU. And now what. The issue, like many others in the country, has become another debate of political colors. Montserrat has demanded the Government to “immediately clarify this situation and act with transparency.” In the absence of knowing more details about it, it seems that we will have to wait to find out if the beacon may end up causing more problems than necessary. Cover image | Guillaume Perigois and DGT In Xataka | The RAM crisis has put the future of smartphones, consoles and computers in check. And the cars are not going to escape either

Nepal imposed a $4,000 bail on tourists to clean Everest. Now you have more garbage and a problem

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If we talk about remote, isolated and inaccessible regions, few places reach the level of Everest. The highest mountain of the planet (at least if we take sea level as a reference) is not within everyone’s reach. Crowning it requires years of preparation, acclimatization and in-depth knowledge of mountaineering, in addition to spending a few tens of thousands of dollars in tickets, equipment, fees and Sherpas. Despite that, despite all its rigors, Everest has become a monster touristified full of tons and tons of garbage. In Nepal they just checked that this problem, that of the accumulation of waste in the mountains, cannot be solved even with the threat of paying thousands of dollars. Hence, the Government is already considering tougher measures. What has happened? That Nepal has realized that the threat of sanctions is not enough to prevent Everest from becoming a gigantic landfill frozen. More than a decade ago, its authorities adopted a measure with which they intended to clean the mountain: each climber who wanted to ascend to the roof of the world must first deposit $4,000, a kind of deposit that would only be recovered if he returned from his expedition with eight kilos of waste. The objective was clear: for the mountaineers to collect their garbage. If they did, they got their $4,000 back. If not, they lost the deposit. The idea looked good on paper, but it has turned out to be a fiasco. Over the past few years, mountaineers have returned from their climbs with backpacks full of debris to unlock their bails, but that hasn’t improved Everest. On the contrary. Why’s that? Very simple. Because (paraphrasing the Spanish proverb) ‘the law is made, the trap is made’. Tourists who have set out to conquer Everest have spent the last few years returning with rubbish to claim a refund of their money, but what at first sounds so positive has actually meant a problem for the mountains. The reason? The origin of these wastes. Climbers collect waste, true, but in lower altitude camps. Things change if we talk about the highest bases, where loading and eliminating waste is more difficult, expensive and even dangerous. Hence, the waste problem continues to be worrying and has even worsened in the most sensitive areas: the camps located closer to the summit. “From the highest bases people tend to return only with oxygen bottles,” explains to the BBC Tshering Sherpa, executive director of the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee. “Other items like tents, cans and boxes of packaged food and beverages are left there, mostly abandoned. That’s why we see so much trash piling up.” What has been the result? A fiasco. The Sherpas themselves recognize that the pollution problem has worsened in the camps closest to the summit. After all… Why descend loaded with garbage from the top of the mountain if 8 kg can then be collected in the lower camps? As if that were not enough, managing the $4,000 deposits has resulted in more paperwork for Nepalese officials. Although the problem of dirt has not been solved, the majority of mountaineers recover their deposits, which translates into an “administrative burden” for the nation. Does it work that badly? In the country there are those who speak directly of a “defective norm” that fails in several key points. The main one, surveillance. “From the checkpoint above the Khumbu Icefall there is no supervision over what the climbers do,” comments Sherpa. Hence, it is not a problem for tourists to leave their garbage at the top of the mountain and then cover the quota with waste from lower camps. There is also another important handicap. The rule requires climbers to return with 8 kg of waste, but there are studies that warn that a climber produces much more waste during his stay on the mountain, at least if the weeks of acclimatization are taken into account. To be precise, we are talking about 12 kg. Is the problem that serious? Yes. The figures speak for themselves. Estimates may vary from one study to another, but they generally show that after years of tourism, Everest has become a large landfill in which dozens of tons of waste accumulate. And that includes everything from packaging, store remains, ropes… and even kilos and kilos of feces. It is not at all surprising if you take into account the great popularity that the mountain has been gaining over the last few decades. Although the expeditions are not affordable for everyone (some estimate that they cost between 40,000 and 60,000 dollars) every year hundreds of climbers land on Everest. The Telepragh esteem that around 600 mountaineers try to climb the mountain every year, which represents a huge flow of climbers who arrive accompanied by equipment and Sherpas. There are many, but the figure falls short when compared to the activity that was recorded in the area before the pandemic. Statista calculates For example, in 2023, 656 successful promotions were recorded, a figure that exceeded 800 before the health crisis. And now what? After assuming that their previous bailout plan “did not show tangible results,” the Nepalese authorities want to toughen their conditions to tackle the pollution problem. They have a new plan on the table that includes a cleaning fee that It would be around $4,000.although with an important nuance: in this case would not be refundable. The idea is that this flow of thousands of dollars will serve to finance the conservation of the mountain. “With the new plan we will deploy qualified rangers paid for by the cleaning fee collected from climbers,” comments Himal Gautamfrom the Department of Tourism. If the measure goes ahead, it will join others that in recent years have sought to improve the preservation of Everest, such as the increase in rates administrative or even the norm which since 2024 requires mountaineers to carry bags to collect their excrement. Images | Akunamatata (Flickr), Mari Partyka (Unsplash) In Xataka | When a storm hit Everest, a … Read more

