Trump right to finally address the world’s largest trade deficits
Many pundits, members of the media, and politicians have been quick to criticize President Trump’s approach to achieving a fair playing field in trade with other nations.
The critics are unhappy with the threat of tariffs and other actions that upset our “allies.”
The United States has the world’s largest trade deficits and it’s been that way since 1975. Former Presidents Bush, Clinton, and Obama understood increasing trade deficits could not be sustained and pledged to seriously address the issue, but nothing substantial occurred.
Trump, in his 2016 campaign for president, vowed to correct the country’s unfair trade agreements. He is now proceeding as promised.
The U.S. Census Bureau reported the following trade deficits with “allies” in 2017: Mexico, $71 billion; Germany, $65 billion; Canada, $17 billion; France, $15 billion.
We are now on track for another year of U.S. trade imbalance. Leaders of countries with trade surpluses pout and push back at attempts to negotiate agreements fair to all. The negotiations, to date, have been largely unsuccessful in achieving the desired results.
I support our president taking the measures necessary to ensure our trading partners know we are very serious in reversing our longtime trade deficits.
Robert Green
Hilton Head Island
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