war

The tariff war is causing Chinese consumers to buy Chinese brands. And the first victim is Apple

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A nationalist wind travels Electronics stores in China and is affecting foreign brand mobile sales. In March, foreign mobile distributions were reduced to almost half of one year to another, according to the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT) cited by Reuters. This contraction has relegated Apple to fifth position in the Chinese market, with a 14.1 % share. Less than two years ago he was leader. Meanwhile, national manufacturers – vivo, oppo, xiaomi and, Above all, Huawei– They continue to register double digit growth, gaining ground both in the mid -range segment. Samsung’s decline, in perspective Samsung controlled almost 20% of the Chinese market in 2013a figure similar to its global participation. By 2023, that quota had fallen to 0.8%. This collapse was gradual but unstoppable: the South Korean brand went from being a dominant contender to an almost testimonial presence. Apple has resisted better than Samsung, but The decline is undeniable. Its distributions in China maintain a 14.1 % share in the first quarter of this year, which places it in fifth place behind the four large stores. To try to stop the trend He started offering discounts on the iPhone before serving one year in storesomething suspiciously unusual in its commercial policy. Little has to do with China’s ranking … … with the global: Especially in their kings. The phenomenon goes beyond technical characteristics or price. It is rooted in the change in consumption habits of Chinese citizens, increasingly inclined to support their own. Since 2022, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) proposed a subsidy program for terminals below 6,000 yuan (about 830 euros), structurally favoring local manufacturers, who handle prices just below that barrier. To this is added the impact of the commercial war with the United States. Tariffs imposed by Trump and Technological War They have reinforced nationalist bias: The consumer perceives the foreign product as less desirable. A similar case occurred with Samsung after The deployment of the Thaad antimisile system In South Korea in 2015. Then, the Anticorean feeling triggered the rejection of its products in China. Now try to return to the Chinese market with His galaxy c (The ‘C’ is for ‘China’), but it seems a complicated return. Huawei, with his turn towards self -sufficiency and not only towards competition against the rest, is a perfect example of the materialization of Xi Jinping’s technological doctrine. Huawei resurfaced from the ashes of US sanctions, not only recovering market share but Building its parallel ecosystem. Apple and Samsung, the two world leaders of mobile telephony, have a problem of difficult solution in China. It is not only to scratch market share, but to articulate a credible value proposal in an environment where the foreign brand condition is, today, competitive disadvantage. Its price strategy, alliances with operators and product adaptation will be key to a possible reconquest. In Xataka | Just when the batteries were breaking all the records came the ultra-infinity mobiles. China has a lesson for them Outstanding image | ABODI VESAKARAN in UnspashXataka

In the middle of the cold war, the yoke had the honor of becoming “the worst car in history.” Threat with returning as electric

