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US trade gap narrows as exports rise
Financial Times (FT.com) ^ | 10. November 2004 | Christopher Swann

Posted on 11/12/2004 6:39:20 AM PST by 1rudeboy

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1 posted on 11/12/2004 6:39:20 AM PST by 1rudeboy
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To: 1rudeboy
Hold on, hold on. Exports are up?

I thought the whole world hated us and refused to do business with us...at least, that is what John sKerry and the LameStream Media kept insinuating during Campaign 2004...

Can someone clear this up for me?

2 posted on 11/12/2004 6:44:28 AM PST by SoFloFreeper
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To: 1rudeboy

Does the falling dollar help to increase our exports and reduce our imports? I don't see that mentioned in the article.


3 posted on 11/12/2004 6:46:22 AM PST by bankwalker (Katie's legs are the reason God created the mute button.)
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To: 1rudeboy
We need tariffs!!! Those numbers are still too high. I also don't particularly like seeing inexpensive goods that flow in from Mexico and China. We need more stuff that's made in America and consumed in America. Did you know that this is this first president in 70+ years to be net jobs loser? We've become a nation of Wal*Mart greeters and burger flippers while Haliburton robs us of our tax dollars.
4 posted on 11/12/2004 6:46:55 AM PST by LowCountryJoe (Maybe the Democrats should work on getting their own "miserable failure" elected to office.)
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To: 1rudeboy
It's certainly a move in the right direction for the trade deficit, and I hope this presages a continuing decrease in the trade deficit.

I haven't had time to look at any details, but it would be very good news if the details also show good growth in some of the harder hit areas.

5 posted on 11/12/2004 6:47:23 AM PST by snowsislander
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To: SoFloFreeper
Gladly . . . we don't build nothing, nowhere, no how. The increase in exports is simply the U.S. shipping its factories to China. Don't you know that Karl Marx favored free trade? The only way to stop this slow death is by creating a Ministry of Production and the immediately implementing an industrial policy, with tariffs, quotas, subsidies, and wage-supports.

If we did so right away, then the turn-around would occur during the second or third Five Year Plan.

6 posted on 11/12/2004 6:50:06 AM PST by 1rudeboy
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To: bankwalker

Theoretically, a falling dollar raises exports and reduces imports.


7 posted on 11/12/2004 6:51:27 AM PST by 1rudeboy
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To: 1rudeboy; All

Don't forget to force Americans to buy only $500 union made DVD's and a $90,000 union made car.. That is the best solution to protect the American factory..


8 posted on 11/12/2004 6:52:15 AM PST by KevinDavis (Let the meek inherit the Earth, the rest of us will explore the stars!)
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To: KevinDavis

No doubt. Raise the minimum factory salary to $120K/year, and watch our economy take-off. Shoot for the moon, I say.


9 posted on 11/12/2004 6:53:52 AM PST by 1rudeboy
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To: 1rudeboy; All
Also we can't allow new technologies to be formed.. That would render some factories obsolete and may have to layoff some people.
10 posted on 11/12/2004 6:57:38 AM PST by KevinDavis (Let the meek inherit the Earth, the rest of us will explore the stars!)
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To: KevinDavis
Yes, you've nailed it. We need a well defined market place - America only. I am well prepared to man my sewing machine, blast furnace, chain saw, conveyor belt, or telephone & data base generated call sheet in order to make this happen. Just pay me my "living wage" and give me my benefits that are owed to me...or I'll bing suit!
11 posted on 11/12/2004 7:00:27 AM PST by LowCountryJoe (Maybe the Democrats should work on getting their own "miserable failure" elected to office.)
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To: bankwalker

A lower U.S. dollar makes your exports more competitive price-wise with Canada and the E.U. This is good for the U.S. manufacturing sector, likely will result in job creation.

Another good trade-off is that imported cars will be more expensive than before, resulting in growth among domestics (GM, Ford).

