Anybody here have any free trade issues they would like to share?

I have noticed, as a manufacturer, that many products I can purchase
from China and other countries I can not build here for a similar price.
In fact I find that I can not get the raw materials here for less than
the price of the finished goods when purchased from overseas.

Our worldwide standing in engineering is falling as a result of the
elimination of manufacturing jobs. This stems from free trade and
monetary issues.

The currency is kept strong for the sake of wall street and foreign
investors. Inflation is kept in check, a currency issue again.

The stability of the United States makes us a desirable trade partner.
The predictability of the monetary system makes us an easy target in
international trade and yet a stable monetary system is necessary.

With all of that allowing unfettered access to our markets is a crushing
blow to the country's future capability. When you take away the ability
to manufacture by decimating the manufacturing sector with free trade,
you also destroy innovation.

Service economy anyone?

Phil, do you know what the first rule of business is?

Our manufacturing base was one of the main reasons we won WWII.
Just a thought.

I give up, what is the first rule of business. Buy cheap sell high?

Tariff's,

Globalization has made it impossible for American Co. to compete.
American workers require a higher rate of pay, because the cost of
living is high. Never fear, eventually Globalization will force a
balance. For people to rise, we must ( Americans) fall until the scales
are balanced. If, and they should raise the tariffs to balance out he
scales for American Companies to compete, because foreign Co's. would
have to charge higher prices. American Companies could quit making cuts.
The workers could get pay raises to (at least)equal the cost of living.
American Companies, would find it just as cheap to stay in this country
and quit leaving.

Unfortunately, this Gov is run by International business, whose major
stockholders make more money, have less human rights requirements, and
cheaper labor, if the tariffs remain low. And, by Gov. I don't mean
Republicans or Democrats, Both. they are all getting fat, and elected by
selling votes (theirs) to the highest bidder. The current (professional
Politicians) are killing this country. We need to balance all political
contributions across all, candidate('s) that runs for office.

Globilazation, one day it will balance out, everyone will be equal. Then
knowing human nature we, the people of the world, can ***** about big
business and politics together, as one voice to one government.

Scrambled eggs and sausage.

American Politicians need to start looking out for American workers
interest instead of their own fat wallets.






More direct and brief.
Do you have anymore biscuits?
This gravy is fantastic!!!

Spain formed a protectionist society and it was effectively left behind
by the world. It was completely isolated. You could not buy anything of
quality there. I wonder if it has improved since Franco passed and the
country has modernized.

There are real dangers of limiting free trade. Among the problems are
the restrictions on trade of your own country's goods that will be
implemented by other countries. Add to that the fact that there is a
world economy and the US is a big player. There is a lot to lose with
protectionist measures.

On the other hand China is building such a trade imbalance with the US.
Reports have been given showing that much of the imbalance is due to
some interesting monetary policy in China. So long as they are permitted
to manipulate their monetary policy to unfairly affect trade with the US
without any protectionist measures by the US, the trade imbalance will
increase.

Our country is motivated to maintain free trade. but people with the
knowledge and wisdom to know what is happening with the economy and what
to do about it are not in positions of influence with the government and
the people in positions of influence have no knowledge of the technical
issues. Furthermore they have no time to learn about them, being
constantly steered into this corner or that by the media.

Large companies who have some personal advantage in free trade and
lobbyists supported by foreign nationals write the treaties and bills
which later become law. The politicians hear a summary of the issues and
do not even read the bills and then make them into laws. They vote on
the bills along party lines, is it red or is it blue.

Does any body have any free trade issues they would like to share?

We are not Spain, We are the largest market in the world. A self
sufficient economy, well except oil.....
That's how manufacturing in this country helped win WWII.

Anyone else out there that wants to, realistically, talk about what
drives Free Trade, and makes it cheaper for foreign companies to do
business in America than an America company.


Hey do you have any strawberry jam?

well dontcha just KNOW i got some of that good ol fashioned home made
country gravy for them biscuits fanta. They are catheads
right?!

This is not 1941, the rest of the world has become much more
industrialized than it was 60 years ago. The market is more competitive.
We are a smaller proportion of the world manufacturing base than we were
then. And there are other very large markets as well. Many companies are
not even interested in the American market, however hard that might be
for you to believe.

The problem I see here is the elimination of the American manufacturing
capability. This occurring while we are trying to be the world's police,
which I object to. The intervention and security issues facing us have
costs. I am thinking we might have some import taxes, a small
percentage, which goes towards supporting the costs of our efforts in
actually protecting free trade around the world. Other countries are not
faced with this cost, but in selling to us they benefit from our costly
actions in this regard. In this way they contribute to the cause. At the
same time it gives the smallest margin increase in imported goods and
lets the Americans have a slightly better shot in competing in our own
markets.