Europe has finally approved how to help Ukraine. The great paradox is that the most unexpected vote has been imposed: that of Russia

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Europe has finally closed an agreement to guarantee financing for Ukraine for the next two years through a loan of 90,000 million of euros backed by the common budget of the Union, a decision taken after more than 16 hours of negotiations in Brussels and under explicit pressure to avoid a financial collapse of kyiv at the beginning of 2026. In the background, a crystal clear idea: Russia has imposed its “vote”. The lifeguard and a pulse. The pact comes at a particularly delicate moment, with the United States and Russia advancing conversations parallels about a possible end to the war and with Trump publicly urging Ukraine to accept a quick agreement. For European leaders, the loan is not just an economic instrument, but a way to reaffirm that the EU wants and needs to have its own voice in any outcome of the most serious conflict experienced on the continent in the last eight decades. The political message is clear: Europe cannot stand by while others decide the future of Ukraine and, by extension, its own security. The failure of the ideal plan. For months, Brussels’ preferred option was to use the fences of 210,000 million euros in Russian sovereign assets frozen in Europe as collateral for a large “reparations” loan for Ukraine, a formula that made it possible to finance the war effort and the functioning of the Ukrainian state without directly resorting to European taxpayers’ money. The idea was powerful, both economically as symbolically: that Russia would pay, at least indirectly, for the destruction caused by its invasion. However, the plan fell apart at the last moment, a victim of the legal, financial and political risks involved in touching that capital, above all and as we told yesterdayfor a handful of countries. Russia, in fact, has already initiated legal action denouncing an illegal confiscation, and fear of economic or judicial reprisals grew as the decisive summit approached. Bucha and the passing of the war A pragmatic agreement. Faced with the impossibility of closing ranks around the use of frozen assets, France and Italy led a more pragmatic alternative: use the common EU budget to issue debt on the markets and channel the funds to Ukraine. The result is a two year loan which guarantees immediate liquidity to kyiv, although it is more expensive and less scalable than the original option. To achieve consensus, a complex political architecture was also accepted: Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic will not assume obligations direct financial measures, a key condition to avoid an internal blockage. Still, the agreement was presented as a minimal but necessary victory. Ukraine gets the money it needs to survive and Europe avoids a picture of total paralysis at a critical moment. The resilience narrative. From kyiv, Zelenskiy celebrated the agreement as a real reinforcement of Ukrainian resilience, underscoring both the arrival of funds and the fact that Russian assets remain tied up. For the Ukrainian president, the combination it is essential: short-term financial security and sustained strategic pressure on Moscow. Zelenskiy had defended the use of frozen assets until the last moment, appealing to moral, legal and historical justice criteria, but he accepted the compromise. like a lesser evil facing the existential risk of running out of resources. The EU, for its part, insists that Ukraine will only have to repay the loan when Russia pays reparationsa formula that keeps the narrative of Russian responsibility alive without yet crossing the line of direct confiscation. Belgium and type C accounts. It we explained yesterday. In the background of the agreement there was a key actor: Belgium. Most of the Russian money frozen in Europe is there, guarded through critical financial infrastructure like Euroclear and linked to mechanisms such as called type C accountsdesigned precisely to immobilize assets without transferring ownership. Brussels demanded “unlimited” guarantees against possible Russian demands and retaliation, a level of protection that the rest of the partners were not willing to assume. The final result, although presented as a European commitment, essentially coincides with what was best for Moscow: that its sovereign capital not be confiscated or used as direct collateral. Russia loses access to the money, but retains the fundamental principle that these funds remain formally its own, avoiding a far-reaching legal precedent. If you also want, indirectly, Europe has chosen the safest path for itself and, at the same time, the least disruptive for the Kremlin. Europe and its limitations. So things are, the agreement leaves an ambivalent feeling. On the one hand, it shows that the EU is capable of mobilizing massive resources to support Ukraine and prevent its financial collapse in the middle of the war. On the other hand, it exposes again structural limitations of the European project when it comes to quick and risky decisions in foreign policy and security. The plan based on Russian assets promised to be more forceful and transformative, and the loan backed by the common budget is more conservativeslower and more politically comfortable. In a context in which Washington presses for an agreement and Russia hopes to buy time, Europe has chosen legal stability and internal cohesion over a direct financial confrontation with Moscow. Ukraine thus receives the oxygen it needs. The strategic pulse, however, is far from resolved. Image | RawPixel In Xataka | Ukraine’s biggest problem is not Russia. There are three European countries trapped in a perverse mechanism: type C accounts In Xataka | A Soviet missile is destroying Ukraine’s helicopters. The paradox is that it is not from Russia: it comes from the West

