Economic power – currently the trade deficit between the USA and China stands at over $230 billion per year – that’s money that will one day come back to roost. Why not put our consumer dollars in the hands of democratic countries in Europe, Asia, or even in this very hemisphere? Countries that actually buy North American products (cars and so forth), and that support us when it comes to security matters (like Afghanistan, Haiti, etc). Trade equity – Related to the above. I have heard the argument that our production in North America is intellectual, not goods, so the trade deficit is a false metric of trade. While it sounds good in theory, so far, China has not shown itself to be able to enforce intellectual property rights. On a visit to Hong Kong, I remember being offered software and movies to buy before these were even released in North America. If we’re going to trade with someone, it should be a level playing-field. China has yet to make their market fair for North American products such as music, movies and software. Product Safety – I confess that this wasn’t on our minds when we started NMiC, but in recent months, we’ve all read the reports. Anti-freeze in toothpaste, poisonous pet food, lead-based paint on toys... did I mention Aquadots? China’s free-for-all simply doesn’t provide for the standards for labor environment and safety we take for granted.
Posted on: Fri, 07 Mar 2014 03:29:32 +0000