“That’s a recipe for off-shoring. Raise the import tariffs enough to offset the effects of minimum wage and taxes. Eliminate the incentives to off-shore.”
As a signatory to the GATT our government cannot raise tariffs. If we do, we’ll be taken to a foreign court. If we lose than it gives our trading partners carte blanche to put tariffs on whatever they wish. The companies thus losing business will squeal and force the government to eliminate the tariffs. That’s why Bush cancelled the tariff on steel. It’s embarrassing and humiliating for our government as we’ve signed away our sovereignty. This, by the way, is probably how the UN small arms treaty would be enforced. Moe’s gun shop sold a gun traced to a murder in Wales. They sue and we lose. Then, if the country doesn’t prevent gun sales to the public our trading partners will get to put tariffs on everything we make. Democrats will shrug their shoulders and say, “hey, this isn’t us doing it.” For globalists this is a win no matter what.
We export less than half the $ value that we import.
So I don’t really care if exporters scream.
But we do need to get out of the GATT if it prevents us from raising tariffs. Or we need to put in provisions that allow us to raise tariffs if our unemployment is high.