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It was manufactured for almost thirty years and those who remember it do so with that half smile that only brings you the nostalgia and paternalism of those who love a child knowing that his brother is much smarter. It will return in 2027 in electrical format and retain some of its hallmarks. Hopefully, for the good of all, that it does not retain all its hallmarks. We talk about the yoke, a car that became famous in the Soviet Yugoslavia and that will return to life in 2027 in purely electric format. At least That is what Serbian businessman Aleksandar Bjelić wants. Congratulations, has created the worst car in history Small, simple, affordable … Soviet. The yoke was one of those cars that went down in history on the other side of the steel curtain for its proposal to motorize the masses. Like the Riva Lada in Russia or the Trabant in the Berlin and Communist Germany, the Yugo was part of the history of Yugoslavia during the 80s. In fact the car survived the country itself as eThe yoke remained in production until 2008. His secret resided in the simple of the proposal. Fiat 128 shortened variant, the car was a small utility that was manufactured in Serbia. A three doors that set everything to sit the passengers on top of four wheels and in front of a steering wheel. Its origin must be sought in Kragujevac, Serbia. Over there, Zastava Automobili He assembled cars that exploded a Fiat license. That is, the same as I was doing Seat before Volkswagen passed. Among those licensed cars was the Fiat 128 that the company exploded in Yugoslavia with the novel name of Zastava 128. Jokes apart, the car was a success that added 1.5 million units sold by adding its different bodies between 1971 and 2008 when the car stopped selling. In the 80s, Zastava He decides that he has to offer a cheaper version and puts on the market the Zastava Yugo or Zastava Koral, a cut version derived from Fiat 127. The car is a success in Eastern Europe in part because of its iconic image. It has logic taking into account that the car looks like Volkswagen Golf. In fact, if we observe the first generations of both, it looks a lot at Volkswagen Golf. As much as to affirm that Giorgetto Giugiaro He should not have given the concept many turns when he was commissioned to look for a form to the yoke. Thus, with the firm of Giugiaro and the promise to put on the market a simple car the Zastava Yugo began to make a name. Under his hood he set up a simple Fiat engine of 908 cc and 45 hp. A power that gave the last name to the car when it was exported out of Serbia as a yoke 45. Later a slightly more powerful version of 1.1 liters and 55 hp would arrive. A 1.3 -liter and 65 hp option was even put on the market. As we see, it didn’t seem The car you would buy to travel large kilometers. In spite of everything, you have to understand the time and that, of course, neither Yugoslavia first nor Serbia later had to invite those kilometers. That was what Malcolm Bricklin should not have understood, the businessman who in 1985 wanted to introduce the yoke into the US market. Let’s review, a small, simplistic car and with a dwarf engine on a highway in the United States. It didn’t seem the best of ideas. And it wasn’t. “Cheap to buy. Terrible to drive”. With these words they define Hagerty from the United Kingdom to the healthy yoke that was sold in the United States as a Florida yoke. And that was a version above the aforementioned yoke 45. A car, the healthy one, which mounted a more powerful engine, in versions of 1.4 and 1.6 liters to get a better performance on the road. The lower version, that yoke 45 was sold in the United States with the name of Yugo GV. It was, by far, the cheapest car on the market. But the rolling quality was as bad that it was considered the worst car in the world. The criticisms were so bad that it quickly became a joke, it would have been a meme with wheels if at that time The word “meme” would have existed. Almost immediately, the car was made a hole in the hearts of the fans. In fact, you can find a book written by Jason Vuic entitled exactly like this: Yoke. Boom and fall of the worst car in history. The fascination was huge by a car that simply accounted for breakdowns due to pairs and offered poor results in security tests. So bad was the experience that was the car with the worst note of customer satisfaction in the prestigious JD Power in 1986. Precisely In JD Power they explain that in the Consumer Reports analysis it was specified that “the car dragged up to 100 km/h” and that in the best case the peak speed reached 86 mph (about 138 km/h). But those criticisms arrived after many buyers had already done with the car. A yoke giving everything Its price was so low that they sold more than 1,000 units on the first day. Then, the nightmare of the owners began. The spark plugs collapsed Because the United States gasoline was not adequate, the distribution strap had to be repaired at 30,000 miles (about 48,000 kilometers). Little by little, the ear mouth extended and the lawsuit plummeted. So plumme that according to the American portal they were sold with 2×1 offers despite its low price, with the idea of ​​the concessionaire to take them off as soon as possible. The performance was so bad that in 1992 the American subsidiary of the company broke. However, the car continued its performance in Serbia. The company came to 2008 When it … Read more

Since the end of World War II there have only been two countries with nuclear weapons at war. They just restart it

