Come Together to Inspire, Interact, Influence, and Impact.

x
Notifications
Log Out? Are you sure you want to log out?
Log Out
IWN Staff
June 1, 2023 - 2 minutes
facebook linkedin twitter telegram telegram

In 60 Seconds: Trade And Tariffs

*PDF Download: In 60 Seconds – Trade and Tariffs

Free trade is the world’s great engine of wealth creation, vital to U.S. prosperity. Trade generates jobs, lifts living standards, and encourages innovation.

Here’s the issue of trade and tariffs in 60 seconds:

What’s at Stake:

Free trade is the world’s great engine of wealth creation, vital to U.S. prosperity. Trade:

  • generates jobs
  • lifts living standards and
  • encourages innovation.

In a perfect world, there would be no tariffs on any side. But there are threats today to our national security that in some cases merit tariffs.

Bad Solutions:

  • Entirely free trade, with no concern for predatory tyrannies such as China, or terror-sponsoring states, such as Iran, taking advantage of our open system to threaten and subvert us.
  • Protectionism, or tariffs solely for the sake of economically “protecting” U.S. producers. These come at the expense of American consumers, who usually end up paying higher prices. That amounts to a net loss for the U.S. economy and lower standards of living.

We must distinguish between trade restrictions that genuinely protect U.S. national security and those that merely protect special interests.

A Better Path Forward:

At its best, free trade with friendly nations provides a foundation not only for prosperity but also for peace.

But we must take into account the predatory behavior of anti-democratic tyrannies, in which state-directed economic behavior undermines the U.S. and our allies. Most prominently, China has taken advantage of U.S. openness, and world markets generally, to:

  • steal intellectual property,
  • strong-arm American companies into the transfer of trade secrets
  • engage in state-directed investments abroad with military dimensions (such as ports in strategic locations), or high propaganda value (such as money for U.S. universities and other centers of influence), in ways increasingly dangerous to America and our allies.

America should not abandon its basic commitment to free trade. We should continue to champion free trade in practice, wherever and however it does not endanger our national security. This is a complex but critical balance.

Addressing Concerns: 

IWN Staff
Back to Resource Center

More from IWN Staff

Resource Center Leading Lady | Sami Keddington, IWN Chapter Leader

Leading Ladies, an Independent Women’s Network initiative, showcases and honors women who…

IWN Staff May 12, 2025
Chapter Spotlight Leading Lady | Tera Myers, IWN Chapter Leader

Leading Ladies is a monthly initiative by Independent Women’s Network where we…

IWN Staff April 7, 2025
Resource Center In 60 Seconds: Artificial Intelligence

From health care and energy to education and financial services, artificial intelligence(AI)…

IWN Staff March 18, 2025
Chapter Spotlight Leading Lady | Megan Burke, IWN Chapter Leader

Leading Ladies, an Independent Women’s Network initiative, showcases and honors women who…

IWN Staff March 10, 2025
Resource Center In 60 Seconds: Permitting Reform

With increased electricity demand and the need for reliable domestic energy and…

IWN Staff March 5, 2025

Related Posts by IWN

How To Talk About: Education Freedom

Education freedom policies allow education funding to follow students to the option…

IWN Staff January 27, 2025
How to Talk About: Education Freedom

EDUCATION FREEDOM *PDF Download Funds students, not systems. Unfortunately, school districts and…

IWN Staff January 27, 2025
In 60 Seconds: Education Freedom

*In 60 Seconds: Education Freedom What is Education Freedom? Education freedom funds…

IWN Staff January 27, 2025
How to Talk About: TEACHERS UNIONS

Five Key Points About Teachers Unions *PDF Download Unions seek power. Unions…

IWN Staff September 30, 2024
In 60 Seconds: Why Crime Statistics Can Be Misleading

Crime statistics delivered to the public don’t always align with the reality…

Paula Fitzsimmons August 8, 2024