Gibraltar airport was born as a British military bastion. Now Spain has imposed a veto that will be very expensive

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Since its construction during the Second World War on the narrow strip that separates the Rock from the isthmus, the Gibraltar airport It has been much more than a landing strip: an RAF military enclave, a nerve center for British logistics in the Mediterranean and, at the same time, a constant source of diplomatic friction with Spain. Today, and after Brexit, that old tension resurfaces in new forms. More restrictions. The United Kingdom has confirmed that the restrictions imposed by Spain on the overflight of British military aircraft remain in force, affecting flights arriving or departing from the Royal Air Force (RAF) air base in Gibraltar. Despite this, the British Ministry of Defense insists that the measure has no operational impact and that the base continues to operate as a sovereign military airfield under full authority of the United Kingdom. So he reiterated it Under Secretary of State for the Armed Forces, Alistair Carns, in response to a series of parliamentary questions posed by Liberal Democrat MP Helen Maguire, who asked for clarification on the logistical and financial consequences of this situation. Carns claimed that RAF aircraft simply They trace alternative routes to avoid Spanish territorial airspace, in accordance with the restrictions imposed by Madrid, and that Gibraltar’s operational capacity has not been compromised. The big doubt. Nevertheless, admitted that no formal study has been carried out on the economic costs derived from diverting flights through other international air information regions, despite the increase in fuel costs and flight time that this implies. The dimension of the blockade. The debate about the military overflights reflects a historical conflict between London and Madrid that has survived all diplomatic stages, from the Cold War to Brexit. Spain, relying on international law and its claim of sovereignty over Gibraltar, maintains that all British military activity in the area must comply with its air traffic rules. For the Spanish Government, overflight restrictions are not a sanction, but a legitimate expression of its jurisdiction over the airspace it considers its own. An RAF Hawk at the airport What do the English say? From the British perspective, however, these limitations are a inheritance of tensions that surround the sovereignty of the Rock and a technical rather than political obstacle. In the Westminster Parliament, the issue continues to be a recurring theme, periodically reactivated by particularly combative deputies who see every Spanish gesture as a threat to the British integrity of the enclave. To them, successive governments of the United Kingdom have always responded in the same way: reaffirming their full sovereignty over Gibraltar and the right of its inhabitants to self-determination, without opening any loophole for territorial negotiations with Spain. A Lockheed Hudson of No. 233 Squadron RAF lands at Gibraltar in August 1942 Gibraltar after Brexit. Brexit introduced a new framework of relations that fully affected Gibraltar’s position. After months of negotiationSpain, the United Kingdom and the European Commission reached an agreement that established a joint system customs and border control. Under this pact, Spain will assume controls on the European side at the Peñón port and airport, which will allow more fluid transit to destinations within the European Union. However, the military issue was left out of those understandings. The Liberal Democrat Helen Maguire brought this sensitive point back to the table by asking whether the impact of restrictions Spanish reports on the operations and costs of the British Ministry of Defence. Carns’ response was blunt: air limitations continue, aircraft avoid Spanish space and the base maintains its sovereign status. But, as we said before, the absence of an official calculation on additional spending reflects political will to publicly minimize any consequences derived from the dispute, preserving the narrative of autonomy and absolute control over Gibraltar. Strategic impact. Although London maintains that the Spanish veto does not interfere In its operational freedom, the diversion of military routes involves a considerable logistical effort. Instead of crossing the Iberian Peninsula, aircraft must border it by the Atlanticprolonging the journeys from the British Isles to Gibraltar and complicating supply at a point of strategic value for British operations in the Mediterranean and North Africa. The RAF base in Gibraltar, next to the port used by the Royal Navy, constitutes an essential axis for surveillance, supply and military transit missions to Africa and the Middle East. The United Kingdom has not revealed figures on the economic impact of the diversions, but parliamentary sources acknowledge that fuel and planning costs are inevitable, especially in rapid deployment exercises or emergencies. Even so, the Ministry of Defense avoid recognizing officially these damages, aware that admitting them would imply granting Spain a political advantage in a matter where each diplomatic gesture has symbolic weight. A geopolitical symbol. If you also want, the conflict over Gibraltar’s airspace condenses centuries of friction between both nations and is projected as a microdemonstration of the balance of power in the Mediterranean. A pesar de los acuerdos pos-Brexit y de la cooperación en materia fronteriza y económica, la defensa del Peñón continúa siendo un terreno de maximum political sensitivity. The RAF base and the port of Gibraltar are more than simple military infrastructure: they represent the last vestige of British projection in southern Europe, a symbolic platform of sovereignty in disputed territory. The Spanish restrictions They do not prevent the operation of that presence, but they require a constant effort of logistical adaptation and a careful diplomatic balance. In this context, the United Kingdom maintains its usual line: denying any operational impact and reaffirming that Gibraltar continues to be, both in the air and on land, an unbreakable piece of its strategic identity. Image | Dicklyon, Harry Mitchell In Xataka | The Strait of Gibraltar was very different eight million years ago. So different that there were two In Xataka | In World War II, Hitler gave Spain the keys to Gibraltar. He did not have what Franco demanded in return

