Candidates should focus on fair trade

The candidates seeking the Republican nomination have been telling how they plan to balance the federal budget. None of those candidates will ever be able to balance the budget as long as we have lopsided trade agreements with other nations.

With the present trade agreements we have with some countries, neither a Republican-controlled Congress or a Democratic-controlled Congress will ever be able to balance the budget.

What we need is fair trade, not free trade. Countries that put tariffs on our goods, treat workers like slaves, who have lax environmental standards or any unfair advantage need to have their products taxed that come into the United States. Countries that manipulated their currency also need to have their goods taxed if they come into the United States. The tax will either provide the federal government with needed revenue or more of the goods will be produced in this country.

Foreign trade is very important to our economy, but what we need is fair trade, not free trade.

Paul Adams

Stanwood