Comments on: Finally, a President with the Guts to Enforce Trade Laws http://blog.usw.org/2009/09/13/finally-a-president-with-the-guts-to-enforce-trade-laws/ USW Fighting Globally For Workers' Dignity Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:09:19 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Eric Lotke: The G-20 Summit: Lessons from Pittsburgh | The Latest Liberal Blogs http://blog.usw.org/2009/09/13/finally-a-president-with-the-guts-to-enforce-trade-laws/comment-page-1/#comment-170 Eric Lotke: The G-20 Summit: Lessons from Pittsburgh | The Latest Liberal Blogs Mon, 21 Sep 2009 21:58:08 +0000 http://blog.usw.org/?p=990#comment-170 [...] decision to apply tariffs to remedy the “market disruption” of tires from China is a first step in this new [...] [...] decision to apply tariffs to remedy the “market disruption” of tires from China is a first step in this new [...]

]]> By: Eric Lotke: The G-20 Summit: Lessons from Pittsburgh | Obama Biden White House http://blog.usw.org/2009/09/13/finally-a-president-with-the-guts-to-enforce-trade-laws/comment-page-1/#comment-169 Eric Lotke: The G-20 Summit: Lessons from Pittsburgh | Obama Biden White House Mon, 21 Sep 2009 21:55:01 +0000 http://blog.usw.org/?p=990#comment-169 [...] decision to apply tariffs to remedy the “market disruption” of tires from China is a first step in this new [...] [...] decision to apply tariffs to remedy the “market disruption” of tires from China is a first step in this new [...]

]]> By: Eric Lotke: The G-20 Summit: Lessons from Pittsburgh | TipTe.com http://blog.usw.org/2009/09/13/finally-a-president-with-the-guts-to-enforce-trade-laws/comment-page-1/#comment-168 Eric Lotke: The G-20 Summit: Lessons from Pittsburgh | TipTe.com Mon, 21 Sep 2009 21:03:05 +0000 http://blog.usw.org/?p=990#comment-168 [...] decision to apply tariffs to remedy the “market disruption” of tires from China is a first step in this new [...] [...] decision to apply tariffs to remedy the “market disruption” of tires from China is a first step in this new [...]

]]> By: Glen http://blog.usw.org/2009/09/13/finally-a-president-with-the-guts-to-enforce-trade-laws/comment-page-1/#comment-166 Glen Sun, 20 Sep 2009 16:57:36 +0000 http://blog.usw.org/?p=990#comment-166 Here is an opportunity for the USW to call out the bullshit on "Free Trade" with mercantilist. Lets cut the crap. First off the the notion that American manufacturing is dying is patently false. It is not dying, unilateral free trade is killing it. Look at China's response the the tire tariff. China is worried about the potential loss of 100,000 jobs because of this decision. The USW in its complaint mentioned that the US has already suffered the loss of 5,100 jobs with another 3,000 slated to be lost. So 8,100 American workers can equal the production capacity of 100,000 Chinese. China's competitive advantage, is not just 'cheap labor'. Look at the production of fasteners, A commodity (wire) goes in one end of a machine and a finished product comes out the other. If one is to except the myth that we are engaged in 'Free Trade; then how come Chinese fasteners (nails and screws) can be priced 40% less than those made in the US, Europe or Canada? What gives, what can explain such a large discrepancy in prices? The answer lies is that China has engaged many different ways in which to ensure an advantage. Peter Navarro has detailed this in his "China Price Report". Though it needs updating to account for other practises like export controls (see Coking coal and rare earth minerals). http://www.peternavarro.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/chinapricereport.pdf By the same token that American Manufacturing cannot compete with China, neither can American doctors, lawyers, dentist, professors, engineers, etc. The only difference is that most of them are protected from competition. Here is an opportunity for the USW to call out the bullshit on “Free Trade” with mercantilist.

Lets cut the crap. First off the the notion that American manufacturing is dying is patently false. It is not dying, unilateral free trade is killing it. Look at China’s response the the tire tariff. China is worried about the potential loss of 100,000 jobs because of this decision. The USW in its complaint mentioned that the US has already suffered the loss of 5,100 jobs with another 3,000 slated to be lost. So 8,100 American workers can equal the production capacity of 100,000 Chinese.

China’s competitive advantage, is not just ‘cheap labor’. Look at the production of fasteners, A commodity (wire) goes in one end of a machine and a finished product comes out the other. If one is to except the myth that we are engaged in ‘Free Trade; then how come Chinese fasteners (nails and screws) can be priced 40% less than those made in the US, Europe or Canada? What gives, what can explain such a large discrepancy in prices?

The answer lies is that China has engaged many different ways in which to ensure an advantage. Peter Navarro has detailed this in his “China Price Report”. Though it needs updating to account for other practises like export controls (see Coking coal and rare earth minerals).

http://www.peternavarro.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/chinapricereport.pdf

By the same token that American Manufacturing cannot compete with China, neither can American doctors, lawyers, dentist, professors, engineers, etc. The only difference is that most of them are protected from competition.

