America Needs Fair Trade

USW International Vice President Tom Conway and progressive talk show host Leslie Marshall last week discussed the national defense consequences of unfair trade and potential actions the administration could take to help remedy the trade imbalance.

One such tool is Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962. Section 232 authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to conduct in-depth investigations to determine the effects of imports on national security. The president can then take action if the Commerce Department finds that America is threatened.  

“Trade has been fundamentally a broken system,” said Conway. “This 232 can be designed to take a broad look at America’s critical infrastructure and its ability to meet its national defense needs.”

National defense means more than just the military, said Conway, although the military also needs steel and aluminum, two goods that are currently under Section 232 investigations. National defense also requires having stable systems like roads and bridges, electrical grids and water distribution.

“Your national defense should include your national infrastructure and your ability to move your equipment around your country,” said Conway. To do that effectively, the administration must protect America’s capacity to make steel and aluminum.

Conway said that fixing unfair trade could even work within the traditional Republican priority of cutting taxes.

“You want to do something as far as the tax policy? Give a company a tax incentive to move back to America and to set their factory up here,” Conway said.

“There is a core group of people we believe in the White House who understand this is an important fight to carry forward, and hopefully they prevail upon this president to do the right thing,” Conway said.

To listen to the full discussion, click below.

Supplemental Material:

Trump Considers Hard Line on Chinese Steel in Advance of G20 Summit

Update on Section 232 Steel and Aluminum Investigations

Trump Planning Steel Tariffs and Maybe a Trade War, to the Horror of Most of His Cabinet

449 - Remarks Upon Signing the Trade Expansion Act

This remote factory is where Trump may finally draw the line on trade

American Companies Still Make Aluminum. In Iceland.

President Gerard's Blog, "American Workers Seek Enforcement, Not Protection"

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