High trade deficits
should be a signal to national governments to impose tariffs in imported goods
to increase national production on items consumed by its citizens. This gives
industries within these countries to expand local production and jobs. When
trade balances between nations are achieved, tariffs can be lowered.
Imposing tariffs on
imports often results in countries imposing tariffs on US exports. Negotiations aimed at reducing tariffs
assumes that tariffs are reciprocal and will result in exports. This is not always the case.
Some countries will
not import certain goods and will maintain tariffs to protect certain
industries. France protects their wine industry. Some countries don’t import US
goods, because their consumers prefer their own goods. Asian countries prefer Asian automobiles.
Currently, US consumers also prefer Asian automobiles, but if they are made in
the USA, they are not subject to US tariffs.
The US is in the
process of using Tariffs to restore the US economy and middle-class jobs.
The quickest way to
increase jobs is to impose high tariffs. Industries will move to the US and
expand US production to avoid the tariffs.
See Tariff History in US below.
Tariff in United States history – Wikipedia - The tariff
history of the United States spans from 1789 to present.
The first tariff law passed by the U.S. Congress, acting under the then-recently ratified Constitution, was the Tariff of 1789. Its purpose was to generate
revenue for the federal government (to run the government and
to pay the interest on its debt), and also to act as a protective barrier around newly starting
domestic industries. An Import tax set by tariff rates was
collected by treasury agents before goods could be unloaded at U.S. ports.
Tariffs have historically served
a key role in the nation's foreign trade policy and as a source of federal
income. Tariffs were the greatest (approaching 95% at times) source of federal
revenue until the Federal income tax began after 1913. For well over a century the
federal government was largely financed by tariffs averaging about 20% on
foreign imports.
Tariffs are now employed, among
other cases, in the present trade war with China.
Tariffs were the main source of
all Federal revenue from 1790 to 1914.
Responding to an
urgent need for revenue and a trade imbalance with England that was fast
destroying the infant American industries and draining the nation of its
currency, the First United States Congress passed,
and President George Washington signed,
the Hamilton Tariff of 1789, which
authorized the collection of duties on imported goods.
Tariffs soon
became a major political issue as the Whigs (1832–1852) and
(after 1854) the Republicans wanted to
protect their mostly northern industries and constituents by voting for higher
tariffs and the Southern Democrats, which had very
little industry but imported many goods voted for lower tariffs. Customs duties as
set by tariff rates up to 1860 were usually about 80–95% of all federal
revenue.
At the end of the American Civil
War in 1865
about 63% of Federal income was generated by the excise taxes, which exceeded
the 25.4% generated by tariffs.
In 1915 during World War I
tariffs generated only 30.1% of revenues. Since 1935 tariff income has
continued to be a declining percentage of Federal tax income.
Norb Leahy, Dunwoody
GA Tea Party Leader
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