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And suddenly, the Indian army has launched An aerial offensive as it is not remembered in a long time against several positions in Pakistan and in the Kashmir administered by Islamabad. As we will see below, the tense story between the two territories came long, but above any other interpretation at this time, there is something that completely changes the hostility between the two nations. He Theme “Nuclear”. Context of a history of distrust. The conflict between India and Pakistan for Cashmerea region of the Himalayas disputed from the partition of India in 1947, has been a Constant source of tensionswars and insurgency between two nations that today have nuclear weapons. Its origin dates back to the decision of Maharajá Hindu of join the territory to India After an incursion of Pakistani militias, which unleashed the first war between the two countries. Since then, military clashes have occurred (1947, 1965, 1971 and 1999), provisional agreements such as the high fire of 1949 and the creation of the “Control line” in 1972as well as repeated reconciliation attempts that have failed, as happened after The Peace Summit of 1999, which was followed months later by a new armed conflict. More deaths. The situation is worsened in 1987 With the emergence of a separatist insurgency in the Indian part of Kashmir, fueled by the political discomfort and support of Pakistan, which led to a decade of intense violence. To get an idea, throughout the years 2000 and 2010, Kashmir more militarized on the planetwith regular bursts of violence. In 2019, after an attack that He killed 40 Indian soldiersIndia responded with Air attacks In Pakistan and, subsequently, the Narendra Modi government suppressed autonomy Constitutional of Kashmira, imposed a communications blackout and arrested thousands of local leaders, causing international criticism, although with the argument of restoring order and reducing terrorism. In April 2025, a brutal attack in which 26 civilians diedmostly Hindu tourists, turned on the polvorín again. India accused terrorists based on Pakistan, although he denied all involvement. A symbolic retaliation. The attack of a few hours ago, An aerial offensive against nine goals in Pakistan And in the Pakistani part of Kashmira, it is a retaliation for the terrorist attack of April 22. The military operation, Baptized Sindor (In reference to the red dust that symbolizes marriage in the Hindu tradition), it was presented by New Delhi as “measure, responsible and non-escalative”, directed exclusively against terrorist groups camps linked to Lashkar-E-Taiba and Jaish-E-Mohammad, both based on Pakistan. However, the scope of the attacks (which for the first time have hit areas outside the disputed region, within the heart of the Punyab Pakistani) represents a dangerous climb that leaves us on a new stage. Pakistan denounced the action as a “flagrant war act” and promised to respond with a “measure but forceful” retaliation at the time and place of his choice. The immediate tension has been aggravated with reports of fallen aircraft (at least two in Indian territory) and civil victims by fire of Pakistani artillery On the border. Map of states with nuclear weapons in the world The nuclear threat. We already said it at the beginning. This last round of clashes between two nations is not “one more” for one reason: its Nuclear weapons They revive ancient fears. They both possess Developed nuclear arsenals After atomic essays in 1998 that formalized their status as states with this type of weapons. According to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute estimates (SIPRI), India has around 172 nuclear eyelaces, while Pakistan has approximately 170, which makes them two of the nine countries with a nuclear weapons in the world. Different doctrines. The difference is that both maintain different doctrines. India holds one policy of “not first use”although its doctrine allows massive reprisals to a nuclear attack, while Pakistan has not adopted A formal posture of not first use and maintains a “plausible” deterrence strategy, supported by tactical nuclear weapons to counteract Indian conventional superiority. Although neither nations has deployed missiles with eyelets Permanently, both have land, aerial and, in the case of India, maritime launching systems, which constitutes a capacity of second developing attack. Persistent rivalry, border scarves and the current risk of rapid climbing make the situation a new focus of concern on global nuclear safety. Unprecedented from 2gm. The truth is that, if we stick to the definition of war, from World War II There has been no such worrying confrontation Between two nations. The “nuclear” theme changes everything. The closest thing to the current dispute between India and Pakistan and that “as nuclear” was halfway, in the Korea Warwhen direct clashes occurred Between US and Soviet fightersalthough Moscow never officially recognized them at that time. These fights occurred mainly in the called “Callejón de los Mig”near the Yalu River, on the border between North Korea and China. So, Soviet pilots, with MIG-15 aircraft and using North Korean or Chinese badges, they met American fighters, especially F-86 Sabre. Although it remained a secret to avoid open confrontation between both superpowers, subsequent records confirmed that hundreds of Soviet pilots They participated directly In the Air War. That said, it was not technically a war between the two nations, at least not in the terms of the current conflict. A fragile balance. In short, events after The air attack of India mark a very serious intensification of the conflict, with unpredictable consequences If a rapid offalized is not achieved. The activation of air defenses in India, the closure of civil airports in sensitive areas and the reports of victims by cross -border fire indicate that the region is in A critical moment. While India affirms that her operation was precise and surgical, limited to terrorist camps, the fact of bombing areas outside of Kashmir has redraws the limits of the conflict. In the absence of a bilateral mechanism of effective containment and with the international community limited to rhetorical exhortations, the risk of an uncontrolled escalation between two nuclear powers remains very present. Cashmere, … Read more

The commercial war between China and the US has had an unexpected injury: Starbucks

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Just a year ago we talked to Xataka of the delicate moment through Starbucks. A year later, the world’s largest coffee chain deepens the crisis of its business model, now trapped between those structural problems, which came from afar, and a new problem: Trump’s tariffs. The current situation. Starbucks accumulates five consecutive quarters of falls In sales in the United States. Only in the last quarter, transactions fell 4%, although average customer expenditure increased by 3%. It does not matter: that increase is insufficient to compensate for the loss of traffic in coffee shops if customers look for cheaper alternatives like Dunkin ‘or McDonald’s. Why is it important. The company depends on coffee imported from more than 30 countries, and with The new 10% tariffshis commitment not to raise prices in 2025 further complicates the recovery of his margins, which were already down. The context. What for years was an unstoppable growth story, tripling its premises from 2012 to exceed 40,000 in 2024, it has now become a struggle to maintain its profitability. The United States, its main market, is saturated. And China, its great growth commitment, has its own problems. The US market shows clear signs of maturity with a growth of premises that has slowed down. In China, although it has almost doubled its stores in five years, income has stagnated, with flat interannual sales (0% last quarter). The latter has a lot to do with Nationalist consumption That put local alternatives before. The threat. Beyond tariffs, Starbucks has other open fronts around its business model. Between the lines. The new CEO Brian Niccol, signing of Chipotle with music from Fanfarrias, has launched the Plan “Back to Starbucks“To recover the essence that made the company great. However, he recently recognized that “our results of the second quarter are disappointing,” although he also said he “confidence that our plan is the right strategy to turn the business.” The unexpected turn. Despite all these problems, Niccol maintains its commitment to freeze prices in 2025, a brave decision (and we will see if reckless) when their competitors will surely increase them due to the impact of tariffs. It is true that this strategy could give it competitive advantage if it manages to control its margins on other ways, but it is also that these margins are increasingly constrained. In figures. The financial situation explains the deterioration of the business: The actions almost 30% have fallen From the announcement of tariffs. Its adjusted operational margin of the last quarter was 8.2%, quite below the expected 9.5%. The benefits collapsed more than 50% compared to the previous year, to 384 million dollars. The company accumulates 23,000 million net debt, with a indebtedness ratio superior to triple. The latest. Starbucks has already implemented several measures to contain costs: Elimination of extra charges for alternative milks. Reduction of customization options. Product discontinuation. Free recharges offer for those who consume in their establishments. The question now is whether these measures will be enough in the face of an increasingly hostile economic environment, where consumption habits are changing and the experience that previously defined Starbucks no longer seems sufficient to justify their prices. In Xataka | Specialty coffee is expensive and there is something that increases it even more: to remove caffeine Outstanding image | Xataka

