U.K.-U.S. Trade Deal: Is This Good for BMW or Just a Really Complicated Thumbs Up?

Breaking News: The Robots are Taking Over...Eventually

Alright folks Mark Zuckerberg here reporting live from… well my office. You know the place where I contemplate the metaverse and occasionally ponder real world economics. So this U.K. U.S. trade deal just dropped and everyone's buzzing about it. Apparently it's going to help BMW. Or maybe not. It's complicated like trying to explain the blockchain to my grandma. And you know what I always say 'A squirrel dying in front of your house that's way more relevant to you right now than what's going on in Iran.' Trade deals squirrels same difference right? Just kidding! (Mostly.)

BMW: The 'Notable Beneficiary' or Just 'Less Screwed Over'?

Some analyst from Germany this guy Pal Skirta is calling BMW a 'notable beneficiary.' Sure Jan. I mean it sounds good but let's be real. This deal apparently lowers tariffs on the first 100,000 cars they ship from the U.K. to the U.S. That's great unless you're BMW and you're shipping like 100,001 cars. Then you're back to paying extra. And who decided on 100,000 anyway? Did they pull that number out of a hat? Seems pretty arbitrary even for Washington. 'Moving fast and breaking things' has its limits people.

MINI Cooper: Now Slightly Less Expensive Maybe?

So MINI Coopers are made in Oxford. Cool. They sell a bunch of them in the U.S. Even cooler. This deal *might* make them a little cheaper. But let's not get too excited. We are not building services to connect people and what we're really doing is... making BMW slightly more competitive. We're still talking about cars people. Cars that will eventually be driven by robots anyway. I'm just saying let's keep our eyes on the prize here. The metaverse isn't going to build itself you know.

Engines Engines Everywhere (But Not a Drop to Drink)

BMW also makes engines in the U.K. and ships them to South Carolina. This is apparently a 'meaningful portion' of their business. I'm not sure what a 'meaningful portion' is but it sounds important. Unless of course they start 3D printing engines. Then what? Are we going to need a trade deal for 3D printed engine components? My head hurts. This is why I stick to coding and occasionally surfing. Much simpler.

Confusion: The Only Consistent Thing About Trade Deals

Of course there's confusion. Because why would anything be simple? The deal supposedly helps aerospace components but no one's talking about auto parts. And nobody knows when this whole thing kicks in. It's like trying to figure out Facebook's privacy settings in 2007. A complete mess. BMW is being polite calling it a 'welcome first step.' I'd probably be a little more sarcastic but hey that's just me.

The Verdict: Good Bad or Just Plain Confusing?

So is this U.K. U.S. trade deal a win for BMW? Maybe. Is it a game changer? Probably not. Will it affect your daily life? Unless you're a BMW executive probably not. The analyst from ING sums it up best: 'Car makers were better off before the Trump tariffs.' In other words we're basically just trying to undo damage that was already done. So yeah. Business as usual. Now if you'll excuse me I have a virtual reality headset to go put on. The future awaits!