KTFA

BACKDOC:  ITS MAKES ME GO HEE HEE WHEN I HEAR PROFESSIONAL TRADERS SAY THEY DO’NT KNOW WHAT TO DO NEXT!  (See article below)
THERE IS SERIOUS CONFUSION IN TRADING THESE MARKETS! IF IT WEREN’T SO SERIOUS I WOULD LAUGH!
WE HAVE A SERIOUS ADVANTAGE KNOWING WE ARE IN A TRANSITION TO THE NEW REALITY!
TO THINK WE KNOW HOW THIS ALL PLAYS OUT WOULD BE FOOLISH FOR SURE. WHAT WE KNOW IS THAT EVERYTHING IS IN ITS TRANSITION TO DIGITAL!
I’M SO THANKFUL FOR MY KTFA FAMILY TO SHARE THE PROCESS WITH! TRULY WHAT WE ARE PART OF IS A BIGGER GLOBAL PICTURE!
WITHOUT THE DINAR FOR FINANCIAL HOPE I WOULD BE VERY DISMAYED! INSTEAD I FEEL A PEACE I CAN’T EXPLAIN! I HOPE WE CAN ALL JUST LAY OUR STRESS DOWN AND FOLLOW THE PROCESS TO THE END!
THANKS FRANK, DELTA, WALKINGSTICK,AND ITEAM FOR CREATING THE OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO GROW UP TOGETHER IN THIS GLOBAL ADVENTURE!
SPEAKING OF FIAT BONDS FOR A MOMENT, I THINK LATER IT WILL BE VIEWED AS A HUGE MONEY TRAP!
THE WORLD IS QUICKLY SLIPPING INTO A NEGATIVE INTEREST RATE DEMISE! I THINK INVESTORS MAY GET CAUGHT IN A MOUSE TRAP OF FALLING OR NEGATIVE YIELDS AND NOT BE ABLE TO SELL OUT!
MONEY COULD BE TRAPPED AND DEVALUED! OUCH!
NOW THE NEW DIGITAL BONDS, WE WILL BE ALL IN!   DOC    IMO
Thunderhawk:  DOC REQUEST – REPOST
Here’s why speculation that China is mass-selling U.S. Treasurys could be true
Speculation that China has been mass-selling U.S. Treasurys to boost its foreign-exchange reserves grew again Wednesday, after a report showed that Belgium’s Treasury holdings — viewed as a proxy for China’s holdings — declined sharply.
Analysts had been hypothesizing that China might be liquidating large amounts of U.S. government debt, after Beijing announced last week that the country’s foreign-exchange reserves fell in January to their lowest level in more than three years, after tumbling in December by the largest amount on record.
The release of the Treasury International Capital data late Tuesday, which contain all the flows of money into and out of the U.S for purchases and sales of U.S. securities, offered new “evidence of big Chinese selling,” said Thomas Simons an economist at Jefferies, in emailed comments.
According to the holdings data, China retained the top spot in December as the largest holder of Treasurys, with $1.246 trillion, down $18.4 billion from November. Japan maintained its position as the second-biggest holder of Treasurys, with $1.123 trillion, down $22.4 billion from the previous month.
But Belgian holdings also fell sharply, down by $21.9 billion.
“Belgian holdings have been a point of focus due to extreme volatility…This is significant because it is widely speculated that China executes trades with Treasuries held in custody in Belgium,” Simons said.
Indeed, Belgium’s holdings have fluctuated widely over the past year.
The small European country had ranked as the third-largest holder of Treasurys as recently as February 2015, but holdings have fallen by $202 billion since then and Belgium is not even in the top 10 anymore.
Combined with the $18.4 billion decline in mainland Chinese Treasury holdings, the data suggests that total Chinese holdings fell approximately $40.3 billion in December, according to Jefferies.
Overall, foreign official institutions, including central banks and sovereign wealth funds, sold $49.5 billion in Treasurys in December. But as private investors stepped in and bought $13.6 billion in Treasurys, the net outflow was of $35.9 billion, as the following chart shows.
Earlier this month, Société Générale global strategist Albert Edwards said China is burning through its foreign-currency reserves at such a blistering pace that the country will run down its cushion in a few months.
But data from Janney Montgomery Scott taking the official Chinese holdings as a base for calculation showed that, at December’s rate of Treasury sales, China’s Treasury portfolio won’t be exhausted for nearly six years.
“While China does need to raise dollars, sell those dollars, and buy yuan to support its currency, the pace of any needed asset sales is far from breakneck and instead looks remarkably measured,” said Guy LeBas, chief fixed income strategist at Janney, in a note.