Apple loses the war against Epic. Fortnite returns triumphant and Spotify already prepares its rematch

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Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers accuses Apple of lying under oath and eliminates commissions for external paymentsopening the door to important changes in the application market. Why is it important. The judge has ordered Apple to stop commissions on external purchases and have eliminated restrictions on how developers can lead users to alternative payment methods. This decision can be a before and after in the app industry … and cut billions of Apple’s annual revenues. The sentence dismantles Apple’s strategy, which tried to avoid the 2021 court order charging a 27% commission for external purchases and installing “fear screens” to deter users from using options outside their ecosystem. Between bambalins. The judge accused Apple’s Vice President of “Lying blatantly under oath” and has sent the case to the Prosecutor’s Office to investigate possible contempt crimes. According to judicial documents, Apple knew perfectly what he was doing and “at every moment he chose the most anti -competitive option.” The magistrate also revealed that Tim Cook ignored the advice of Phil Schiller, head of the App Store, who advocated complying with the original order without charging commissions. “Cook chosen badly,” he said in A demolition failure of 80 pages. The background. It all started in 2020 when Epic Games included in Fortnite its own payment systemcausing its immediate expulsion from the App Store. Although Apple He won most original litigation issuesThe judge ruled that the company was limiting the competition by preventing developers from informing users about payment alternatives. The new sentence arrives after years of legal battle and dismantles the business model that represents an important part of the almost 100,000 million dollars that Apple enters annually for services. What is happening. Epic Games has announced that Fortnite will return to the American App Store next week. His CEO, Tim Sweeney, has offered a “peace proposal”: if Apple applies this framework without worldwide commissions, Epic will return to all app store and leave all related litigation. Meanwhile, Spotify has already sent an update of its application that will allow US users to see subscription prices, access external purchase links and change between different plans without going through the Apple payment system. The company considers this ruling as “the most important action to date” against Apple anti -competitive practices. The big question. Will this sentence change the way in which all application stores operate? Epic is already positioning an attractive offer: since June, developers will not pay commissions for the first million dollars of income through their store. This case could be a turning point, especially because it adds to the regulatory pressure that Apple already faces in Europe with the Digital Markets Law. For users, it means more payment options, possible discounts and a more transparent experience when buying digital content. In Xataka | Apple has been obsessed with the Iphone Premium for years. All I needed was a good and cheap Outstanding image | Xataka

The war in Ukraine has become a video game. Kill gives points and rewards to exchange in a military Amazon

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It is something that has happened in all modern wars and conflicts, and in Ukraine it was not going to be different. We refer to the use of surprising tactics for combat. We had previously talked about the use of a Naval optical illusion And of a drone that “seeks” That they capture it to display your true threat. The latest: a rewards system with points. The prize: go to a war “Amazon. A war with points. I told it This week Insider and Political. In an unprecedented fusion between military and video game logic, Ukraine has launched a Rewards system that gives points to their soldiers for killing Russian troops or destroying their vehicles, provided that these acts are verified by recording of video drones. These points, called “Epoints”, can then be exchanged In Brave1 Marketa new digital platform that operates as A “Military Amazon”where combat units can acquire from attack drones and terrestrial robots to electronic warp devices or components such as batteries, cameras and engines. Add casualties to buy artillery. The initiative, promoted by Mykhailo Fedorov, Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, seeks to speed up and Decentralize access To the equipment, allowing the soldiers themselves to choose and buy the technology that best suits their needs in the front, either with own funds or through the rewards accumulated by their effectiveness in combat. The system establishes a numerical value for each target Enemy: Six points for each Russian soldier eliminated, forty for each destroyed tank, with equivalences that allow, for example, to acquire drones such as The “Baba Yaga” by 43 points or the sophisticated “backfire”which costs about $ 60,000 for three units. Delivery is made directly with state financing, without intermediaries. The Magyar’s Birds Unitfamous for its FPV drones attacks, it has already exceeded 16,000 points, heading The March rankingfollowed by specialized brigades in unmanned systems and special operations. A military Amazon. Far from being a simple shopping site, Brave1 Market represents a Disruptive Logistics Model and acquisition in times of conflict. Your catalog has More than 1,000 items ranging from advanced armament to technical solutions of communication, surveillance, navigation and electronic protection. Soldiers can navigate the portal, compare models, read specifications and contact manufacturers to close orders. Part of the content is of restricted accessbut the bulk of the inventory is publicly available to facilitate fast and autonomous decision -making from the front. One of the main objectives is to reduce the gap between technological development and its real implementation on the battlefield. In fact, Insider told that many units did not know that certain devices were available; They can now request them directly without having to wait for bureaucratic channels or slow -on channels. Drones as currency. The points system has the drones that, like We have explainedare absolute protagonists of the new battlefield Ukrainian. The most used They are the FPV (First-Person View) and short-range bombing models, operated by highly mobile units that film each impact to document it to the military intelligence network. These videos not only allow to verify the elimination of enemy objectives, but have become The “hard currency” with which more technology is accessed. Each approved purchase is Financed by the Ukrainian Government and delivered directly to the requesting unit, which reinforces a decentralized supply model based on operational merit. Meritocracy and ethical dilemma. No doubt, we talk about a system that converts the war effectiveness into immediate benefitswhich generates a Ethical conflict on the gamification of the conflict. Killing becomes a rewarded act not only with recognition, but with material power to improve the offensive abilities of the unit. Although brutal, the model has proven to be effective for Accelerate the answer On the battlefield, promote tactical initiative and allow troops to access the technology they really need. In parallel, it also represents a form of digitalized war economy, where each confirmed impact translates into purchasing power, each successful mission in Access to strategic resources. A logic that is not free: responds to the urgency of Modernize the military apparatus Ukrainian in the midst of an asymmetric war, and the need to compete technologically with an enemy that has greater industrial and human reserves. Of course, he questions the ethical limits of the military culture model that can generate in the long term. A new military paradigm. The only existence of A “store” like this Change the concept of war in the 21st century. We talk about a digital architecture, distributed and Efficiency oriented Immediate with which Ukraine not only tries to match Russia in offensive capacity, but to overcome it in technological agility, tactical innovation and adaptation speed. If you want too, the battlefield does not seem only a physical space, but also a kind of Interactive platform where each action can be measured, rewarded and transform into operational advantage. A New War Economy where the value is measured, not in abstract terms, but in eliminated objectives, points won and delivered drones. Together with the obvious ethical dilemmas he poses, he also reveals to what extent the modern war is as technological as lethal. Image | NATO North, Ministry of Defense In Xataka | Russia has confirmed one of the great unknowns of war in Ukraine: North Korea accompanies them and not only with troops In Xataka | Russia has crowded a surprising blow to Ukraine: 100 soldiers walking for four days inside a gas pipeline

Before the lack of steel, the ships of World War II began to be built with an unusual material: concrete

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Close your eyes and think about the main material of a ship. Quite possibly Wood is the first Let it come to mind, and it is normal: we have millennia sailing in wooden ships, and we continue to do so. But it is also logical that the steel that dominated the XX and XX shipsand the Current marine monstersit is around ideas. And most likely you have not thought of another material: the concrete. But yes, for 150 years we were creating concrete ships, and far from crazy, it was the most logical idea. And even used in the first and Second World War. A Frenchman. A good day from the mid -nineteenth century, a French man named Joseph-Louis Lambot It occurred to him to build a boat. Not anyone: one of reinforced concrete. There was a problem: in 1848, they had no idea what reinforced concrete was. This material, basically, is the mixture between concrete and steel. Both combine to create something with much greater structural resistance and has been since their invention the basis of the most imposing, dams and almost any construction of the last century. Well, it was Joseph-Louis that came up with the two materials. At least, I know attribute The invention of reinforced concrete to this man. As always, there is controversy with the dates, with whom he patented the reinforced concrete, who built the first slab, etc. But well: Lambot wanted to prove his invention and built a small boat less than four meters with the aim of exhibiting it in the Universal Exhibition of Paris of 1855. Enough advantages. Basically, the interior was wire mesh covered by cement and Lambot’s idea was to completely replace the wood. The invention liked it, but it really did not attract the attention of ship manufacturers. Some barges were created for European channels, but little else. Everything changed when the Italian engineer Carlo Gabellini built the Liguria in 1896. It is the one we consider as the first reinforced concrete ship designed to navigate on the high seas. And, really, it made sense to create reinforced concrete ships. It is a material that has great corrosion resistance, so the marine environment does not damage the helmet, reducing maintenance (that also has it) and extending its useful life. It offered good thermal insulation, so perishable resources could be transported in better conditions and there were no fire problems. The Namsenfjord In the absence of bread … A few years later, the construction of these concrete ships expanded and other countries began to build, especially freighters. But of course, we are in 1914 and that means something happened: the World War I. And beyond the advantages of concrete against other materials, the world was forced to create concrete ships for a very simple reason: There was no steel. The militarization and industrialization of the belligerent forces caused a situation of Steel shortage. The ships were important, since the naval supremacy It has always been a determining factor in a conflict, but with the steel necessary for a destroyer you could create many other things. And the problem is that they had to continue building ships because there were resources to move worldwide. World War I. The revolution came with the Namsenfjorda Norwegian ship that, in 1917, showed that self -propelled concrete ships could be made. It was 26 meters in length and weighed a whopping 400 tons and most importantly: the United States saw that there was a potential in these ships beyond serving as charges propelled by an auxiliary ship. Thus, they created the Emergency Fleet Corporation program with the aim of producing 24 concrete ships. It was a failure: those who completed themselves, did it after the war, so it had to be allocated in other things. One was the SS FAithwhich was going to serve in the war, but in the end it remained to be used in transport work in the United States. It was thrown in 1919, it was in service until in 1921 it was sold to Cuba and had a length of 97.54 meters. A year after Faith, the SS Selmaa huge reinforced concrete mole of 129.54 meters in length that was launched just the day when Germany signed the Treaty of Versaillesending the First World War. It ended up using as a oil tanker in the Gulf of Mexico. With candles and a secondary support motor Demolish disadvantages. With the finished war, interest in the construction of concrete ships deflated. It still had advantages, because building them was much cheaper than making them in steel or iron, but if we mentioned a series of advantages, it is important to know the disadvantages (which exceed them, and by far). To match the resistance of a steel helmet, the concrete is thicker, which has several limitations. On the one hand, it weighs more, so it also has a major draft, the displacement of the ship is slower and more fuel is needed. That is thicker implies that there is less interior space for load, since the useful volume is reduced. That weight makes engines must be more powerful and that fuel tanks are also greater, so the investment in this part is greater. The dike to build it must also be monstrous because you cannot weld parts, such as steel, and then there is resistance to impacts. Second World War. The metal breaks, yes, but it has a greater elasticity than the concrete. This material, however, is much more fragile to impacts. A collision causes a crack in the helmet, and this on a ship that weighs so much is a conviction. That is why, after the great war, the concrete ship project was abandoned, leaving its construction practically limited to the loading barges, but then World War II arrived, and the steel needs of the previous one were repeated. However, the US program was not as ambitious as the one that began 20 years before and yes, concrete ships were … Read more

Who produced the key matters of the world after World War I, in a 1927 graphics

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The end of the Great War He left a totally devastated Europe. France, Italy, the United Kingdom and Germany lost between 25% and 30% of their national wealth and basic agricultural and industrial infrastructure was very damaged. After a first period of recovery just after the end of the war, there was a situation of hyperinflation, monetary depreciation, debt payments to an US that claimed his money and a break in international trade. However, in mid -1920, an economic recovery was lived, and a series of graphics published in 1927 reflects that moment of fleeting splendor just before the Great Depression and of the Second World War. And why not say it, they were a valuable tool if someone with expansionist ideas He threw the glove. Happy twenty years. After the World War IUSA lent money to France and the United Kingdom to rebuild. Germany was punished He pays a rate to those same countries, but when the US claimed the money, the system broke. Germany had no money and France and the United Kingdom needed German funds to pay Americans. However, the Dawes Plan To give a respite to the German economy, so everyone’s debt relaxed and began the “happy twenties.” It was an economic recovery period in which the countries involved reached some stability and, above all, an industrial rebirth. It continued depending on American money and we already know how the decade ended with the breakage of the stock market, but at least allowed European nations to be repurchased in a way. Hickmann Atlas. No levels prior to the Great War were reached, but at least the production and export of raw materials resumed. Beyond Europe, there were many other countries that had been oblivious to the conflict and followed their own path. In 1927, the Austrian publishing house G. Freytag & Berndt published the universal geographical and statistical Atlas of Hickmann. It is a very interesting document because it reflects that panorama of the mid -20s and offers many, many statistics, graphs and maps that are a reflection of the economic and productive state worldwide. We can consult the 80 pages on the web David Rumsey Map Collectionbut from Visual Capitalist They have compiled the most interesting maps in terms of production and raw materials. Land use. The pages dedicated to ‘Produktion’ show precisely that: the most powerful countries in certain types of interesting resources at the time. The first cover the use of the Earth and the graph is divided into: Acherland: Cultivation lands or farmland. Wald: forest. Wieen und Weiden: Praderas and grasslands. Unproduktivland: unproductive land. There are countries like Spain that are very balanced, with large cultivation surfaces and practically identical proportions of the rest, but also striking cases. For example, according to this Atlas, France is the country that, with 56%, more arable land has. They captured that Finland had the largest amount of forests, covering 61% of their territory (in 2021 estimated That was more than 73% and British India was the one that had the most won, followed by the US. And the worst? Norway, with 70% unproductive land. Agricultural production. In Produktion III and IV they focused on land production, and for the Austrians, the US was an agricultural power plant. They were the ones that most wheat, barley, oatmeal and corn produced (by far). The Soviet Union led in Centeno and Germany, obvious, in potato production. Argentina was the second in production of corn and Spain the third in barley. Who had less grain, mattered. Whose? From Argentina, Canada, the United States and Australia, and the great importing countries were the United Kingdom, Germany and Italy. As for wine, France was the spearhead, followed by Italy and Spain. In beer, the United Kingdom marked the pattern, followed by Germany. In that graph, Spain does not appear. In other resources such as Café, Brazil is a lot of difference from Colombia, El Salvador, Venezuela or Guatemala. And China also makes an appearance as a power in the production of tea and rice. Textiles and natural resources. As for textiles, it depends a lot on it. The United States led cotton production, followed by the British and China Indies. Japan and China were silk powers; The Soviet Union and the Philippines were of the hemp culture; The USSR and Poland led the linen, and the hops was a thing of Great Britain and the United States. The oil is a barbarity and, perhaps, the fact that puts us most into perspective with what they thought a century ago. In the Atlas, they indicate that the United States produced about 753,000 barrels in 1923. One hundred years later, US production was 21.4 million barrels … a day during the last quarter of 2023. In tobacco, salt, oil, rubber or paper, Spain has little to say, but where it stands out is in Mercury, very close to Italy and a lot of distance from the United States or Mexico. Mining. Produktion VII and VIII reflects the production of metals, gems and minerals, with South Africa leading the production of gold and diamonds and Mexico that of silver. The United Kingdom had the leadership of gas, but the absolute protagonist in the Serurgy after World War I, and something that would be key to the second, was the United States, leading coal, iron and steel. Cataclysm. The photo for some countries was really hopeful, but only two years after the publication of Hickmann Atlas produced The collapse of the NYSE. This caused the bankruptcy of banks, a reduction in production, protectionist measures and a break in international trade. The US was no longer to lend money to anyone, which caused a worldwide deflation. Europe, which was already indebted to the eyebrows, also suffered this recession, devaluing its coins and causing a new crisis. If a new volume of Hickmann’s work had been published years after the great depression, the situation of the graphics would have been very different. There were some visual … Read more

