The US dollar is on track for its worst year in modern history

Entirely by design.

Cheaper dollar boosts US exports. Makes imports more expensive even before tarrifs. Which situationally, some industrial sectors will want. The exporting ones. The ones reliant on imports, less such.

The US isn't self sufficient in food. Food imports are going to get more expensive.

> boosts US exports

The world doesn't need that much guns and missiles. There are two major markets currently and that's all mostly.

US doesn't just make weaponry but let's roll with that. You said there are two major markets now, I assume you mean Europe, that is the most wealthy continent, and Middle East one of the most awash with cash regions in the world.

You may be tempted to assume that only active participants in wars buy weapons, but that has never been the case. And especially now, you have many countries trying to restock and prepare.

A lot of European countries are probably rethinking dependencies on the US as a supplier of weapons.

> Cheaper dollar boosts US exports

Countries may be unwilling to trade with an increasingly belligerent US that slaps everyone with tariffs. In fact, many will just slap the US with tariffs and other barriers of their own.

> Which situationally, some industrial sectors will want

No major US export sector operates exclusively as an exporter without any exposure to imports or global supply chains. Even the largest US exporting industries (oil and gas extraction, civilian aircraft and parts, and pharmaceuticals) rely in varying degrees on imported inputs, components, or capital equipment... which companies are you talking about?

Guns and missiles don't even make it into the top five U.S. export categories. The largest good exported is civilian aircraft parts, although it pales in comparison to business services exported (>$200B) and financial services (~$175B).

> The world doesn't need that much guns and missiles.

Yet they seem to be begging for them pretty hard.

> Yet they seem to be begging for them

American socia media takes care that they are all engaged, quarrelsome, and polarized.

A lot of foreign customers are rethinking their dependency on American services, too. Not out of some ideology, just hedging against whimsical policies. Just a year ago, such discussions would have been idle crackpot watercooler talk, now it's a normal boardroom subject. The shift will take time, but that's it's even on the agenda is incredible.

I was talking about oil and gas mainly. I'm unsure if US steel is competitive with any other producer, it's probably ring-fenced markets only. I hadn't thought about their exposure to imports on the production side, your point is good.

Rheinmetall shares are doing well. They're in all kinds of JV worldwide. It's not Basil Zharoff spectacular but they're healthy. The world wants the blessed Mary of the javelin, and anyone who makes NATO 155mm has a market.

People who bought the F35 have mixed views. Awesome tech. Is there a remote off switch?

British arms factories are salivating at the prospect of NATO and EU spend. The French want to ring-fence them out but almost any complex materiel is made across Europe in the wider sense. Risk management drove there, I think France will stop being silly once their factories supply books are healthy.

The US produces ~4,000 calories per person per day and consumes ~2,500.

After they think, what will they do?

Act on the urgent issue that so many bottle caps are still not attached to their bottles.

US consumers don’t go to the grocery store for “calories”.

Ironic the side that likes to joke about the lack of choice in certain foreign supermarkets is going to create those conditions here at home.

Buy weapons systems developed in Europe?

Switching to a diet mainly made up of maize and grain might not be that appealing to most US consumers though