Official Chinese selling “only accounted for about a third of Asia’s net outflows at $18 billion; Japan’s $22 billion [outflow] was actually greater,” LeBas added.
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/heres-why-speculation-that-china-is-mass-selling-us-treasurys-could-be-true-2016-02-17
Mountainman:  Have You Ever”Tried” to CARRY a 5lb Bucket of “CONCRETE” across A “FROZEN LAKE” when the ICE is About to Come off the LAKE because it’s Getting “CLOSE” to SPRING TIME ???… Me NEITHER…..”NOT” A GOOD IDEA……..
CHINA Knows that the US “FIAT” DOLLAR is Heading to A DEEP DARK PLACE…..=WHERE it Won’t be Desired or Needed…….”UNTIL” it gains it’s “TRUE VALUE” backed by Assets……which is WHAT they/CHINA and Others AWAIT as Well !!!!
That is the Debt Many Countries are “SINKING” In Now!!!………..So too ……the REASON to “OFF LOAD” The CONCRETE/US DEBT they Carry on their “BOOKS”…….=EVERYONE Seems to be LOOKING/WAITING for The NEW CHANGE……
Since CHINA holds A Lot of US TREASURIES/FIAT=”DEBT”……In Order for their CURRENCY to Rise to It’s TRUE POTENTIAL…..They are Selling Off the CONCRETE….so to speak……to Make Their Currency “MORE” Stable……
Basically the SAME Steps You Would take if Your “CREDIT SCORE” was in Bad Shape because of DEBTS Carried……Thus the “SOLUTION”=Get Rid Of it!!!!…..IMO    Blessings,Mountainman
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BACKDOC:  LOOKS LIKE THE BOND VERSION OF STRESS TESTS! HEE HEE!
IS SOMEONE GETTING NERVOUS? WITH CHINA DUMPING TO BACK THEIR CURRENCY THE BOND MARKET IS IN TROUBLE!
THE TEN YEAR IS AROUND 1.7% WOW! TERRIBLE!
MANY OF THE BOND YIELDS ARE ALREADY IN NEGATIVE TERRITORY!   DOC   IMO
RDinar:  New York Fed to Conduct Small-Value Treasury Purchase Operation
The Federal Reserve Bank of New York said it would conduct test trades Tuesday in U.S. Treasurys through its FedTrade proprietary trading terminal, following up on an authorization it received to continue such operations as part of its efforts to control of short-term interest rates.
In a statement posted Thursday on its website, the New York Fed said on Feb. 23, from 10:15 a.m. and ending at 11 a.m. EST, it would conduct a “small scale Treasury purchase operation” not to exceed $250 million in Treasury bonds maturing 10 to 20 years from now.
The operation “does not represent a change in the stance of monetary policy,” according to the statement.
The maneuver is part of the New York Fed’s commitment to conduct routine small-value trading operations to help it manage interest rates. On Wednesday, the New York Fed said it was authorized to conduct such trades and certain foreign currency transactions as part of its readiness for changing patterns in markets and “as a matter of prudent advance planning.”
Tuesday’s operation will be separate from reverse repurchase agreements the Fed has been conducting with money-market funds and banks since September 2013 as one of its key tools for raising interest rates. It won’t affect the New York Fed’s reinvestments of proceeds from maturing Treasury bonds.
Fed officials at their January policy meeting reauthorized the New York Fed to conduct such operations this year. The Fed’s next rate-setting meeting is March 15-16.
http://m.nasdaq.com/article/new-york-fed-to-conduct- small-value-treasury-purchase-operation-20160218-01238
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BACKDOC:  FAMILY, IT SEEMS THAT EVERYDAY WE KEEP SEEING MORE ABOUT “THE DEAL”!
PARTNERS THAT ARE ABOUT TO HIT THE DANCE FLOOR! NOW WE MAY HAVE A HINT OF CURRENCY COMPATIBILITY ON STEROIDS!
DOC   IMO
Thunderhawk:  Iraq ready for Iran’s industrial investment: Minister
Iraqi Minister of Industry and Minerals Mohammed Sahib al-Daraji said legal foundations for joint investment with Iran are available as his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Reza Nematzadeh expressed Tehran’s readiness to contribute to Baghdad’s industrial development plans.
‘We welcome Iranian companies’ participation in the Iraqi market,’ al-Daraji replied to IRNA during a joint press conference with Nematzadeh in Baghad on Thursday.
The Iraqi minister was upbeat over outcome of the negotiations with Nematzadeh and said Iran’s assistance to reconstruction of Iraq’s industrial units was discussed during the talks.
