Tariffs

A Tariff is a tax on an import.  NAFTA removed Tariffs at the behest of our global companies. They wanted the federal government to abandon Tariffs.  They sold it as “free trade”.  If NAFTA had not been passed, many manufacturing operations would have remained in the U.S.  Most countries have Tariffs on manufacturing, particularly when it relates to defense.  The domestic production of steel, airplanes, weapons, ships and trucks allowed the U.S. to ramp up defense manufacturing to win World War II.  It is equally important to be able to mine our own minerals within our borders.

The federal government operated without an income tax before 1913, because it had Tariff revenues to pay for its operations.

“Free Trade” was a scam perpetrated on US citizens by “bought and paid for” elected officials and funded by global companies.  Each new trade agreement further kills off the possible return of the Tariffs.  Citizens lose those jobs forever and countries can be caught short if they don’t have the capacity to produce the weapons they need to defend themselves. 

We need to get out of NAFTA and WTO and not enter into TPP or any further trade agreements.  Then we should lower our corporate income tax to something more competitive than 25%, the highest corporate tax rate on the planet.  Our elected officials are not on our side.

Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader