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Lou Barletta on Free Trade

 

 


Use tariffs as leverage to get better trade deals

Q: Support President Trump's imposition of tariffs on Chinese steel & other products?

Lou Barletta (R): Yes. Supports Trump's using tariffs as leverage to get better trade deals. Says if retaliatory tariffs hurt agriculture, Trump will help them.

Bob Casey (D): Yes. We must go after "trade cheaters" to protect PA jobs.

Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on Pennsylvania Senate race , Oct 9, 2018

Impose tariffs against countries which manipulate currency.

Barletta signed Currency Reform for Fair Trade Act

[Explanatory note from Wikipedia.com "Exchange Rate"]:

Between 1994 and 2005, the Chinese yuan renminbi was pegged to the US dollar at RMB 8.28 to $1. Countries may gain an advantage in international trade if they manipulate the value of their currency by artificially keeping its value low. It is argued that China has succeeded in doing this over a long period of time. However, a 2005 appreciation of the Yuan by 22% was followed by a 39% increase in Chinese imports to the US. In 2010, other nations, including Japan & Brazil, attempted to devalue their currency in the hopes of subsidizing cheap exports and bolstering their ailing economies. A low exchange rate lowers the price of a country's goods for consumers in other countries but raises the price of imported goods for consumers in the manipulating country.

Source: HR.639&S.328 11-HR0639 on Feb 14, 2011

Sponsored sugar quotas & import tariffs to stabilize prices.

Barletta co-sponsored Sugar Reform Act

Congressional Summary:Sugar Reform Act:

Proponent's argument for bill:(Senators' opinions reported on politico.com) "We subsidize a handful of wealthy sugar growers at the expense of everybody in America," said Sen. Patrick Toomey (R-Pa.), whose home state boasts the chocolate giant, Hershey's. Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.), warned her colleagues against unraveling the commodity coalition behind the farm bill: "We forget that this is much bigger than a sugar program. It's much bigger than any one single commodity. When you single out one commodity, you threaten the effectiveness of the overall farm bill."

Opponent's argument against bill:(Food and Business News, May 2013): Users claim the sugar program nearly doubles the price of sugar to US consumers and has resulted in lost jobs as some candy manufacturers have moved operations to other countries. Producers claim the program has resulted in more stable sugar supplies, provides a safety net for growers and that world prices are often lower because of subsidies in origin countries, which would put US growers at a disadvantage should import restrictions be lifted. Producers also note that US sugar prices have declined more than 50% from late 2011 highs. They also maintain that jobs have been lost or moved out of the US for reasons other than sugar prices, mainly labor and health care costs, noting that candy makers' profits have been strong in recent years.

Source: S.345/ H.R.693 13-H0693 on Feb 14, 2013

Sponsored imposing import fee on countries with undervalued currency.

Barletta co-sponsored Currency Reform for Fair Trade Act

Congressional Summary:Amends the Tariff Act of 1930 to include a countervailing duty or antidumping duty on merchandise imported into the US from foreign countries with fundamentally undervalued currency.

Opponent's argument against bill: (by the Club for Growth)We urge all House members to not co-sponsor the protectionist Currency Reform for Fair Trade Act. This proposal would make it easier for the federal government to slap

Source: H.R.1276 13-H1276 on Mar 20, 2013

Rated 75% by the USAE, indicating support for trade engagement.

Barletta scores 75% by USA*Engage on trade issues

Ratings by USA*Engage indicate support for trade engagement or trade sanctions. The organization's self-description: "USA*Engage is concerned about the proliferation of unilateral foreign policy sanctions at the federal, state and local level. Despite the fact that broad trade-based unilateral sanctions rarely achieve our foreign policy goals, they continue to have political appeal. Unilateral sanctions give the impression that the United States is 'doing something,' while American workers, farmers and businesses absorb the costs."

VoteMatch scoring for the USA*Engage ratings is as follows :

Source: USA*Engage 2011-2012 ratings on Congress and politicians 2012-USAE on Dec 31, 2012

Other candidates on Free Trade: Lou Barletta on other issues:
PA Gubernatorial:
Allyson Schwartz
John Fetterman
Ken Krawchuk
Mark Critz
Michael Nutter
Scott Wagner
Tom Corbett
Tom Wolf
PA Senatorial:
Bob Casey
Everett Stern
Jim Christiana
Joe Sestak
John Fetterman
Katie McGinty
Pat Toomey
Rick Saccone

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Office 510 CHOB, Wash., DC 20515
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Page last updated: Mar 26, 2020