The Iranian minister echoed al-Daraji’s statement and said it was agreed that two countries will exchange delegations to follow up implementation of the agreements.
‘We are ready to provide Iraq with our industrial experiences. During the meetings, the needs were reviewed. We encourage the private sectors in Iran and Iraq to joint investment projects,’ Nematzadeh added.
Prior to the press conference, he met Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi in which deepening of bilateral cooperation in industrial, commercial, and joint investment projects was stressed.
The Iranian minister, who arrived in Baghdad on Wednesday to promote bilateral relations, met Chairman of Iraq’s Supreme Islamic Council of Iraq Seyed Ammar Hakim earlier on Thursday.
He also met governor of Iraq’s National Bank, and his Iraqi counterpart on Thursday and visited industrial projects including a factory assembling Iranian automobiles.
http://www3.irna.ir/en/News/81970000/
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BACKDOC:  MR. LONELY WILL HAVE PARTNERS ALL AROUND! ITS MINERAL WEALTH WILL BE BEYOND COMPARE AND YET THEY GET A PIECE OF THEIR BROTHERS FRANCHISES TOO! YIPPIE!   DOC   IMO
Thunderhawk:  Iran, Iraq confer on gas pipeline deal
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Velayati said that the Iraqi oil minister is in Iran to discuss oil price and OPEC developments with Iranian officials.
He said that the Iraqi oil minister was satisfied with the results of his talks with Iranian senior officials.
It has been decided that deputy for economic affairs of Strategic Research Center of the Expediency Council, hold consultations about the gas pipeline deal with Iraq, he said.
Under the deal, the executive phase of the contract is to export 25 mcm of gas to Iraq, and the project has the capacity to increase the amount up to 40 mcm, Velayati added.
He added that the project will be completed within 2 years, saying “in order to meet the needs of the people and government of Iraq, a branch of the pipeline will reach Basra and another will deliver gas to Baghdad.’
Iran and Iraq finalized a plan for developing a pipeline to carry 40 mcm of gas to Iraq in September 2015. The project has been long in the offing but had been delayed over security concerns resulting from the war of insurgency that the ISIL terrorists have waged in Iraq.
http://www3.irna.ir/en/News/81969921/
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BACKDOC:  WITH ALL THE THIS NEW INFORMATION HOW CAN IRAQ JUST “MINE” ITS OWN BUSINESS! HEE HEE
IT SEEMS IRAQ HAS SO MANY DANCE PARTNERS SOMEONE WILL BE ALWAYS CUTTING IN!  DOC   IMO
Thunderhawk:  Tehran, Baghdad set to expand joint investment projects
Iranian Minister of Industry, Mine and Trade Mohammad Reza Nematzadeh and Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi met here on Thursday stressing deepening bilateral cooperation in industrial, commercial, and joint investment projects.
During the meeting which focused on ways of increasing bilateral trade, the Iraqi premier thanked Iran over its support to develop his country’s industrial infrastructure.
Nematzadeh expressed Iran’s readiness to transfer its experience on industrial development and help the government of Iraq through joint investment projects.
The Iranian minister, who arrived in Baghdad on Wednesday to promote bilateral relations, met Chairman of Iraq’s Supreme Islamic Council of Iraq Seyed Ammar Hakim earlier on Thursday.
He also met governor of Iraq’s National Bank, and his Iraqi counterpart on Thursday and visited industrial projects including a factory assembling Iranian automobiles.
http://www3.irna.ir/en/News/81969943/
GO IRAN   GO RV     HAWK
BACKDOC:  AS WE WATCH TO SEE IF TALK TURNS INTO ACTION, OIL PRODUCERS BETTER GET READY FOR A BUMPY RIDE LIKE FRANK SAID!
IF THE PRODUCERS DON’T LEARN ABOUT A NEW CONCEPT CALLED A SPIRIT OF COOPERATION THE CRUDE REALITY WILL BE MORE THAN RUDE! HEE HEE    DOC  IMO
Thunderhawk:  Backdoc Alert
As 2017 oil rebounds to $45, U.S. drillers begin to hedge anew
U.S. oil producers reeling from an 18-month price rout have cautiously begun hedging future production this week, fearing this may be their best chance yet to lock in a $45 a barrel lifeline for 2017 and beyond.
As oil markets rebounded from 12-year lows this week, U.S. shale companies – for the first time in months – started inquiring and placing new hedges for the next few years, according to three market sources familiar with money flows.
Oil prices have crashed more than 70 percent in the past 20 months, driven by near-record production by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and other producers, adding to one of the worst supply gluts in history.