]]> By: beach http://blog.usw.org/2009/09/13/finally-a-president-with-the-guts-to-enforce-trade-laws/comment-page-1/#comment-164 beach Thu, 17 Sep 2009 15:19:23 +0000 http://blog.usw.org/?p=990#comment-164 The USW turned it's back on new members in certain job categories. The USW turned it’s back on new members in certain job categories.

]]> By: beach http://blog.usw.org/2009/09/13/finally-a-president-with-the-guts-to-enforce-trade-laws/comment-page-1/#comment-163 beach Thu, 17 Sep 2009 15:16:22 +0000 http://blog.usw.org/?p=990#comment-163 We need good representation, not leadership using scare tactics on it's members. We need good representation, not leadership using scare tactics on it’s members.

]]> By: Cheryl DeCero http://blog.usw.org/2009/09/13/finally-a-president-with-the-guts-to-enforce-trade-laws/comment-page-1/#comment-160 Cheryl DeCero Mon, 14 Sep 2009 23:45:49 +0000 http://blog.usw.org/?p=990#comment-160 Yes, FINALLY!!!! A President with enough guts to enforce existing trade laws. How refreshing when you consider the ITC had recommended sanctions under "Section 421" not once, but actually FOUR times during a previous administration only to have their recommendations fall on selectively deaf ears. All the while Rome was burning in towns like Tyler, Texas, and elsewhere as tire manufacturing exited the U.S. to set-up shop overseas. Thousands of jobs were lost, leaving working families in limbo and their communities in crisis. This do-nothing approach ended last Friday when Barack Obama became the first president to execute sanctions under "Section 421." President Obama sent a strong, powerful message to the American workforce as well as our trading partners abroad by decisively taking prompt, direct action to bring relief to what remains of tire manufacturing in the U.S. Thank you Mr. President and also to Mr. Leo Gerard of the United Steelworkers for bringing this case forward. Special thanks to Congressman Pete Visclosky, and to all members of the Congressional Steel Caucus, of which he chairs. Through solidarity we've just taken another step forward towards rebuilding our U.S. manufacturing base. Yes, FINALLY!!!! A President with enough guts to enforce existing trade laws. How refreshing when you consider the ITC had recommended sanctions under “Section 421″ not once, but actually FOUR times during a previous administration only to have their recommendations fall on selectively deaf ears. All the while Rome was burning in towns like Tyler, Texas, and elsewhere as tire manufacturing exited the U.S. to set-up shop overseas. Thousands of jobs were lost, leaving working families in limbo and their communities in crisis. This do-nothing approach ended last Friday when Barack Obama became the first president to execute sanctions under “Section 421.” President Obama sent a strong, powerful message to the American workforce as well as our trading partners abroad by decisively taking prompt, direct action to bring relief to what remains of tire manufacturing in the U.S. Thank you Mr. President and also to Mr. Leo Gerard of the United Steelworkers for bringing this case forward. Special thanks to Congressman Pete Visclosky, and to all members of the Congressional Steel Caucus, of which he chairs. Through solidarity we’ve just taken another step forward towards rebuilding our U.S. manufacturing base.

]]> By: Manufacture This » Blog Archive » A President who enforces trade laws http://blog.usw.org/2009/09/13/finally-a-president-with-the-guts-to-enforce-trade-laws/comment-page-1/#comment-159 Manufacture This » Blog Archive » A President who enforces trade laws Mon, 14 Sep 2009 17:00:42 +0000 http://blog.usw.org/?p=990#comment-159 [...] International President Leo Gerard sums up President Obama’s decision on Friday to impose a safeguard remedy on surging Chinese tire imports this way: Barack Obama proved [...] [...] International President Leo Gerard sums up President Obama’s decision on Friday to impose a safeguard remedy on surging Chinese tire imports this way: Barack Obama proved [...]

]]> By: gspencer http://blog.usw.org/2009/09/13/finally-a-president-with-the-guts-to-enforce-trade-laws/comment-page-1/#comment-158 gspencer Mon, 14 Sep 2009 14:34:48 +0000 http://blog.usw.org/?p=990#comment-158 Dear President Gerard: This is a good first step! Hooray for Obama! How about refrigerators, washing machines, clothing, TV's, electronics, tires, auto parts, machine tools, hand tools, power tools, appliances, and etc. How about passing laws to prohibit the export of service jobs such as accounting, telemarketing, customer service, computer aided drafting, engineering, etc. that are now provided by workers overseas through the internet. Please look into all of the jobs that have been exported from the USA to foreign nations over the last 20 years. Dear President Gerard:

This is a good first step!

Hooray for Obama!

How about refrigerators, washing machines, clothing, TV’s, electronics, tires, auto parts, machine tools, hand tools, power tools, appliances, and etc.

How about passing laws to prohibit the export of service jobs such as accounting, telemarketing, customer service, computer aided drafting, engineering, etc. that are now provided by workers overseas through the internet.

Please look into all of the jobs that have been exported from the USA to foreign nations over the last 20 years.

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