A Spanish company imposed facial recognition to enter its gyms. Result: Fine of 96,000 euros

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The Spanish Data Protection Agency (AEPD) has imposed A sanction of 96,000 euros to the gyms chain exceeds to violate the data protection of its customers. The reason? Have imposed facial recognition as the only method of access to your gyms. The facts were denounced by Facua in 2023 and now the resolution has been known. What happened? On August 4, 2023, a claim was filed to SIDECU, a company based in A Coruña in charge of the gyms. According to the document (PDF), the Sports Center exceeds Entrepuentes in Seville was “denying access to the facilities” because a new access method had been implemented through a facial recognition system. “ The complainant considered that this access was “invasive about his intimacy” and “excessive for access to said establishment.” Until the implementation of the facial recognition system, which had not been notified to the partners and was mandatory, it was possible to enter the gym using a card. This claim was added two more and, finally, in September 2023, Facua denounced SIDECU. The defense. Sidec defended himself wielding that he did not store images of the users, but generated a facial pattern through an algorithm patented by the company that developed the system. According to the gyms chain, this “template” was not enough to identify users or deduce their physical characteristics. For SIDECU, this was enough for the system to meet the RGPDbut the truth is that no. The first error. Misunderstand the regulations, thus breaking article 9 of the RGPD. Article 4.14 of the RGPD establishes that biometric data are “personal data obtained from a specific technical treatment, related to the physical, physiological or behavioral characteristics of a natural person that allow or confirm the unique identification of said person, such as facial images or dactyloscopic data.” According to article 9 of the same regulation, the treatment of “biometric data aimed at uniquely identifying a natural person” is prohibited. Image | Ryan Hoffman The second error. Impose the system and not warn, thus breaking article 13 of the RGP. Not only did it not warn users, but facial recognition was the only way to access the establishments and there was no other real option, thus entering the game: consent was not free. It is true that the company ended up implementing an alternative access system (teaching the ID at the door), but its arrival was later to claims. Do not warn users breaches article 13 of the GDPR. The third terror. Do not evaluate the risks, finally breaking article 35 of the RGPD. According to the sentence, SIDEC did not justify why it was necessary to implement this system, above all, less invasive and equally effective alternatives. The AEPD states that the company did not carry out the impact assessment in the protection of personal data (when it was not dealing with personal data) and that it acted without fraud, but negligently and without “the special diligence that is enforceable to this type of treatments.” The sanctions. Three, one for each article violated: 80,000 euros for violating article 9 of the RGPD, 30,000 euros for not having informed users in advance (article 35) and 50,000 euros for not having prepared the impact assessment on personal data protection (article 9). In total, a penalty of 160,000 euros that, due to the recognition of the responsibility and the Sidecu’s soon lamp, has remained at 96,000 euros. Cover image | Gold’s Gym Nepal In Xataka | Unsuspected fine for the European Commission in Europe: it violated its own General Data Protection Regulation