On Thursday, even as immediate-delivery oil futures ended slightly higher, U.S. crude for December 2017 delivery fell more than 2 percent to $43.47 a barrel, weighed down in part by producer hedging, the sources said. The 2017 WTI price strip rose as high as $43.55 a barrel in early trade; a month ago, it hit a record low of $37.38 a barrel.
Trading volume in over-the-counter oil swaps was more than five times higher than the past three days combined, according to swaps data from the Depository Trust & Clearing Corp, available via Thomson Reuters Eikon.
The re-emergence of hedging interest, which traders said was still limited in scope for now and mainly in the form of inquiries rather than execution, came as a surprise to some, surfacing below the $50 psychological threshold that some traders had thought would be needed to coax back producers.
The activity likely reflects both the growing investor and lender pressure to safeguard heavy debt requirements down the road, as well as the fact that drilling costs continue to decline, allowing companies to break even at lower prices.
“The $45 is break-even for a lot of producers. It’s not just about making a profit, it’s about staying alive,” one trader said.
The sources declined to say which companies were active this week, but some producers have been looking for an excuse to pounce. They may have found it this week, as prices surged on news that OPEC and non-OPEC oil producing countries would come together to freeze production at January levels and key producer Iran voiced its support for the output cap.
Denbury Resources Inc, for instance, said on Thursday that it had “recently” increased its fourth-quarter hedges to cover 30,000 barrels a day at around $38 a barrel.
“These are not great prices, but they protect our liquidity and will minimize our borrowings in the event that prices are lower for longer, because these hedges are above our total current cash costs,” Chief Financial Officer Mark Allen told analysts.
On an investor call last week, Scott Sheffield, chief executive officer of Pioneer Natural Resources, one of the most heavily hedged drillers in the business, said he saw a good chance of more rumors stoking prices. He cited a Feb. 11 Reuters story that first reported that some OPEC countries are trying to achieve a consensus among the group and key non-members to freeze output.
With talk of declining U.S. shale output or supply curbs, “you’ve got to use events like that to put hedges in the marketplace.”
Pioneer did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Just a month earlier, Pioneer’s chief operating officer, Tim Dove, had told Reuters that the company would be looking for a minimum price of around $50 a barrel to lock in more hedging, but oil’s relentless rout may have softened that view.
Matador Resources said this week it had added to its hedges over the past two weeks, but did not say by how much. It now has 43 percent of its estimated 2016 oil output hedged at weighted average floor and ceiling prices of $44 and $66.
CAPPING THE MARKET?
Hedging for future production is common among U.S. oil and gas producers, who use it as a lifeline to protect future profits and continue pumping. The need to hedge appears to be greater than ever, with some estimating that only 14 percent of 2016 oil output is protected.
The price slump since mid-2014 has effectively forced even the most resilient U.S. shale producers to slash additional spending and idle rigs in an effort to rein in costs and help balance a market battling with oversupply.
Some dealers have warned that companies’ increased appetite for hedging may stymie a sharper recovery in prices, allowing them to increase drilling more quickly than they otherwise might.
“If I were a producer, I’d be saying that we will be lower for a lot longer. So I’d be locking in prices now,” said Tariq Zahir, an analyst at Tyche Capital Advisors in New York. “But any spikes we see will just turn shale back (on).”
On Wednesday, data showed that output from North Dakota, the birthplace of the U.S. shale boom, fell nearly 3 percent in December and state regulators said it was a sign producers were not expecting prices to rise any time soon.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-o … SKCN0VS01J
 
BACKDOC:  I FOR ONE AM WATCHING THE EU AND CHINA ,SINCE THEY ARE MOST LIKELY TO SEE A BREAKING POINT FIRST!
THERE WILL NEED TO BE A DEBT WRITE DOWN GLOBALLY OR THERE WILL BE A SOME TYPE OF COLLAPSE POSSIBLY AS SOON AS MID YEAR BASED ON THE TRAJECTORY OF THIS PROBLEM!   DOC   IMO
Thunderhawk:  AA doom-mongers claim petrol price will soar with a Brexit: Group says cost of a litre will go up by 19p within days of a vote to leave
AA said petrol costs could rise by 18.7p a litre ‘within days’ of Brexit vote
They claimed value of pound could fall by 20% while oil prices could treble
Critics said motoring group was engaging in ‘ill-informed exaggerations’
The AA has been branded a ‘doom merchant’ for claiming petrol prices would soar by £500 a year per family if Britain leaves the EU.
The motoring group joined the Europe debate by saying costs at the pumps could rise by 18.7p a litre ‘within days’ of a Brexit vote.
In a ‘worst case scenario’, they claimed the value of the pound could tumble by 20 per cent if Britain goes it alone, at the same time as oil prices – which are at a long-term low – could treble.