The trade war threatens to cut his wings in full takeoff

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The aeronautical sector It is emerging as one of the great victims by the Commercial War between the United States and China. At Growing tariff barriers imposed by both powers now adds Beijing’s alleged attempt to block the delivery of new Boeing aircraft in its territory. The information, Posted by Bloomberg earlier this weekalso points out that Chinese airlines will not be able to acquire equipment or pieces related to aviation to US suppliers. When a scenario like this is raised, it is easy to think that the closure of doors to Boeing and other American manufacturers can translate into an opportunity for firms such as Airbus or Comac. And, in part, it is. However, it is convenient to clarify: while Airbus’s main challenge is to increase its production capacity, in the case of Cabel the difficulties are deeper. The United States, in fact, could dynamite its most ambitious project overnight. As? Let’s look at the details. A plane with too many pieces borrowed In recent years we have seen how China has managed to make a decisive leap in multiple industries. One of the most obvious examples we have in front of our eyes: the automobile sector. For a long time, Chinese cars dragged a questionable reputation and a little competitive offer. Today the situation is very different. Something similar could be happening in commercial aviation. Although Airbus and Boeing continue to lead with slack, Cabe has been trying for years A hole in that historic duopoly. One of the key pieces in this important objective is the Comac C919a plane designed and assembled in China with an eye on competing directly with the Boeing 737 Max and the Airbus A320. With capacity for between 158 and 192 passengers and autonomy that ranges between 4,075 and 5,555 kilometers, its current deployment is still limited. However, if we attend to the growth rate of the Asian giant, everything indicates that it is a matter of time that the C919 is also consolidated outside its origin borders. But the project drags, at least for now, an Achilles heel that often goes unnoticed: a deep dependence on American technology. That’s how it is. The pride of Chinese aviation, the most ambitious development of its entire history in this sector, works thanks to key components manufactured by a rival country. For years, these pieces have crossed the ocean without major obstacles. But a block could hit the very heart of the Chinese dream of having its own regional reference plane. So what pieces are we talking about exactly? To understand it, it is convenient to go to Leeham News and Analysis worka specialized firm that has been closely following the ins and outs of the aerospace sector. Flight data recorders – General Electric (United States). Meteorological radar – Rockwell Collins (United States). Communications and Navigation Systems – Honeywell (United States). Antihielo Ala – Liebherr (Germany) system. Aluminum components for fuselage – Arconic (United States). Motors – CFM International, a joint venture between GE (United States) and Safran (France). Thrust investors – Safran (France). Fuel System – Parker (United States). Fire detection – Kidde (United Kingdom). Wheels and brakes – Honeywell (United States). Tires – Michelin (France). Landing train – Liebherr (Germany). Cola y Alas – Aviation Industry Corporation of China (Avic) (China). Just check the previous list to measure the blow that would mean the lack of any US component in the C919 assembly chain. Leeham News and Analysis already warns that the trade war threatens the project. In the same line is Ron Epstein, Bank of America analyst, who declared Reuters: “If China stop buying aeronautical components from the United States, the C919 program will stop or die” The current situation and future perspectives In recent days, the commercial war has intensified with rapid and unpredictable movements. And the truth is that half the world – individuals, companies, governments – still tries to understand how far their effects come. If we focus on the order of the Chinese government on aeronautical components, everything indicates that, for now, it affects only airlines. That would leave manufacturers such as Comac with margin to continue buying the pieces that need the United States. At least for the moment. However, The 125% retaliation tariff (that, added to the previous 20 % in the fentanyl case, leaves the invoice at 145 %) governs for imports from the United States. That includes engines, plane or brakes that Comac buys for their C919. The practical result is that each US component would cost me almost twice and a half its original pricea scenario hardly aware of any manufacturer who aspires to maintain the viability of your business. It is time to wait to see what all this flows. If the barriers imposed by both powers will fall and the trade will be reactivated. But there is also another scenario: that the United States imposes export controls on key components for Chinese aviation. He already did it with the Nvidia chips to stop his advance in artificial intelligence. This situation could reinforce China’s bet to develop your own key technology, although it still has a long way ahead. Images | Comac In Xataka | Before panic for US tariffs there are technological ones doing something uncommon: product collection

