U.S., China locked in trade disputes

[alp227]

Source: Ariana Eunjung Cha, The Washington Post

BEIJING -- Trade disputes between Beijing and Washington over exports of tires, chickens, steel, nylon, autos, paper and salt are multiplying and further damaging the already tense relationship between the two economic powers.

The Obama administration says it only aims to protect the country's rights, but the Chinese counter that the United States started the whole thing by launching an unprovoked attack.

The current tensions began in September, when the United States imposed a staggering 35 percent import fee on tires from China.

Economically speaking, the tariff was minor; it only applied to a couple of billion dollars in annual imports, less than 1 percent of the total annual trade volume between the two countries. But it infuriated the Chinese, who felt it was a political concession to U.S. labor unions rather than a legitimate punishment for something they did wrong.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/03/AR2010010301961_pf.html

[David__77]

1. If the US wants China to lower its barriers, the US should too.

Specifically, the US is very protectionist with its agriculture. Were it not, Chinese food imports to the US would increase greatly.

[OnceUponTimeOnTheNet]

2. I would prefer to not eat lead based food from China.

[Suji to Seoul]

9. I live in China. I don't ear lead based food.

[Po_d Mainiac]

16. U musta missed these stories :grr:

Zhou Jian's two-year-old daughter developed stones in her left kidney after drinking milk made with melamine-contaminated milk powder.

Toxic Chinese Drywall, America’s ‘Silent Hurricane’

California-based Mattel, Inc. will pay $2.3 million for knowingly importing lead-tainted toys.

Hydrolyzed leather protein was found in dairy products produced by the Morning Garden dairy company.

About 70 people were poisoned by clenbuterol after eating pig’s offal.

China Dairy Boss Pleads Guilty in Melamine Case

Melamine-Contaminated Cookies on Shelves in New York

EU Curbs Dangerous Goods from China

Inspectors in China Find Tons of Melamine-Tainted Animal Feed

Investigators from the United States and China are still trying to determine how the contaminated wheat gluten got into pet food.

:puke:

[OllieLotte]

10. I wouldn't want to put anything in my mouth that came from China.

They don't care what happens to me.

[FreakinDJ]

4. China's 20% tarrif to USA's 2% tarrif is 1 Hell of a Barrier

Add to that the 25% VAT they charge on all the products being manufactured in China and you can fund 1 Hell of an Oppressive Military

Just ask Tibet







defend that......

[notesdev]

7. When they trade on the same terms, fine

until then - as long as they produce with the equivalent of slave labor, zero pollution controls, currency manipulation, espionage, IP piracy, quality control not suitable for cattle feed going into products meant for human use, and so on - they can go stuff themselves. Bring on the trade war, one thing this country will not suffer for is lack of Chinese made crap.

[FreakinDJ]

12. What ever your smoking you need to share

[fasttense]

3. Good, protectionism and anti-"free" trade is GOOD for workers everywhere.

Since the founding of our country, tariffs and protectionism have been used to ensure strong commerce in the US. The Boston Tea Party was a fight against a monopoly (the East India Tea Company) and a battle to protect American growers and importers of tea.

Protectionism can ensure no products made by slaves, children and prisoners in China and other countries are sold here in the US. If protectionism had been used we might not have had lead laced children's toys, poison pet food and other tainted foods.

"Free" trade is a myth. There has never been a country that prospered that fully implemented "free" trade. Even a marginal application of "free" trade is very dangerous to a country's economy. Look at the last 10 years, in which "free" trade advocates implemented their dangerous ideas through the Republicon party. Not one single job has been created in the US in the last 10 years thanks to "free" trade.

"Free" trade is an economic religion that even Adam Smith would denounce as destructive. The only group to profit from "free" trade are large multinational corporations.

[alp227]

11. "The Boston Tea Party was a fight against a monopoly" so where are the tea party protesters?

Those damn teabaggers a re so detached from reality that they're too busy hating on Obama than opening their eyes to those working Americans they supposedly love. Oh, I've heard that the modern Tea Party movement is way different from that Boston Tea Party that they supposedly want to revive.

[Lasher]

5. Excellent!

In 2008 our imports from China totaled $337.8B while our exports to them were only $71.5B. The US/China trade deficit has grown worse every year since 2001.

There's something wrong with this picture. Bring on the trade war.

[blue97keet]

14. Our trade deficit finances credit default swaps and no doc loans

what would we do without those critical commodities?:sarcasm:

[FreakinDJ]

6. Gee - I wonder why........

[Lasher]

8. The last time we had a trade surplus was Q3 in 1980.

Now let's see, what went wrong in 1981?

[HughMoran]

13. Cuck Fhina

I'm sick and tired of their cheating us, then whining when we complain about it.

[silverhandorder]

15. Trade War equals US bankruptcy.

Trade war with China is the worst thing that can happen to us. We are in a recession, we have to foot a trillion dollar bill for troops abroad and lastly we rely on them lending us money to run the government while we are at war.

Either we have to withdraw immediately (I want that very much) or we are going to have to realize it is not in our best interest to have a trade war with China.

[bossy22]

18. china would be just as much a loser as we would be

they are an export dependent economy and they rely on us (there largest importer) to help sustain them

[bossy22]

19. all the tarrifs are just leveling the playing field

i love it when china whines about this stuff. Remember, they depress their currency in the range of 25-35% compared to the dollar so its like puttinga 35-35% tarrif on every US made good

[pscot]

20. Golly. You mean we might have to give up

some of our global military pretensions? That would be a crying shame.

[Joanne98]

17. Fuck China!