Posted on 03/16/2009 3:54:30 PM PDT by rabscuttle385
MEXICO CITY (AFP) — Mexico on Monday said it would place tariffs on nearly 90 US products after Washington canceled a program that allowed some trucks from Mexico to operate in the United States.
There is to be an "increase in customs duty on almost 90 industrial and agricultural products," Economy Minister Gerardo Ruiz Mateos said in a statement.
Ruiz said the increase would represent some 2.4 billion dollars, but did not name the products.
. . . . .
The move drew a sharp rebuke from US Senator John McCain, who said he regretted Mexico's decision and also lashed out at US President Barack Obama and lawmakers for backing "protectionist" policies.
"I deeply regret the action taken by the Mexican government and the harm it may cause to American businesses," said McCain, who lost his bid for the presidency in 2008 to Obama.
"Unfortunately, this is a predictable reaction by the Mexican government to a policy that now puts the United States in clear violation of the North American Free Trade Agreement," he added.
"We must take steps to prevent escalation of further protectionist measures -- actions that only serve to harm American business during these tough economic times when these businesses need a worldwide marketplace to prosper."
(Excerpt) Read more at google.com ...
UPS drivers are Teamsters (that includes the long-haulers, not just the drivers of those cute little brown vans). The drivers at my steel company were Teamsters, and my company had somewhere around thirteen plants in the United States. I’d like to see some data on what proportion of them are “port drivers” (including the ones who are afraid to drive internationally).
You need to get on the same page. American drivers are afraid to pick up loads in Mexico. That means these Mexican drivers aren't even competing with the Teamsters. LOL
The effect of Smoot-Halley is way overrated in its effect. The unemployment rise a year later was cause by mostly other multitudes of bad policies. At the time of Smoot something like less than 7% of our economy was foreign trade. This cut it by about half. A 3% drop in our econmy didnt double unemployment. This is FDR propaganda.
What did we import back then? Cars? Oil? Lumber? Steel? Electronics? Crap from China? Food? Nope to any of them.
Smoot is a red herring
Keep talking. All your doing is proving you don’t know what you’re talking about. There might be a handful of contract drivers for UPS who are teamsters but it’s a tiny minority. My uncle has driven for UPS for 15 years and he’s not in a union.
That’s interesting, because when UPS Teamsters go on strike the entire friggin’ company shuts down.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned its that any time someone starts screeching smoot hawley, they either don’t know what they’re talking about or they hope the listener doesn’t.
Obviously total protectionism is really bad but a tariff here and there does not equal protectionism. Reagan did it to great effect.
Reagan is also the grandpappy of NAFTA, which has gotten the Teamsters and their fellow-travelers [pun intended] tied in knots here.
Reagan was a true free trader, not a Soros capitalist like yourself.
And you are just a “tiny” man. Teamsters are a “tiny” minority. Trade only fell a “tiny” amount. All this talk and never a single fact or figure to back it up.
Sounds like your got yourself all worked up into a lather but don’t worry, I think Zero is on your side in this one.
So your uncle never actually worked for UPS? What did he tell his wife he was doing all that time?
Truck drivers or the delivery drivers?
Heck, why stop at Mexico?
Tax all remittances 10 % going south to fund illegals using our health care system
Billions per month would go along way to help pay for it
UPS employees.
I agree. I just looked on a site that had the records from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.
” Exports were $5.9 billion in 1929, and had declined to $2.9 billion in 1933. This $3 billion decline was roughly 3.8% of our 1929 GDP, which had declined by a 46% over the same period of time. Thus, of the -46% GDP decline, only -3.8% of it was due to a fall in exports. But the gain from import reduction must also be included. (A decline in imports increases GDP). If the import decline is added back to the GDP total (to measure the net trade balance), the “loss” was only $0.2 billion from our GDP — or less than ½ of 1% of the total GDP decline.
Also, notice that the drop Smoot is blamed for, *started* AFTER the crash of 1929. So unless you argue that Smoot caused the crash,,, the argument on Smoot, seems moot!
(sorry, i couldnt resist)
In other words, the document-able “loss” from the Smoot-Hawley Tariff — the “net export” loss — was less than ½ of 1% of our our GDP decline. “
It was a huge part of Roosevelt’s campaign. Somehow, this became a pop culture thing along with “Roosevelt saved us”, with fireside chats,, and “Fear Itself”,,etc.
Agreed.
I must assume that the Teamsters are aware that hundreds of Mexican trucks have been re-registered in the United States and handle, in one case, hundreds of vegetable shipments between Rio Rico warehouses and California and the Southwest. The Dept. of Transportation apparently has no policy on this, and it is reported that the trucks are “bought” by phoney American buyers, who then sell them back to their Mexican owners.
You mean that you probably looked at some lefty blog post. Why don't you share it with us?
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