Jeb Hensarling writes in The Wall Street Journal that the GOP needs to embrace free trade.
- Tariffs and protectionist trade measures imposed during the Trump administration have hurt working class families and farmers, while doing little to slow down China.
- Free trade has transformed the American economy, accelerated innovation, and raised global living standards.
- Global free trade has also played a pivotal role in achieving environmental objectives by allowing countries to import and export clean technologies.
- Embracing free trade is a win for American consumers, manufacturers, and the global environment.
“The reality is that tariffs harm most manufacturing jobs. Roughly 60% of all goods imported are intermediary goods or materials used for domestic manufacturing, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Many pipeline-manufacturing companies import specialty casings for oil and gas projects. How ironic for any Republican to call for an ‘all of the above’ energy policy yet support making hydrocarbons more difficult and expensive to produce through protectionism.”
Read the full article here.
The views and opinions expressed are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of C3.
