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Mexico Imports to U.S.A. 2015 In Billions
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Vehicles 21.5B (2016) Intersting statistic. 53B less than 2015? Huh?
Vehicles 74B (2015)
Electrical Machinery 63B
Machinery 49B
Mineral fuels 14B (are we importing coal?)
Optical/Medical Instruments 12B
Fresh Vegetables 4.8B
Wine and Beer 2.7B
Snack Foods 1.7B
Processed fruits & vegetables 1.48B
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Assuming these statistics are accurate, (I Googled U.S. Trade Debt With Mexico) how is it that we are not important to Mexico's economy? NAFTA is gone, right, (under review actually) so we can begin taxing imports from Mexico. Why am I not hearing anything from Congress about this as a source of income to help us pay our debtorss and rebuild infrastructure? Could it be that they are arguing over what to do with so much income? Absolutely not for a wall (that is already being put up right?). Increased border security maybe, but the rest of the tariff money is up for grabs? The states are hurting, high paying jobs are fading, retirement plans took a bit hit in 2008 and in about 8 years they will start going broke - discontinue or greatly reduce payments. What about the rest of the country - not just the retirees? Will the military absorb most of it? Income from Canada and Mexico via tariffs (import taxes) and from the rest of the world should just about begin to address trade deficits between us and those we let sell to us.
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Currently, Mexicco does not tax us for selling to them, right? We buy a lot more from them than they buy from us so the only way to recoup cash is tariffs. Talk about trade wars. The implications are horrendous for the world's economies - that we support by not allowing assessments made on what the world sells here. I get taxed when I buy it. That sucks. Yes, our exporters will be hurt, but it will also rearrange priorities on what we manufacture and distribute here and in what quantities. Right? Supply and demand of goods and services and no artificial protection of obsolete, non-profitable, and inefficient U.S. industries. No more U.S. Congressional protections sounds harsh. Slowly weening business off the unhealthy tit of U.S. protectionism will be painful. Hunger is a strong motivating force.
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Still, the formulas and agreements with allies and developing countries are at risk. The UN would have kittens, but better a slow withdrawal than a collapse of the U.S. economy. Right? Wrong, tariffs could bring down the world economy, even though it sounds equitable.
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This is the price we pay for being productive and prosperous at the same time. A forced legal unbinding of the links our businesses have with foreign investment firms alone would be catastrophic. And Mexico, all it has to do is wait for another president to be in office, which may be sooner than we traditionally and historicslly believe, and renegotiate NAFTA. The Governors of the U.S. are signing on to impeach. Reps and Senators eventually will have to deal with truths that are driving down the president's approval ratings. Eventually, those numbers will begin to affect (and have already affected town hall meetings by federal electees) vote numbers for 2018. Oh my. Midterms. Will imports and exports and taxes and tariffs be at issue? Probably not. It will be did Russia tamper with 2016 elections and who collaborated? I love U.S. politics. It's really big, almost as big as our debts and our income sources. Letting go of power is always difficult and potentially devastating. Maybe the Democrats as underdogs are just too worn out to rally.
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An aside, a bit of research: from the internet: "NAFTA was negotiated 25 years ago, and while our economy and businesses have changed considerably over that period, NAFTA has not. Many chapters are outdated and do not reflect modern standards," reads a letter from U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to Congressional leadership on Thursday. "I am pleased to notify the Congress that the President intends to initiate negotiations with Canada and Mexico regarding modernization of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)."
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"The letter begins a 90-day window before beginning formal negotiations as early as August 16, 2017. (NEXT MONTH?). "The United States seeks to support higher-paying jobs in the United States and to grow the U.S. economy by improving U.S. opportunities under NAFTA," the letter reads."
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Canada may be exempt, but we are going after Mexico. Canada is in the British Commonwealth, right. Trump is opening negotiations with Great Britain for favored nation status possibly or, at least for an enhanced trade agreement? Anyone take a look at our trade agreements with the EU? Made in Great Britain may replace Made In China while we join with India and Japan to run training runs with our carrier group. And China holds our marker for billions. Hmmmm... As Henry II said to Philip in A Lion In Winter, "Frankly, Phillip, it's a tangle." I'm just sayin'.
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Stella L. Crews
07-12-17
233p
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