GOVT 201 Group 4 Discussion

GOVT 201 Group 4 Discussion | regent-university

In my opinion, despite the recent calls for increased tariffs and limited freedom to free trade, free trade does the American society more good than harm. The benefits of free international trade are diffuse and hard to recognize, but this doesn’t guarantee that they are detrimental to our economy. Come of think of it, as illustrated in the two videos, barely any of the products used in the production of our coffee or espresso is American. In one way or the other, all are imports. Without global trade and international cooperation, we would probably be buying our coffee like some narcotics. Illegal and at very high prices. Imposing thousands of tariffs and quotas and other trade barriers may, in the long run, end up hurting people the aim was to protect. Just like Spalding argued, commerce and trade should be encouraged across borders to benefit all Americans and non-Americans.

Free trade brings about prosperity in the States in many ways. First, unlike trade restrictions that limit the choices Americans have in the market, free trade gives them the freedom to choose from various products. For instance, with free trade, they can opt which beverage they want to use. We would probably be limited to tea, carbonated drinks, or cocoa. Also, free trade gives access to higher-quality and low-priced goods from cheaper imports. Restrictions drive up prices for the available products, thus eventually increasing the cost of living to Americans. Overall, free trade drives economic growth through reduced import-input costs reducing production costs in the States. Without free trade, we would probably be having fewer jobs, decreased efficiency, and fairness in our markets since self-sustainability is next to impossible in current days. The benefits of free trade are numerous, and states need each other for existence. Standardized treaties should be designed to protect the American economy while at the same time free trade and broader international relations should be maintained for the benefit of all participants.