AA president Edmund King said the group does not ‘take a view as to whether the UK should leave the EU’ but merely wanted to highlight a potentially ‘significant hike’ in petrol prices. But other experts, including the RAC, cast doubt on the figures, saying there was little reason to think prices would change dramatically even if the pound did fall in value.
Britain has some of the highest prices at the pump in Europe because taxes – VAT and fuel duty – make up more than 70 per cent of the cost of a litre.
Howard Cox, founder of FairFuelUK which campaigns for lower tax on petrol prices, said the AA was engaging in ‘ill-informed exaggerations to scare drivers about Brexit’.
He added: ‘Despite the UK already having the most punitive fuel duty levels in the EU, any thought that pump prices would rise further if Brexit became a reality is a red herring. Being in or out of the EU should not be a factor for fairer pump pricing and lower fuel taxation on 37million UK drivers.
‘If the pound does not crash, contrary to the pro-EU doom merchants predicting this will happen, and oil remains low due to over production, then it will still be down to George Osborne as to what we pay at the pumps.’
Simon Williams, of the RAC, said motorists are seeing petrol and diesel under £1 at the cheapest retailers, and prices could remain low. He added: ‘The impact on fuel prices of Britain exiting is not likely to be as dramatic as motorists might be led to think.’
The AA used figures from bank Goldman Sachs, which warn the pound could plummet if Britain leaves the EU.
Their analysis suggests a 20 per cent drop in sterling value, plus a three-fold hike in the oil price, would add an extra 6.2p to a litre of petrol.
For a family with two 55-litre tank cars, this would mean spending an extra £494 a year. Even without a rise in oil prices, they said the drop in value of the pound could lead to a £137-a-year rise.
Mr King said: ‘We don’t take a view as to whether the UK should leave the EU as that is up to the people to decide in a referendum.
‘However, even before the referendum vote, it seems that financial reports suggest leaving the European community could lead to a sharp fall in the value of the pound which in turn could hit pump prices within days.’
A spokesman for Vote Leave attacked the Goldman figures saying: ‘These are ludicrous claims based on the predictions by the same people who said the roof would fall in on the economy if we didn’t join the euro.’
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article … leave.html
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BACKDOC:  MONTHS AGO I WARNED YOU ABOUT THE POUND MAY DEVALUE AND IT HAS DONE JUST THAT BUT A BREXIT THEY SAY, MAY TAKE AN EVEN GREATER HIT!
FINDING OUR WAY TO THE NEW GLOBAL REALITY VALUE MAY BE MESSY!
WITH ASSET BACKED CURRENCIES WAITING IN THE WINGS, WILL THEY RUN THIS MOTOR TILL SHE BLOWS? MMMMM
Thunderhawk:  Bracing for ‘Brexit’: Traders Get Defensive on British Pound
As U.K. weighs leaving EU, cost soars for options that protect investors from a big move in the pound
Demand is spiking for contracts that protect investors from a big move in the British pound this summer—an indication that traders are girding for the aftermath of a referendum on the U.K.’s membership in the European Union.
While wider markets have yet to show a clear reaction to the possibility of a U.K. exit, analysts increasingly talk of its potential as a political risk that could affect a host of assets, from gold to British exporters and high-end London real estate.
The cost of options on the pound, by one measure, has in recent days hit its most extreme level since Europe’s sovereign-debt crisis. Implied volatility on six-month euro-sterling options jumped to just over 12% on Thursday, its highest level since late 2011. That is up from a recent low of 8.4% in mid-December, according to Thomson Reuters data.
Investors are mainly using these options to hedge against a fall by the pound. The relative cost of buying protection against a falling pound, as opposed to the currency rising, is at its highest level since the global financial crisis of 2008, according to Hamish Pepper, a currency strategist at Barclays.
The move comes as U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron seeks to clinch a final deal resetting his country’s relationship with the EU. An agreement this week would pave the way for a vote on Britain’s EU membership in late June, U.K. government officials have said.
“Irrespective of the twists and turns of the debate, uncertainty over the outcome is likely to weigh on U.K. markets for a good few months yet,” said Mike Amey, head of sterling portfolios at Pacific Investment Management Co.
Investors piled into currency options ahead of Scotland’s referendum on its membership of the U.K. in 2014. That referendum hit sterling and caused a wobble in the shares of companies based in Scotland, such as insurer Standard Life PLC. In the end, Scottish voters elected to stay in the U.K., and the pound and stocks bounced back.
‘You’re not seeing a lot of pressure in markets other than on the currency.’