The United States has started a pulse in the currency market. One in which the euro is being imposed on the dollar

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Uncertainty does not feel good to the bags. Nor to the dollar. At least if we look at its evolution against other currencies, such as Yen, the Swiss Franco or The euro. With The commercial war And Trump’s attacks on the Federal Reserve as a backdrop, the green ticket has started the week standing at some Minimum levels in front of the European currency that had not been seen for years. The big question is … What does that mean? A March down. Although uncertainty seems to have been installed in the markets, everything indicates that the dollar will say goodbye to March weakened compared to other currencies. He US dollar indexwhich measures its strength against the main foreign currencies, started the penultimate week of the month falling 1% until they were minimal that had not been seen for more than three years. Meanwhile, the euro was quoted above $ 1.15, its maximum value Since 2021. The mirror of currencies and gold. The dollar falls in front of the yen And the Swiss Franco and the eurowhich now marks $ 1,1499 after having reached on Monday 1,1573 per first time Since the end of 2021. The scenario feels good too (At least in value) To gold, one of the most consolidated shelter assets: yesterday the precious metal reached $ 3,430 per ounce. Only so far this year has shot above 27%. Click on the image to go to Tweet. The situation of the euro. With that backdrop there are analysts who They are already highlighting the pronounced ascending curve that records the euro in front of the green ticket so far from 2025. of the minimum change of 1,024 Dollar registered in early January has passed to 1,476. And with a graph clearly up. After the latest advances of the euro against the dollar and its reinforcement against the US currency, so far from 2025 the European currency has risen 11.3%. The balance is also positive for the pound (6.8%), the Swedish crown (16.5%), the Swiss Franco (12.3%) and the Yen (11.7%), which They overcome the advance of the European currency. The criticism of the Fed and Powell. When analyzing drifting the dollar Analysts usually point out various factorssuch as the crisis of trust in the green ticket, a loss of attractiveness in a scenario marked by Trump’s protectionist policies or changes in the global economic order and US debt. After the last fall, another added key indicates: the criticism From the White House to the Federal Reserve (Fed) and its responsible, Powell, reluctant to lower interest rates. Trump’s threats affect the image of the body, which can also influence the value of the dollar or the confidence in the stability of US markets. “Trump’s renewed criticism of the FED president this week is a reminder that commercial policy is not the only channel through which the unconventional approach to the administration could undermine the dollar and the US assets markets,” warns in CNN Jonas Goltermann, senior economist of markets at the capital firm Economics. Why is it important? For several reasons. First because the dollar is more than the currency with which the Americans pay their purchases. Throughout the last 80 years it has been the Vault key of the global financial system, acts from reference and its position against other currencies has influenced the US economy. He did it then. And it will probably do it now too. There are analysts who They point that Trump seeks to weaken the dollar to favor US exports (one of its declared objectives is to reindustrialize the country) and balance its balance and commercial deficit, something that tariffs would also help. The depreciation strategy of the green ticket would also lead to threats, however, such as problems to face debt in the United States. Images | Gage Skidmore (Flickr) and Stock Birken (UNPLASH) In Xataka | There is something more disturbing than the collapse of the bag: the collapse of the shelter values ​​such as the US dollar and debt

Tariffs imposed by the US to Mexico are going to shoot many prices. Those of these car brands are going to be a problem