Boeing, trapped in the commercial war. China paralyzes the deliveries of its airplanes and Airbus gains ground, according to Bloomberg

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Commercial tension between United States and China It does not give signs of decreasing. And everything indicates that commercial aviation will be one of the great victims. According to Bloombergthe Chinese government has ordered its airlines to stop the reception of aircraft manufactured by Boeing. The measure also includes the suspension of purchase of aeronautical equipment and components from US companies. This new blow is part of a tariff offensive that has reached unpublished levels. After declaring a commercial emergency, Washington raised up to 145% Tariffs in response to what he considers a threat to their economic and national security. China soon react, raising their own levies above 100% to US imports and making it clear that the climb was far from finishing. China’s latest reprisals hit Boeing Although the details of the last retaliation of the Asian giant are unknown, the suspension affects the Boeing 737 Maxone of the best -selling unique corridor aircraft in the world, of which the American firm has delivered 13 units in China, along with Tres Boeing 787 double corridor. In their hangars they still expect 28 Max and a 787 destined for the Chinese market. It is not just a political dispute: economic implications are huge. China is one of the main strategic markets for Boeing. According to their latest 20 -year forecast reportthe country would demand 8,830 new aircraft until 2043. 60% to accompany the growth of air traffic, and the remaining 40% to renew fleets with more efficient models. The country’s commercial fleet would go from 4,345 to 9,740 aircraft in that period, with an annual expansion of 4.1%. However, part of these forecasts are now questioned by the commercial war. The measure not only puts the commercial balance between the two countries. It also threatens to alter the internal functioning of Chinese airlines, which depend largely on fleets already delivered. Thousands of airplanes of the American company They currently operate in the country, and their maintenance requires foreign technical pieces and support. Boeing has been doing business in China for decades, but those doors begin to close. Boeing has been doing business in China for decades, but those doors begin to close. With Boeing temporarily out of the scene, two alternatives arise: The Airbus A320 family and the Comac C919. Airbus starts with advantage, since, although some of its components come from the United States or use Chinese raw materials, it can continue to operate normally in the country. The problem is capacity: the European manufacturer would have to increase its production rate to take advantage, and that is not immediate. The other great bet is local. Comac C919, designed and assembled in China, is designed to compete directly with the Boeing 737 Max and the Airbus A320. It offers capacity for between 158 and 192 passengers and a maximum autonomy of 4,075 to 5,555 km. Today, its deployment is limited, but the current context could accelerate its adoption on regional routes. The uncertainty reigns on both sides of the Pacific. From the United States, Trump has affirmed that “China wants to reach an agreement. The problem is that they are not clear how to do it.” From Beijing, on the other hand, they show no intention of backing. They claim to raise tariffs beyond 125% would be “a joke”implying that greater punishment would not be an additional damage. As we have seen, the conflict continues to climb, and the aeronautical industry is trapped in the crossfire of two powers that more and more use their supply chains as a negotiation weapon. Although the long -term effects are about to be seen, the immediate impact begins to feel. Touch to wait to know if we will witness some kind of agreement capable of relieving, or at least reduce, these new international barriers. Images | Andrew Dawes | Kua Yue | David Syphers In Xataka | Boeing, in the line of fire of the tariff war: Airbus is emerging as the winner of the pulse between China and the USA In Xataka | While the US is obsessed with tariffs, China has a weapon that is going unnoticed: the bureaucracy

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