Incidentally, I am not saying this for my own manufacturing advantage.
It would disadvantage me as I will likely put s substantial amount of
money in Chinese manufacturing this month. I would like to purchase from
my neighbors instead, but then my customers would not buy my products
because of cost. You have to have a margin in your sales prices. Without
it you are not in business. The lower your costs you the easier it is
for you to maintain prices without giving up market share.

Did I hit the first rule of business by accident yet?

It is not just labor that costs more here. Materials and components cost
less in other countries as well.

i am not so sure about the margin of errors relating to costs of
resources....but the mere fact that the labor force that produces the
goods for your profit...are miserably underpaid

with no benefits and often paid by the piece, restrictions are easily
over looked and many work long overtime in unheated or ventilated
buildings with housing and food provided in their contract, which if
broken by the employer, they have no possibility to take recourse on.
these housing facilities or dorms are overcrowded and when any virus
comes, it sweeps thru the whole pop., they are shared in a rotation and
shifts share beds....reforms are being made but it will be a long time

these houses compete for bids and will undercut the pay of their staff
in order to remain in good standing with a strong client like nike...

or even a consistent private entrepreneur. And i personallyknow a few
that are capitalizing on this gap in the accountability of the fair
trade market and exploiting because they still can ...

bringing them commerce? introducing them into the global economy??

or feeding them the infection of capitalism which has been the root of
so much travesty, and greed....isn't this the very thing we want to
morally weed out/tame from our social and political fields?


i am prolly rambling huh.


there's just so many bugs in the whole thing ...i don't trust it and i
am worried that if it works the beautiful cultural contrasts will fade
and we will all westernize and become as homogenized as the milk at
your dairy.

i see it happening already , especially with media..that's how it's done
you see ...the programming....we have so many american tv shows we never
had before , that now a small market has opened up to celebrate
Valentine's Day which is unheard of here, as well as halloween...but
every year it becomes more and more promoted by the media and is
insideously creeping into Dutch communities in the cities. develope a
market...but at what cost?

Yes Bl8ant I am "feeding them the infection of capitalism which has been
the root of so much travesty, and greed." On the other hand I am giving
them money and that lets them purchase things which improve their lives,
including in some cases food, which while a luxury might also be a
necessity. By doing so I contribute to the stability of their society,
because after all, starving people riot and throw out the rulers or kill
them (witness the French Revolution).

I would like to support my own country a little more with this
"feeding them the infection of capitalism which has been the root of so
much travesty, and greed" but of course I can't afford to support my own
neighbors in this.

i don't know what you do philosopher, hopefully the people you hire to
manufacture for you don't suffer these conditions.

Do you personally know if they do?

i wasn't meaning my post as a personal attack...just a point of
view

interesting

the mighty gov supporting slave camp style labor practises

imagine that

and slavery is supposed to by unlawful

interesting

Deregulation or Protectionism?Protectionism is often referred to as
being a barrier to free trade. The word seems to conjure up negative
images of isolationism and subsidizing industries that could otherwise
not compete fairly against others. (This can help indicate why some
industries would strongly support protectionism for themselves.)
Complete deregulation allows corporations to benefit but at the possible
expense of people in that nation or region if that deregulation means
relaxation of environmental rules, health and educational services
including control of natural resources and energy. (This hints at the
powerful lure that the "freeing" of trade and liberalization of access
to resources from regulation has to some proponents.) Neither seems to
answer the notion of fairness, though. Often those nations that promote
free trade for all, want protectionism for themselves.

http://www.globalissues.org/TradeRelated/FreeTrade.asp

The WTO and Free TradeThe World Trade Organization, (WTO), is the
primary international body to help promote free trade, by drawing up the
rules of international trade. However, it has been mired in controversy
and seen to be hijacked by rich country interests, thus worsening the
lot of the poor, and inviting protest and intense criticism.

Pretty much says what I and someone else said dont it??

Hey bl8ant

I'm not getting a lot of response on this post. It makes me think that
either people are undecided about the matter or unconcerned. I think
more likely it is indecision. I think free trade affects all of us and
most people are concerned.

I am still undecided about the merits of limiting free trade. But I
think it is something that should be looked at more carefully.

United states imports in 2005 were more than 2,000,000,000,000.00
How do you like that number 2 trillion. A ten percent tax on that would
be 200 Billion dollars and it would look very nice in the treasury.

Anybody interested in balancing the budget?

Philospher writes:

" I'm not getting a lot of response on this post. It makes me think that
either people are undecided about the matter or unconcerned. I think
more likely it is indecision. I think free trade affects all of us and
most people are concerned."

It's not so much that I don't care or don't know, it's more a matter of
these kinds of discussion's tendency to turn nasty. Getting called a
'commie pinko Dem' when one knows that both sides and political parties
don't play fair and engage in subterfuge and rent-seeking equally just
isn't my idea of a good time.

Anyone who doesn't already know about the concept of rent-seeking should
Google it and do the work on their own. Try von Neumann Games Theory and
the Prisoner's Dilemma for extra credit.

Here ends my contribution to this thread unless I see some constructive
discussion.

-Kerry O.