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The United States decision of Implement 25% tariffs On the imports of Mexico and Canada it will have many and varied consequences, but there is a sector that will be specially affected by it: the automotive industry, especially from North America. After several postponements, the measure entered into force on March 4without the possibility of a new negotiation. There are already names of affected companies and models. An interconnected industry. Throughout the last three decades in the United States, with The signature of the NAFTA (Gasoline) in 1994 and its subsequent evolution towards the T-MEC (USMCA), car manufacturers have developed supply chains highly interdependentin which engines, transmissions and other components cross the borders multiple times before assembling in a final vehicle. The premise behind this model is clear: take advantage of the economic and logistics strengths of each country to reduce costs, improve efficiency and offer more competitive prices to its consumers. However, new tariffs could break this structure, drastically more expensive and generating uncertainty about what cars will be considered imported or national. What is really an imported car. It had the New York Times. Before talking about the repercussions, it should be explained how a vehicle is “mounted”. The central problem of tariffs is that defining what an imported car is is not so simple. In legal terms (and USA key), a vehicle is classified as imported when its final assembly occurs outside the United States. However, the complexity of supply chains This definition has become obsolete. The medium exposed concrete examples of this interconnection. Namely: the Chevrolet Blazer is assembled in Mexico, but uses engines and transmissions made in the United States, the Nissan Altim He assembles in the United States but with only 25% of its American parts (the engine comes from Japan and the transmission of Mexico). Extra ball. There is another problem: that the Trump administration has not specified How will you apply tariffs To these components that cross the border several times. This, no doubt, generates a climate of uncertainty for manufacturers, who do not know how to calculate production costs and define their commercial strategy. A true chaos. Affected companies and models. What seems clearly clear is that, if tariffs are permanently implemented, a summary of Several companies that could be forced to reconsider investments or even transfer production to other regions. Who is it? The main automotive with operations in Mexico and Canada that They would be impacted For tariffs they include: BMW: Its plant in San Luis Potosí, Mexico, produces series 3, 2 Coupé and M2 models, mainly intended for the US and global market. Ford: operates three floors in Mexico and exported almost 196,000 vehicles to North America in the first half of 2024, of which 90% went to the United States. General Motors (GM): It imported around 750,000 vehicles from Mexico and Canada in 2024, including key models such as Chevy Silverado, GMC Sierra and SUV medium. In addition, its Mexican plants assemble two of its new electric vehicles (EVS). Honda: with 80% of its Mexican production for the United States, it already warned that it could rethink its manufacturing strategy if tariffs become permanent. KIA: Its factory in Mexico assembles its own models and the Santa Fe SUV for Hyundai, which are also exported to the United States. Mazda: exported 120,000 vehicles from Mexico to the United States in 2024 and evaluates to stop future investments if tariffs enter into force. Nissan: Its two plants in Mexico produce the Sentra, Versa and Kicks models for the United States, with a total of 505,000 units assembled in the first nine months of 2024. Stellantis: Assemble in Mexico the RAM, Vans and Jeep Compass trucks, in addition to manufacturing Chrysler models in Canada. In 2025, he plans to restart the production of a new Jeep model in his Canadian plant. TOYOTA: Produces Tacoma in its factories in Mexico, with more than 230,000 units sold in the United States in 2024, which represented 10% of its sales in that market. Volkswagen (VW): Its plant in Puebla, Mexico, manufactured about 350,000 vehicles in 2024, including the Jetta, Tiguan and Taos, all for export to the United States. Audi: His factory in San José Chiapa, Mexico, produces the Q5 and uses more than 5,000 people. Only in the first half of 2024, exported almost 40,000 units to the United States. Plus: In Canada, Volkswagen is building a battery gigafabrica in Ontario, which will begin production in 2027, a project that, obviously, could also be affected by commercial uncertainty. Possible consequences. The first is the most obvious and we can Explain with an example: If a car manufactured in Mexico has a base price of $ 25,000, a 25% tariff would add 6,250 to the final cost. In the market, the impact would be enormous: the car would be less competitive in front of the United States automotive industry and generate a tension in the commercial relations of both countries, since Mexico would begin to look to other sides. But there is more. First of all, Price increase For consumers in the United States. Additional costs could be transferred to customers, making cars, trucks and SUVs assembled in Mexico and Canada. The reduction of competitiveness is also pointed out, since brands such as Ford, GM, Toyota and VW could lose market participation against production manufacturers in the United States or outside North America. Plus: the Reconfiguration of the supply chainsince some companies could seek to transfer operations outside of Mexico or Canada to avoid tariffs, although this would imply high costs and prolonged deadlines. Finally, analysts also point to Impact on employment and investmentsince automotive plants in Mexico and Canada generate hundreds of thousands of jobs. Uncertainty about tariffs could cause investment reduction, mass layoffs and lower expansion of the sector in the region. How much prices will increase. It is the big question. Manufacturers have analyzed the direct impact of tariffs on production costs. According to Patrick Andersonfrom Anderson Economic Group, … Read more

