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Comparison of tariffs and the proposed Import Certificate policy for USA's global trade.

I'm Supposn

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Comparison of tariffs and the proposed Import Certificate policy for USA's global trade.

Among credible economists, (including those proponents of nothing other than “pure” free trade), few if any of them contend annual trade deficits are of net benefit to their nation's or (unless such a nation was also enjoying effectively “full-employment”), their annual negative net balance of international trade had not been of some net detriment to their numbers of jobs.

Tariffs do, and the proposed Income Certificate, (IC) policy would increase prices paid by USA purchasers of foreign goods. They are in effect a tax upon their own nation's purchasers of those goods subject to those tariffs But there's critical differences between the two foreign trade policies. An insufficient tariff rate cannot achieve its purpose. Rates able to otherwise effectively achieve their governments' purposes may, and to often are of drastic rates which in aggregate, can be of net detriment to their nation's economy.

IC will always achieve it's primary purpose to almost, (and likely entirely) prevent USA from experiencing an annual trade deficits of goods. Lesser increases of prices for imports are of no hindrance to IC's primary purpose. It would require drastic rates of tariffs to possibly eliminate USA's chronic annual trade deficits; and such an attempt would very likely fail.

Refer to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Import_certificates . Respectfully, Supposn
 

Good topic!

While trade deficits do negatively impact GDP on paper, the demand gap problem, as well as the jobs problem, is taken care of by deficit spending. It fills the gap and replaces the jobs, allowing the economy to grow, even with the negative (X-M) component.

What I would argue is that, overall, it is better to have exports = 8 and imports = 10 than it would be to have balanced 5+5 trade. (All made up numbers, of course, but I don't see the effective taxation having no effect. i.e., I wouldn't predict a 9+9 or 8+8 result from ICs.) Exports are greater, which is obviously a good thing (more jobs), but greater imports also means more jobs. More retail jobs, more transportation jobs - and more cheap goods. And with more, cheaper inputs, along with more aggregate demand, I would think that the greater import/export commerce would also boost domestic consumption and investment numbers.
 



JohnfromCleveland, thanks for your interest of this topic. I regret my late response to your post. We agree that a nation's annual surplus rather than deficitbalance of trade is economically preferable.​

As I posted, among all credible economists, (including those who are opposed to anything less than effectively pure free trade), there are few (if any) contending annual trade deficits our net beneficial to their nation, and/or would deny that it's to some extent detrimental to their nation's rate of employment.​

GDP accounts for their nation's entire spending. The economic differences between imported or domestic produced goods reflect who were paid to produce and deliver those goods to the USA. USA's chronic annual trade deficits do not net increase jobs in theUSA. Importing goods do not change the GDP, but it is foreign rather than USA enterprises and individuals that make earn those additional dollars. This is not similar to New England producers being displaced by Southern producers, In those cases, the production remained in the USA.​

What those opposed to what they'd consider to be any unnecessary increaseof imported goods prices are contending. due to the ratio of USA's chronic annual trade balances comparative to annual GDP being small, it's of little net consequences. This is analogous to contending wealthy persons can afford to light their cigars with $100, or $1,000 bills. In all of those cases, although it's an affordable practice, it's net detrimental to their practioners financial condition. I'm among the proponents of an Import Certificate, (IC) policy as described in Wikipedia's Import Certificates" article, because we believe USA's annual trade deficits understate their actual social, strategic, and economic detriment to the nation.​

Refer to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Import_certificates . Respectfully, Supposn​

I don't understand why I'm unable to post this entirely in regular, rather than bold characters?​

 
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