Polls indicate the British population is divided over EU membership. Most investors say the U.K. is likely to stay in the EU, but acknowledge that nervousness over the vote is likely to weigh on markets in coming months.
Pimco puts the chance of a British exit as high as 40%, based on neither option taking a decisive lead in opinion polls.
Uncertainty over whether the U.K. will vote to leave—a move sometimes referred to as a “Brexit”—already has contributed to a slide in the pound this year against other major currencies.
The pound was up 0.5% on the day against the euro in late New York trading Thursday, but it remains down 4.9% against the single currency so far this year.
“Uncertainty is the word that seems to encapsulate everything with respect to Brexit,” said Charlie Diebel, head of rates at Aviva Investors. “You’re not seeing a lot of pressure in markets other than on the currency.”
That is mainly because it isn’t obvious how other asset classes will react following a referendum, investors say. For instance, some investors think an “out” vote would actually benefit U.K. government bonds as the Bank of England would be unlikely to raise interest rates in the near future. Higher interest rates drive up government-bond yields, which rise as prices fall.
For the moment, selling the pound remains the simplest way for investors to express a negative view on the U.K. But as the countdown to the referendum begins, analysts are increasingly looking at what assets will be affected.
Topping most lists is London’s property market. London house prices are among the most expensive in the world, in part due to overseas demand and immigration, and will be susceptible to price falls if Britain leaves the EU.
Gold also may benefit as the potential for a U.K. exit adds to current political and monetary risks that can push money into the haven asset.
If Mr. Cameron fails to reach a deal, “this will definitely lead to higher gold demand,” said Daniel Briesemann, a commodities analyst at Commerzbank AG.
In equity markets, U.K. companies with significant European activities also could be hit if access to Britain’s biggest trading partner is affected.
For markets, though, it’s not the divorce that matters, said Pimco’s Mr. Amey. It’s the nastiness of the breakup. The aftereffects of “a confrontational separation where the two sides act as if in an unpleasant divorce” could be long-lasting, he said.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/currency-tr … 1455809711
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Thunderhawk:   ALERT – ALERT – ALERT   JUST FOUND ANOTHER HUGE BURGER   EAT THIS!!!!
BACKDOC:  AND NOW FOR THE CHERRY ON TOP OF YOUR BURGER THUNDER!
LETS GET DIGITAL,DIGITAL! I WANNA GET DIGITAL, LETS GET INTO DIGITAL! HEE HEE
TPP IS ALL ABOUT CONTROL AND SPREADING THE WEALTH AROUND THE GLOBE!
DOC    IMO
US trade chief discusses TPP, unveils report on digital economy
Globalization has lifted more than one billion people out of extreme poverty, but as inequality and barriers to trade remain worldwide, improved trade standards are needed and the Trans-Pacific Partnership promises to be a primary conduit of those standards, America’s top trade official told a Stanford audience on Tuesday.
Ambassador Michael Froman, the U.S. Trade Representative, spoke of the merits of the multilateral trade agreement, known as the ‘TPP,’ in a speech given at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI).
The TPP seeks to liberalize trade and investment between 12 Pacific Rim countries. Signed earlier this month, the document now faces the path to ratification through its members.
“In today’s rapidly globalizing world, the alternative to the TPP is not the status quo,” Froman told nearly one hundred affiliates and guests at the Bechtel Conference Center.
Froman cited efforts by various countries to build up alternative frameworks that promote free trade, but said they miss some components of stability and longevity that the TPP offers. For example, China’s ‘one belt, one road’ initiative and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, a negotiation between 16 Asian countries.
The TPP would serve as an important benchmark for countries seeking to expand economic gains from trade and to level up on common “rules of the road.” He said increase in exports to the United States alone is estimated at $350 billion a year.
“Smart trade agreements like the TPP are how we shape globalization the right way,” Froman said with a call for continued U.S. leadership on the matter.
President Obama has been a strong advocate of the agreement, in line with the administration’s ‘rebalance to Asia’ strategy. The rebalance is a regional strategy that aims to recognize the growing importance of the Asia-Pacific region to U.S. national interests.
Successful passage of the TPP will reassure allies in the region of American staying power, he said.
Countries outside of the TPP have begun to express interest in becoming a party to the agreement. South Korea, Taiwan, the Philippines and Indonesia are among them. Application to join the TPP is now closed, but we can “expect over time” that its membership would grow, he said.
At a 2013 conference, FSI scholars examined the potential impact on Taiwan should it seek membership. Outcomes from the conference are published in this report.
Froman said the TPP supports “commerce without borders” among key sectors in the United States, in particular, those found in and around Silicon Valley.
“No state stands to benefit more from the TPP than California,” he said.
