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Gold/Mining/Energy : Big Dog's Boom Boom Room -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: KyrosL who wrote (93461)	11/13/2007 7:47:29 AM
From: carranza2	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 206093

Agree that there has been a reduction in the trade deficit ex energy. Given a sluggish economy and the currency devaluation, I would expect the trade surplus to continue to narrow somewhat from current figures. Absent conservation measures, I would nonetheless expect monthly deficits to run in the $50 billion range if the price of oil remains more or less mired in the 80-90 range, which is probable. As is the case in most market swings, I think the upward valuation of some currencies, particularly the Euro, has been excessive. Absent solid fundamentals, they have probably gotten ahead of themselves. Here's a question for you. Assuming the monthly trade deficit figures remain more or less at the $50 bn range, has the slide in the dollar stalled? Does the fact that it is probable that US banks will be unable to export instruments such as CDOs make a difference? Will the Chinese actually go forward with their intention to move away from the dollar if its slide has stopped and that of the Euro has begun? In other words, will Goldilocks return if we get back to trade deficit figures in the $30 bn per month range? Can Goldilocks survive in the midst of the popping of the housing bubble and all that carries with it?

To: KyrosL who wrote (93461)	11/13/2007 7:59:21 AM
From: elmatador	Respond to of 206093

"if we adopt stringent conservation measures as well as European style gasoline we will be able to cut our gasoline consumption by half" I'm tempting to say that if the ethanol tariff is cut it will cheapen the energy import bill, but I will refrain from doing that.

To: KyrosL who wrote (93461)	11/13/2007 11:08:26 AM
From: Cogito Ergo Sum	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 206093

KyrosL, This is a bit dated (2005) ... but taxes are not lower since except for the GST down to 5% from 7% petro-canada.ca In 2005, taxes in Canada represented on average 35% of the pump price versus 20% in the U.S. % from the website info. I wonder how much taxing would be needed. We are pretty close to your per capita figures up here despite 75% higher taxes. blackie EDIT: 1.01 per litre in my neighbourhood today.

To: KyrosL who wrote (93461)	11/13/2007 7:26:42 PM
From: 8bits	Read Replies (4) \| Respond to of 206093

For example, our gasoline per capita consumption is six times that in Europe. I think if we adopt stringent conservation measures as well as European style gasoline taxes, we will be able to cut our gasoline consumption by half (still three times more per capita than Europe). On average US consumption is 2.2 times higher per capita than Western Europe. However some of the Eastern European countries such as Romania and Serbia are in the ballpark of a 6 to 1 ratio. (The figures for Eastern Europe are from 4 years ago.. I suspect they have moved higher since then, as they have become more prosperous..) nationmaster.com