The story of how brown was commercially imposed

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If I ask you to close your eyes and imagine an egg, it is very likely that egg was white. Gallina eggs, both in the collective imaginary and in popular culture, are white. And, however, nine out of ten eggs They are sold to the public in Spain are brown. Why are the eggs no longer white? Where have they gotten? Egg shell. The most direct answer is that they have not gotten anywhere. The color of the eggs, in principle, depends on something very simple: the color of the chickens. In very general termsdark plumage chickens give brunette eggs and light color chickens give white eggs. And I say in general terms because there are blue eggs, pink, green beige and even broken white. There are various theories that explain thisbut the most popular tells us that they are adaptations of the different species of chickens to favor camouflage and survival in nature. Beyond that evolutionary reason, the color gives a bit the same: because there are no organoleptic differences in eggs according to their flavor. This, of course, does not solve the mystery of the disappearance of white eggs but makes it deeper. The reign of white eggs. During the 50s and 60s, when egg production began to ‘intensive’, Spanish farmers White chickens began to introduce. It made sense, They were varieties They lived longer and were more productive. It was no coincidence: the Leghorn variety, one of the most popular, had been selected in the US, England and Italy for more than a hundred years. That genetic advantage ‘continues to occur today: according to the data of poultry varieties in Germanywhite chickens put about 450 eggs in 18 months, while browns that put about 380. In addition, white are smaller (they occupy less space, they eat less) and less aggressive. The result is that white eggs have 9% less costs than brown. And what happened to them? The brilliant success of white eggs had a problem: in a country that had urbanized very quickly (and in which a good part of its population maintained contact with the rural world), consumers They began to associate The white color with intensive and industrial livestock. Actually, taste, nutritional value or egg quality They do not depend of color. They depend on things such as the good health of the animal, the physical activity they perform or its food. Therefore, for decades the farm eggs were at a disadvantage with which those who put small farms in the market (or raised at home). Like those small farms used local varieties (that is, brown), the identification between brunette eggs and camperus eggs caught in the collective imaginary. The market response … When the producers realized this, they began to modify what they took to the market: little by little, the linear of the supermarket were filled with brunette eggs and the white eggs were redirected to the hospitality or industrial food (where going at the price is more important). … but from the Spanish market. It is important to take this into account: in countries like Germany, white eggs are kings and In the Netherlands they have more and more weight in the market. In the United States and England, you can find the two types of major problem. That (above all, taking into account what has happened in other European markets) leads us to ask ourselves if it is possible that white eggs end up returning to supermarkets. To the extent that there are no substantial differences between some eggs and others, until when will prejudices last the white eggs that lead us to ignore something as “objective” as the price? No one knows it for sure. Above all, because unlike small markets such as the Dutchman (in front of the German), Spanish is a very difficult bone to crack for foreign competition. However, we already know The little that these balances last. Image | I fuck a lot In Xataka | Why you have to keep the eggs in the refrigerator if they do not have refrigerated in the supermarket

“I am thinking of leaving the US”: the hopelessness of migrants who legally arrived in the country in the face of the restrictions now imposed by Trump

