From: Charles Doup
Columbus
Tariffs are penalties one government places on another when that government wishes to punish the offending government for unfair trade practices. Tariffs can also be used when a government is trying adjust the buying habits of industries located within the country for which the government is responsible. Example:If a company uses steel in the process of making their product and they are importing that steel from outside the country, a tariff is placed on imported steel with the goal to encourage the purchasing company to purchase the steel from a company located within the country.
After World War ll, many countries were in ruins. America knew that it would be to the benefit of the world and America if America used its wealth and industries to rebuild the ruined countries. America has pursued this goal and with amazing success. Some of the methods used have encouraged our industries to close their factories in America and move them to countries who needed them to rebuild their economies. This practice has been used for almost 70 years. During this time America has maintained the world’s largest economy which now purchases goods from those rebuilt countries.
Trade practices used by those countries have cost American jobs, which damages the most successful economy the world has ever known.
Our current president believes that these practices must change, and he is using tariffs to effect these changes. His stated goal is to remove tariffs from all trading thus placing all countries on a level playing field. This new policy comes at a cost. Locally, our farmers are feeling the pinch in lower soybean prices. However, this will be temporary as new markets are opening up to take up the slack. The locally owned engine company will no doubt have to deal with temporary increased material costs until American steel mills can increase production.
America has done its part to revitalize the world economy. It is now time to rebuild the industries that saved the world from destruction.
At the recent business panel at Columbus Learning Center, the speakers stated that the shortage of labor was a reason that continued growth local, state, and national economy might be impaired.
Each of the speakers did not support the presidents use of tariffs. One speaker told the writer that he felt to president was”playing chicken” with China. Each speaker spent some time on the collective subject of a labor shortage, while offering no useful reasons for this shortage.
Perhaps the state sanctioned abortion of the unborn and the failure of our government to enact workable immigration laws are contributing to the labor shortage.