On the flip-side, it will be more expensive for Americans to travel abroad. There's always trade-offs when it comes to changes in the value of the dollar. Some good, some bad.


12 posted on 11/12/2004 7:02:20 AM PST by balk (Martin's goin' down (just you wait!))
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To: KevinDavis
Damn straight. Once again, you hit the nail on its head. The robot is not our friend, he'll steal your livelihood.

Make sure that you do your part by voting for politicians that protect you own economic interests...no matter their character.

13 posted on 11/12/2004 7:04:35 AM PST by LowCountryJoe (Maybe the Democrats should work on getting their own "miserable failure" elected to office.)
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To: balk

A decline in real purchasing power is also one of the trade-offs.


14 posted on 11/12/2004 7:06:59 AM PST by LowCountryJoe (Maybe the Democrats should work on getting their own "miserable failure" elected to office.)
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To: 1rudeboy

The dollar is finally not under the pressure it has been for all those years, The Euro, a self made monster is helping take off the pressure which for years was hurting our economy by pricing us off the markets. With a higher per capita productivity, lower fixed costs in electricity, logistics, fuel and so on, we have been highly competitive all along, but when we had 3.56 Deutsche Mark to $1 we were being crushed by our own currency.

Now even Russia is buying Euros (mixed with dollars) for its reserve and many Ba’athists fleeing Iraq were caught with guess what? Euros. Most used currency (For trade) in the Balkans? Euros.

For years some conspiracy theorists were coming up with ever crazier ideas of how the US had an unfair advantage because of the dollar and the fact that most trade in strategic resources is conducted with this currency. In reality, our trade was being hampered by our own currency. We ended up with a currency with had a high volume of counterfeiting and regulatory issues because foreign governments would buy money or sell it causing major monetary shifts which affected our economy.

I truly believe that a lot of the devaluation of our dollar is caused by the advent of the Euro. I think in the long run this will make us MORE competitive on the world scene. Games like intentional devaluation of currency as the Italians commonly practiced with the Lira will be difficult if not impossible with the Euro. The Euro zone will have similar issues as the dollar while taking off pressure of the dollar. Only they are not as competitive and will have a harder time dealing with the pressure in the long run. In the end, US products will end up cheaper while Euro zone products will be more expensive. Imports will sink, while exports rise. But these are long term developments. In the short term businesses will suck up the costs in the hope of this trend changing. Eventually they will be forced to cave in. This will also bring MORE business into the US since our competitive advantage is now noticeable and can be taken advantage of. So Mercedes will build MLs in Mississippi and import them to Germany to sell. BMW will build Z3s to import to Germany to sell. As a manufacturing base we become more cost effective as well.

The Euro is a great thing. Hats off, I like it.

Red6


15 posted on 11/12/2004 7:18:04 AM PST by Red6
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To: balk
Another good trade-off is that imported cars will be more expensive than before, resulting in growth among domestics (GM, Ford).

Don't forget to include BMW, Toyota, and Honda in the "domestic" column. We need to stop the scourge of insourcing ASAP!

16 posted on 11/12/2004 7:22:15 AM PST by 1rudeboy
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To: LowCountryJoe; All
Also we need to pass a law forbidding layoffs. We can't have that. Jobs are guaranteed for life..
17 posted on 11/12/2004 7:22:43 AM PST by KevinDavis (Let the meek inherit the Earth, the rest of us will explore the stars!)
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To: 1rudeboy; All

Don't forget about Hyundai..


18 posted on 11/12/2004 7:23:16 AM PST by KevinDavis (Let the meek inherit the Earth, the rest of us will explore the stars!)
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To: SoFloFreeper

But...Dan Rather said it isn't so!


19 posted on 11/12/2004 7:37:12 AM PST by RockinRight (I think, therefore I am a conservative.)
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To: Red6

We do tend to benefit from the stupidity of Europeans.


20 posted on 11/12/2004 7:39:03 AM PST by RockinRight (I think, therefore I am a conservative.)
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