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Image source, Getty images Article information Mario has been 3 months and 14 days without touching his wife. The Venezuelan migrant keeps a thorough record of the time that he has lived away from Sofia, with the same precision with which he manages finance in investment companies or monitors the minutes in their training for triathlons. Mario lives in the United States with a temporary protection status (TPS), while his wife requested the parolea humanitarian permit that the government of former president Joe Biden granted to 530,000 Venezuelans, Cubans, Nicaraguans and Haitians, who arrived in US territory after fleeing crises in their countries, according to figures from the Office of Customs and Border Protection. But this mechanism was suspended by Donald Trump a day after assuming the presidency, as part of a set of measures aimed at curbing irregular migration to the United States. Although Sofia obtained the parole In May of last year, your travel permit is still waiting in Caracas to be issued by the United States authorities. His son, on the other hand, made the request at the same time, received the travel authorization 3 days after having achieved the parole and emigrated in June. “Honestly, I’m thinking of leaving the United States,” Mario said in a WhatsApp call in which Sofia also participated. “I’ve been waiting for my wife to come with him for more than 3 years parole And now they suspend it. I’m fed up. “ Image source, Getty images Photo foot, A group of migrants on the border discovers that the application of migratory quotes, CBP One, no longer works after Donald Trump’s investiture. Legally migrate Migrants outside the United States could manage their procedures through CBP One, an application that the Biden government enabled in January 2023 to assign appointments with immigration authorities. But the platform was deactivated after Trump’s investiture and the records of 940,000 people were eliminated. “Our intention has always been emigrating in the right way, legally,” Sofia said from Caracas. “We follow the norms, we invest our heritage in this process and now we do not know what else we can do.” Image source, Getty images Photo foot, In recent years, thousands of migrants entered irregularly through the southern border of the United States after crossing the Rio Bravo. The couple asked to preserve their true identity, with the hope that this testimony does not harm them if the Trump government enables other mechanisms to allow the entry of the beneficiaries of Parole and the CBP One appointments. So far it is unknown if the decision of the Trump government annuls the cases in progress or if it will only prevent new applications. Nor is it clear what will happen to people who, like Sofia, already had the approved procedure and expect a travel permit. Image source, Getty images Photo foot, The appointments assigned through the CBP One application were eliminated. Of parole to deportations Biden used the parole Humanitarian as an answer to the immigration crisis that unleashed the Russian invasion in Ukraine. In April 2022, he implemented this mechanism to offer Ukrainians the possibility of legally reaching the United States, and staying for 2 years with work permit, with the support of a sponsor registered with the Department of National Security. Months later, in October 2022, the program extended to Venezuelans, which during the last decade added 7.8 million migrants and refugees, and became the greatest exodus in the history of the American continent. In January 2023, the parole The citizens of Cuba, Haiti and Nicaragua were extended. However, one of Trump’s most important campaign promises was to stop irregular migration to the United States, which recorded historical indices during the Biden government. As soon as he assumed the reins of the White House, Trump announced that his government will undertake the mass deportation of undocumented, a measure that could affect at least 11 million people living in the country without having a legal immigration status. In addition, he declared “national emergency” on the border with Mexico and the deployment of military forces to guard it, and even repealed the law that prohibited security forces seeking undocumented migrants in churches, schools and hospitals, places that were previously considered ” sensitive “and that should be exempt from migratory raids. Image source, Getty images Photo foot, Migrants and activists protest on the border between Mexico and the US against mass deportations. A third country Mario reviews the family story that led them to the decision to leave for the United States. First, the death of his youngest daughter in Venezuela, due to heart failure that was complicated by the lack of medicines. Then, the decision to emigrate to Colombia to cope with that loss with a new life project. Then, the creation of a company that finally broke due to the confinement of the pandemic. To recover from that failure, Mario decided to accept a job offer in the United States, while Sofia returned to Caracas to reorganize. They sold everything and allocated their savings to the procedures to settle in the United States. “This whole process has cost us about US $ 30,000,” Mario said. “And now it turns out that I can’t see my wife? This is no longer an effort, it is a sacrifice.” In August 2024, the process of Sofia and thousands of applicants was temporarily paralyzed due to a mass fraud investigation in the applications, which further took the couple’s reunion. During these years, Mario and Sofia have built a shared daily life through the WhatsApp chat. And they communicate by video call every time Sofia manages to have a good Internet connection in Caracas. Image source, Getty images Photo foot, Thousands of migrants walked to the northern border of Mexico to try to cross to US territory during the days prior to Trump’s investiture. “We have anger and frustration, it is no longer about wasting time but to lose our marriage,” Mario lamented. “I can’t take it anymore.” The couple rules … Read more

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