Froman announced the release of a report that details TPP provisions focused exclusively on technology and intellectual property.
The event was hosted by the U.S.-Asia Security Initiative in association with FSI, the Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center and the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research. The Initiative aims to facilitate constructive interaction between academic and governmental experts on security challenges facing the Asia-Pacific region.
http://aparc.fsi.stanford.edu/news/us-t … al-economy
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BACKDOC:  IT SEEMS THAT THE US MAY BE THE ONLY PRODUCER THAT HAS SIGNIFICANT RIG COUNT DROPS!   HOPEFULLY THEY WILL FIGURE IT OUT QUICKLY!   DOC   IMO
PappaJ:  DOC, LOOKS TO ME THAT THE OVER SUPPLY OF OIL IS INTENTIONAL TO BUILD NARRATIVE ON THE SECRETIVE TPP PRICE LINE !
THERE MAY BE RIG COUNT DROPS CAUSE FRACKING IS EXPENSIVE 55.00 PLUS PER BARREL, SOOO IRAN AND IRAQ CAN GET SWEET CRUDE FOR UNDER 10.00 PER BARREL==== NEW MATH!!!!!
BTW DOC THERE ARE LOTS OF WELLS THAT HAVE JUST SIMPLY BEEN CAPPED— US CAN GET TO IT QUICKLY IF THINGS GET STUPIDER IN THE ME. PJ
Thunderhawk:  Backdoc Alert
Oil prices fall on oversupply concerns after US crude stocks hit record
Oil futures fell in Asian trade on Friday as a record build in U.S. crude stocks stoked concerns about global oversupply, outweighing moves by oil producers including Saudi Arabia and Russia to cap oil output.
U.S. crude inventories rose by 2.1 million barrels last week, to a peak of 504.1 million barrels, the third week of record highs in the past month, data from the U.S. government’s Energy Information Administration (EIA) showed on Thursday.
That came as Iraq’s oil minister Adel Abdul Mahdi said on Thursday that talks would continue between OPEC and non-OPEC members to find ways to restore “normal” oil prices following a meeting on Wednesday.
“The market is expecting continuing inventory builds,” said Tony Nunan, oil risk manager at Japan’s Mitsubishi Corp in Tokyo.
“Key to any deal (to cap production) is Iran. But Iran has been clear, saying it wants to get back to its pre-sanctions (production) level,” Nunan added.
“Everything is pointing to the end of this year (before there is an agreement) when Iran gets to 4 million barrels per day. By that time the pain will be so great everybody will come to the table (to agree output caps),” Nunan said.
A combination of increased global oil demand of between 1-2 million barrels per day, production cutbacks by non-OPEC members and the deal by producers to cap output could lead oil prices to climb to around $40 a barrel by year-end, Nunan said.
Brent futures had fallen 38 cents to $33.90 a barrel as of 0359 GMT, after ending the previous session down 22 cents.
U.S. crude had slipped 32 cents to $30.45 a barrel, after settling up 11 cents the session before.
The fall in oil prices hit Asian shares which slipped from near three-week highs on Friday. MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan fell more than 0.8 percent, but gains in previous sessions left it up 4 percent for the week.
Oil prices rose more than 14 percent in the three days to Thursday after Saudi Arabia and Russia, supported by other producers including Venezuela and Iraq, moved to freeze oil output at January’s levels. Iran endorsed the plan without commitment on Wednesday,
If approved, it would be the first such deal in 15 years between the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and non-OPEC members.
Moves to curb output growth come as Saudi Arabia’s crude oil exports fell by more than 200,000 barrels per day (bpd) to almost 7.49 million bpd in December compared with the previous month, official data showed on Thursday.
“The agreement has value in restricting major producers from adding incremental barrels to a saturated marketplace. However, it does little to correct the existing imbalance between global crude supply and demand,” said BMI Research in a note on Friday.
China’s crude oil and liquids production is set to decrease at an average rate of 1.8 percent over the next two years as sustained weakness in oil prices prompt the country’s largest producers to reduce upstream spending and disengage from high-production, BMI said in a separate note on Friday.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-globa … SKCN0VS00Z
PAPPA-J’s two cents worth!!!
FAMILY THERE ARE DEFINITE REASONS THAT DOC, THUNDER AND I HAVE GONE TO WORK LOOKING BEYOND IRAQ!
1. FRANK AND TEAMS BREAK IT DOWN AND SPOON FEED YOU WEEKLY CONCERNING IRAQ===THERE IS NOTHING NOTEWORTHY TO HELP YOU THAT WE CAN ADD FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF ANALYSIS !
