DINNER PARTY INTEL: Why the US needs Canada and Mexico

1. Break for a bakkie

A day after announcing tariffs on Canada and Mexico, US President Donald Trump exempted carmakers in the two countries. One reason for the reprieve may be a Chev bakkie. The Financial Times analysed how tariffs could drive up the price of the Chev Silverado, the US’s most popular pickup, which relies on a complex supply chain in which Mexico and Canada, between them, produce 50% of the parts to build it.

2. Putting a sock in it

Players in the United Rugby Championship were recently seen wearing a variety of socks. The reason was that the series of matches that ended on March 1 was the “origin round”, celebrating the schools and clubs that provided the foundations for the players. The competition, which features South African teams the Stormers, Bulls, Sharks and Lions, consists of 700 players drawn from 550 clubs across 17 countries.

3. ‘Titanic’ hits land

The world’s largest iceberg eventually ran aground near the island of South Georgia in the South Atlantic Ocean last week. It did no damage and even the penguins, believed to have been in danger, are safe. The iceberg, known as A23a, is about 337,000ha in size — four times bigger than New York City. The iceberg that sank the Titanic in 1912 was only about 400m long. A23a broke off from a bigger iceberg in Antarctica in 1986.