Say no to protectionism

“If one of Trump’s goals was to increase manufacturing jobs, he has done so: In China, ” according to the Wall Street Journal, even though Chinese exports to the U.S. in November dropped 29% from a year earlier. But Chinese exports to other places have increased: Asia plus14%; EU plus 8%; Latin America plus 7%: Africa plus 25%.---creating a historic trillion dollar trade surplus for the world’s second largest economy.

Declaring tariffs on most of the world’s other major economies has been counterproductive in fostering alliances that could otherwise have countered China’s economic powerhouse. The president’s other goal of creating manufacturing jobs in the U.S. has not been effective with a loss of 58,000 jobs from April to September, Newsweek reported. My support for free-trading still stands. Protectionism is wrought with twists and turns that are too complex to easily brush off.

David Sherwood

Cedar Rapids