WHY DO YOU THINK F26 DOESN’T WANT TO TALK TO YOU WHEN THERE IS NO POSTING =====CAUSE IT IS THE ONLY WAY THERE IS FOR THEM TO GAUGE YOUR INVESTMENT IN THE PROCESS =====
THERE IS ALWAYS A TIME FOR THE CHILD TO LEARN TO EAT FOR THEMSELVES FROM BEING ON MILK TO SOLID FOOD===== IF YOU DO NOT TRANSITION YOU ARE GOING TO WAIST THE GIFT THAT FATHER IS PRESENTING YOU WITH=====
REREAD THE PARABLE OF THE TALENTS!!!!!! SEE WHAT OUR FATHER EXPECTS OF YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2. WHY DO THE——- THREE MUSKETEERS——- DO WHAT WE DO ? DOC JUST TOLD YOU IN A POST HERE IT IS!!!!!
” WE HAVE A SERIOUS ADVANTAGE KNOWING WE ARE IN A TRANSITION TO THE NEW REALITY! TO THINK WE KNOW HOW THIS ALL PLAYS OUT WOULD BE FOOLISH FOR SURE.
WHAT WE KNOW IS THAT EVERYTHING IS IN ITS TRANSITION TO DIGITAL! I’M SO THANKFUL FOR MY KTFA FAMILY TO SHARE THE PROCESS WITH! TRULY WHAT WE ARE PART OF IS A BIGGER GLOBAL PICTURE!
WITHOUT THE DINAR FOR FINANCIAL HOPE I WOULD BE VERY DISMAYED!
INSTEAD I FEEL A PEACE I CAN’T EXPLAIN! I HOPE WE CAN ALL JUST LAY OUR STRESS DOWN AND FOLLOW THE PROCESS TO THE END! THANKS FRANK ,DELTA, WALKINGSTICK,AND ITEAM FOR CREATING THE OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO GROW UP TOGETHER IN THIS GLOBAL ADVENTURE!”
SO YOU SEE WE WORK IN A SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIP!!!
THE FOCUS FOR ALL THESE YEARS HAS BEEN ON IRAQ WHILE THE WHOLE TIME OTHER THINGS ARE OCCURRING, FAMILY IT IS NOT JUST ABOUT THE REVALUE OF A FEW CURRENCIES
IT IS ABOUT TIGHTENING CONTROL OVER POWER AND MONEY WORLD WIDE AS FAR AS I AM CONCERNED RIGHT NOW ALL OF THE MEADED OUT ACTIONS THAT WE ARE SEEING IN IRAQ RIGHT NOW ARE THE SQUIRREL !!!!!!!!!!!!!
LOOKIE , LOOKIE AT IRAQ WHILE WE DO ALL OF THIS OTHER STUFF THAT WE DON’T WANT YOU TO SEE === TO PARAPHRASE THE CHURCH LADY ===ISN’T THAT SPECIAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
DOC IS CORRECT IMO THAT WE HAVE A SERIOUS ADVANTAGE IN UNDERSTANDING THE RAMIFICATIONS OF THE NEW GLOBAL REALITY—— PROOF IS IN THE PUDDING
,IF YOU GO BACK OVER THE LAST 6 MONTHS OR SO AND LOOK AT THE THINGS YOU HAVE BEEN TOLD IN DOC’S POSTS YOU WILL YOU THE THINGS THAT YOU WERE TOLD ARE NOW JUST SHOWING UP IN THE MEDIA—
IN OTHER WORDS THERE ARE PATTERNS THAT ARE USED THAT FOLLOW LOGICAL ACTION SEQUENCES ====== DIG IN STUDY THEM !!!
F26 HAS BEEN LEADING YOU DOWN THIS PATH TO GROW AND TO MATURE ,JUST AS THE MUSKETEERS ARE DOING WITH THIS OTHER GLOBAL INFO !!
REMEMBER WHAT HILLARY SAID ABOUT INVESTMENT IN IRAQ— THERE WAS A TIME FRAME SHE SAID IF YOU WAIT PAST THIS TIME IT WILL BE TO LATE TO INVEST IN IRAQ—–
SAME APPLIES WITH THE OTHER GLOBAL INFO—
IF YOU DON’T TAKE IT SERIOUSLY NOW TO UNDERSTAND IT=== 6 MONTHS PAST THE RV WILL PUT YOU WAY BEHIND THE CURVE AND 2 YEARS WILL  PUT YOU OUT OF THE GAME
TO CREATE YOUR OWN POSITION OF STRENGTH YOU WILL SUPPORTING OTHERS POSITIONS FOR CRUMBS!!!!   IMO
Pappa-J