U.S. Furniture Makers to Seek Protection From China Imports

Wall Street Journal ^ | 7/15/03 | Dan Morse

[Texas_Dawg]

A group of American makers of wood bedroom furniture is preparing to seek protection from the U.S. government to stem a surge of imports from China that the companies say has ravaged their industry.

John Bassett, president and chief executive of Vaughan-Bassett Furniture Co., Galax, Va., and a spokesman for the group of 14 furniture makers, said the American Furniture Manufacturers Committee for Legal Trade intends to file an antidumping petition this fall with the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. International Trade Commission.

[Protagoras]

Like what the U.S. did to the Japs before WWII?

That's one of em, the whole century was awash with protectionism. Which incidentally, turned a business recession and excess correction into a worldwide depression. Thanks Mr. Smoot and Mr. Hawley for throwing gasoline on the fire.

[EagleMamaMT]

Well, Dawg, it's been fun. Gotta go to work so I can pay taxes to support some of my fellow American workers you're busy displacing.

[harpseal]

Hilary is for Free Trade with China. she is the antithesis of pro American but there will be many who will buy her rhetoric because they are desperate. You see I am emplyed and realize these things need to be in place. You are for Free Trade please tell em when we have nations with which we trade freely. The EU is out due to their subnsidies of Airbus. China due to its artificial pegging of the Yuan is out. Japan still has many non-tariff barriers. Canada I will accept and maybe even Mexico. Neither of these partners are doing famously at present either witness the number of Mexicans still coming North illegally.

[maui_hawaii]

You are beating the union drum as though its the only reason to limit imports from China. Tarriffs could equate to a whole lot of things, depending on specifics.

You are taking a simpleton view of things.

In balance the people who lose money on imports from China are AMERICANS. There are some people who profit from importing from China, but far and wide it is not a positive for America.

You think you pay less for goods made in China. Depending on what it is, maybe, but mostly, no. That basic premise that you believe in is not true. $150 pair of Nikes are made in China for $2.

Importing from China has very little direct impact on prices of pretty much anything in America.

You think business is the game of the noble. Probably 95% of the "savings" from importing from China are not passed on to you in pricing.

[LanPB01]

Don't forget to pick up your copy of "Stupid White Men" on the way home, and to register at DU so you can engage in further discussions on how the rich elite in America are striving to keep the working man down. Power to the people, right, comrade?

[harpseal]

LOL, one of the things I do is teach history. Buh bye.

No history teacher ever would have denied the relevance of protective tariffs in American History as you have done. Either you are lying or I pity your poror students who havce an ignorant teacher.

[Texas_Dawg]

No kidding. Ain't populism wonderful?

[maui_hawaii]

What experience do you have trading? None I would presume.

I have done it professionally. In China. With America.

Do you know what the tarriff schedule is for most products made in China, but sold in America?

[harpseal]

Free trade is the Clinton and Democrat position not a Republican position. The Republican position is that dumping of products in the USA from any nation should be met with tariffs. See the steel industry and GWB's position on the dumping of steel in the USA.

[EagleMamaMT]

I seem to have read a good bit of name-calling and screeching in your posts, too, sir. Call me a liberal if you like. I've only voted the straight Republican ticket for about the last 20 years. In EVERY election, too. Local, state and national. I personally couldn't care less what some two-bit "free traitor" calls me because I hold all of you in such low esteem!

It's been real fun. I've gotta go now so I can make enough money to pay the higher taxes you "free traitors" are busy creating with your short-sighted raping of American industry.

[LanPB01]

I don't agree with Bush on the issue of the steel industry. I follow the thinking of Milton Friedman in "Free to Choose."

[Studebaker Hawk]

FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS

No man is an Iland,
intire of it selfe,
everyman is a peece of the Continent,
a part of the maine;
if a Clod bee washed away by the Sea,
Europe is the lesse,
as well as if a Promontorie were,
as well as if a Mannor of thy friends or of thine owne were;
any mans death diminishes me,
because I am involved in Mankinde;
And therefore never send to
know for whom the bell tolls;
It tolls for thee...

JOHN DONNE John Donne (1571-1631)

[jpsb]

Well that certainly explains alot. I'm pretty sure Texas_Dawg is a commie troll, but now I know why you are incapable of inteligent debate or critical thinking, you are a public school teacher! I know you've got be teaching history at a public school since you know absolutely nothing about it.

My grand mother used to call folks that could read words and write words but were not able to understand what was written as educated beyond their inteligence. You are lucky not to have met her.

Serveral posters have gone to great lengths and presented excellent arguments as to why "free trade" ain't what we got. But like the folks my grandma talked about all you can do is read the words without any understanding of thier meaning.

[harpseal]

You repeat Milton friedman's thesis that Smoot Hawley threw gas on the fire of the great depression. Given that the Depression started among the losers in WWI and spread world wide it is very reasonable to question Friedman's analysis. There also is a body of work that refutes Friedman and I would point out that his analysis of naval construction in the 1890's is very flawed. He focused only on the failures not the sucesses. While his thesis was the US Navy was not very an effective fighting force in the 1890's due to flawed sahip construction caused by the tariffs protecting US shipyards the performance in the Spanish American war belies that.

Now the common Market of Europe may be used as an argument for Free Trade but a detailed study of the history shows that Italy was the poor relation for most of its early years.

[twigs]

Thank you very much for the link. That's a good start!

[maui_hawaii]

Uhhh... yeah. Because of the tariffs, genius.

Uhhh...read this and I'll talk to you this evening.

[harpseal]

I have read Friedman and i found him flawed due to a number of historical inaccuracies. In his earlier work on the American Armaments industry he states there were no significant American innovations in either small arms or Naval warfare prior to World War I (post Civil war). This is just plain false Americvan armaments innovation includes teh Holland submarine, The Maxim Gun, and numerous other innovations including The straight pull Lee Metford rifle.

[maui_hawaii]

Do you believe in the Chinese motto, "cheat to compete"?

[Texas_Dawg]

Great poem. And you know what happens if I lose my job to outsourcing? I'll go do something else. (But I sure as heck won't be asking other Americans via the federal government to insure me from losing my current job.)

[Texas_Dawg]

JPSB, where you from in Texas?