AFP: Bailouts the Wrong Approach to Offset Harmful Trade Policy

Jul 24, 2018 by AFP

Arlington, VA – Americans for Prosperity President Tim Phillips issued the following statement in response to reports that the White House is preparing $12 billion in new government assistance for farmers negatively impacted by escalating tariffs between the U.S. and global trade partners:

“$12 billion to aid farmers means the U.S. is essentially borrowing from China to offset the costs of tariffs imposed by China. It doesn’t get more Washington than that. Farmers want good trade policy that allows them to grow their business, not a government bailout to compensate for crippling tariffs.”

AFP’S TRADE PRINCIPLES:

Individuals, businesses, and countries should be free to engage in the voluntary exchange of goods and services, which improves lives by growing the economy, increasing pay checks, and creating new and better jobs.
Individuals and businesses in a competitive market, not government bureaucrats or politicians, should guide trade decisions.
Punitive measures such as tariffs and quotas harm most consumers, workers, and businesses and should be eliminated.
Subsidies and other forms of government supports for powerful and politically connected businesses and industries do not create value. They punish consumers, insulate businesses from market competition, and should be eliminated.
Trade disputes should be resolved through existing international trade agreements and organizations.
While national security interests may be a consideration in trade policy, they should be used to restrict trade only when there is truly a narrow national security interest at stake, not as a work around to impose tariffs.

For further information or to set up an interview, please send an email to GBraud@afphq.org.

Americans for Prosperity (AFP) exists to recruit, educate, and mobilize citizens in support of the policies and goals of a free society at the local, state, and federal level, helping every American live their dream – especially the least fortunate. AFP has more than 3.2 million activists across the nation, a local infrastructure that includes 36 state chapters, and has received financial support from more than 100,000 Americans in all 50 states. For more information, visit www.americansforprosperity.org

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