Is Romney for free trade?

[Saigon]

Because I haven't heard yet that he will remove the subsidies the US uses to prop up its farming sector and protect it from international competition.

It always baffles me that American Presidents tour from both major parties the world talking about free trade and open markets - while handing out checks to US farmers so that they don't go bankrupt.

One stat - 14% of the value of US cotton is paid for by tax payers. In other words, US cotton is 14% "cheaper" than its true market value, because you pay the farmers to produce it.

The EU does this too, so it's not only the US, btw.

 

[waltky]

Granny says it don't seem dem free trade agreements is doin' us a whole lotta good...

US trade deficit widens in January
7 March 2013 - Imports to the US rose while exports from the US fell

The gap between the value of imports to the US and exports from the US widened in January. The trade deficit grew to $44.45bn (£29.53bn) in January from December's figure of $38.14bn, the Commerce Department said. There was better news on unemployment, with a fall in the number of initial claims for unemployment benefits. The Labor Department said the number of initial claims for state benefits fell 7,000 to 340,000. The figure had been expected to rise.

The initial claims news will not affect the week's most important economic news, which is Friday's non-farm payrolls figure for February, because the weekly claims figures are for the beginning of March. Much of the rise in imports came from a 12% increase in imports of oil. The trade deficit for the whole of 2012 was revised down slightly to $539.5bn, which was 3.6% below the level from 2011.

Analysts said that the trade figures would cut the country's economic growth in the first three months of 2013. "The sharp deterioration in trade shaves a bit from the outlook for growth in the first quarter," said Diane Swonk, chief economist at Mesirow Financial in Chicago. "There are signs that domestic demand is firming, which would provide a major offset to weakness abroad."

BBC News - US trade deficit widens in January

 

[DaGoose]

Because I haven't heard yet that he will remove the subsidies the US uses to prop up its farming sector and protect it from international competition.

It always baffles me that American Presidents tour from both major parties the world talking about free trade and open markets - while handing out checks to US farmers so that they don't go bankrupt.

One stat - 14% of the value of US cotton is paid for by tax payers. In other words, US cotton is 14% "cheaper" than its true market value, because you pay the farmers to produce it.

The EU does this too, so it's not only the US, btw.

Even though he's now the one, true standard bearer of conservatism (as evidenced by the conservatives to elect him over the RINO's) I no longer see where his opinions are relevent.

 

[Agit8r]

Seems like an out of date subject, but yeah, he was. Remember how he "went to China to buy a factory there"? Fantastic anecdote