I just hope that Trump does not embarrass the United States with his behavior.
I hope Trump realizes the mistakes he made during his campaign and takes those lessons with him into his new job as President.
I also hope Trump does not try to use nuclear weapons for reasons his chiefs of staff find unjustified.
I hope Trump does not try to replace everyone with "yes" men. I hope he respects those who tell it to him straight.
I do hope that Trump focuses future trade agreements on fair trade, and not free trade.
I hope he respects, and works for, all Americans.
I believe a balance has to be arrived between free and fair trade. We cannot allow our economics to be destroyed, and can still be sympathetic to less developed countrys. The Chinese particularly attempt to take disastrous advantage of our trade agreements, flooding our market with inferior products with impunity.
==================================================================Often the terms “free trade” and “fair trade” are used interchangeably. However, they mean two completely different things. “Free trade” means unrestricted, uncontrolled access to our economy, tariff- and duty-free, for goods made for $4-per-hour or less. We cannot compete with these wages so we are forced to choose between going bankrupt, outsourcing nearly all of our manufacturing or simply selling out.
The U.S. is the largest consumer market in the world. Opening our doors to “free trade” agreements has resulted in job losses, enormous trade deficits and the extinction of many valuable U.S. businesses. Our “free trade” practices are harmful and no longer beneficial, but what about fair trade? What are the benefits of fair trade over free trade?
Fair trade would be more beneficial than damaging “free trade” because “free trade” emphasizes the reduction in barriers between countries and the elimination of preferential policies that favor countries or specific industries.
“Free trade” also calls for the opening up of all international markets, regardless of a nation’s stage in development, theoretically making all nations equal economic competitors, susceptible to the same periods of prosperity and struggle. Many “free trade” supporters advocate the elimination of tariffs and subsidies, and oppose regulations that force companies to pay extra for doing business in foreign markets.
As a result, “free trade” has led to the largest transfer of wealth in the entire world. Trillions of American dollars have been lost due to the absence of tariffs, resulting in the alarming trade deficits we have today. Tariff-free imports are one of the largest downsides to “free trade.” In addition, the absence of tariffs tends to favor the country with lower wage-rates. This results in the lower wage-rate country enjoying a transfer of production benefits from the higher wage-rate country.
The Charter of Fair Trade Principles explains fair trade as:
“…a trading partnership, based on dialogue, transparency and respect, that seeks greater equity in international trade. It contributes to sustainable development by offering better trading conditions to, and securing the rights of, marginalized producers and workers. Fair Trade Organizations, backed by consumers, are engaged actively in supporting producers, awareness raising and in campaigning for changes in the rules and practice of conventional international trade.”
Fair trade differs from “free trade” because it focuses on the wages and working conditions of labor in developing markets where wages and working conditions are otherwise poor compared to their more developed counterparts. After all, it is not uncommon for corporations to outsource their operations to less developed areas where they can get away with paying their workers menial wages instead of having to pay workers more in the U.S. for the same job. This exploits workers in foreign lands while at the same time taking away jobs from the U.S.
While much attention is directed towards smaller, undeveloped nations as the victims of “free trade,” so too have our leaders allowed the U.S. to suffer under dangerous trade agreements like NAFTA, KORUS, and the WTO. Now is the time to consider “fair trade” practices, to help mend the disaster of “free trade” that has largely contributed to our economic decline.