HOW TO COUNTER TRUMP’S TARIFFS ?

Active Lobbying Required

1. Overall the EU needs to amplify its voice. EU advocacy in Washington has not been noticed. It has not made a splash.
2. The EU should aim to find allies in the U.S.A. They should deepen their engagement with relevant congressional players supporting free trade as they can play critical roles in forming alliances committed to moderating Trump’s protectionist agenda. The EU should carefully  choose whom to target on Capitol Hill and meet with members of Congress who sit on committees that deal with trade issues.
3. The EU should recognize that there is a critical role to be played by US states and cities in promoting trade and investment ties, and engage with governors and mayors in support of free trade. It’s necessary to work on the ground with  governors and legislators in states across the country and make the case that open trade is in the best interest of the people of the United States and in the best interest of people in the EU. That narrative should be backed by statistics and complemented by a physical presence at the legislature.
4. The EU member states should further their own cooperation in the face of US disengagement on international trade.
5. The EU should make a more persuasive case to  emphasize the gains by highlighting the economic and strategic benefits of trade, but at the same time recognize that some concerns have basis in reality. Discrediting myths is one important component in promoting a more positive message on trade. The best-known line holds that ‘exports are good, imports are bad’. But because imports allow for the consumption of a greater variety of goods and services at a lower price, the task for free-traders is to change the narrative to one of ‘exports are good, imports are good’. A related myth is that the trade deficit is bad, and that closing it will return jobs to the US. While the effects of trade and technological change on the labour market cannot be entirely decoupled, what needs to be communicated more effectively is the far greater impact of new technologies and automation on jobs. This should promote a wider understanding that protectionism will not bring back manufacturing jobs; rather, it will kill current and future jobs. At the same time, even if technological change is the greater culprit in causing job displacement, the adverse consequences of trade are real and should not be dismissed. Affected individuals and communities need help to adjust, and governments must play a role in this.
6. The myth that bilateral deals serve the US economy better than do regional or multilateral deals should also be addressed. For the Trump administration to conclude multiple bilateral deals instead of a single regional agreement would have major disadvantages. Striking and ratifying deals country by country is more difficult, time-consuming and potentially more costly than is focusing on one larger agreement. And implementing multiple bilateral agreements would mean the introduction of many different sets of rules according to the arrangements concluded with each partner. By contrast, there is the prospect that the standards established in forging a single deal with many countries may eventually become global standards, thus setting the rules of the road.
7. Any trade negotiation needs a degree of confidentiality in order to progress. All the same, as negotiations are increasingly about reducing rules and regulations, the case for input from civil society and for wider public engagement has become stronger. While the public’s concerns over the potential impact of trade agreements on consumer, environmental and labour standards may be overblown at times, policymakers should nonetheless address their constituents’ fears.
8. Furthermore, the US and the EU should have an objective discussion on the need to balance investor protection via trade agreements with the government’s right to regulate.

GOP Congressmen to be targeted

The Congressmen here below should be targeted are they are deeply concerned about the tariffs on steel and aluminum

1. Kevin Brady, Chairman, House Committee on Ways and Means
2. David G. Reichert, Chairman, Subcommuttee on Trade
3. David Schweigert, Member of Congress
4. Jackie Walorski, Member of Congress
5. Carlos Curbelo, Member of Congress
6. Peter J. Roskam, Member of Congress
7. Lynn Jenkins, Member of Congress
8. Erik Paulsen, Member of Congress
9. Devin Nunes, Member of Congress
10. Sam Johnson, Member of Congress
11. Mike Bishop, Member of Congress
12. Darin LaHood, Member of Congress
13. Tom Rice, Member of Congress
14. Patrick Meehan, Member of Congress
15. Adrian Smith, Member of Congress
16. Kenny Marchant, Member of Congress
17. Vern Buchanan, Member of Congress
18. David G. Valadao, Member of Congress
19. Tom McClintock, Member of Congress
20. Adam Kinzinger, Member of Congress
21. Glenn 'GT' Thomson, Member of Congress
22. Mike Johnson, Member of Congress
23. Don Bacon, Member of Congress
24. Phil Roe M.D., Member of Congress
25. Jody Arrington, Member of Congress
26. Fred Upton, Member of Congress
27. Susan W. Brooks, Member of Congress
28. Doug Collins, Member of Congress
29. Ted Poe, Member of Congress
30. Randy Hultgreb, Member of Congress
31. Tom MacArthur, Member of Congress
32. Elise Stefanik, Member of Congress
33. Bill Flores, Member of Congress
34. Bruce Westerman, Member of Congress
35. Kristi Noem, Member of Congress
36. Mark Meadows, Member of Congress
37. Bill Huizenga, Member of Congress
38. Mia Move, Member of Congress
39. Mike Gallagher, Member of Congress
40. Scott Perry, Member of Congress
41. John Moolenaar, Member of Congress
42. Barbara Comstock, Member of Congress
43. Bill Johnson, Member of Congress
44. K. Michael Conaway, Member of Congress
45. Earl L. 'Buddy' Carter, Member of Congress
46. Jim Banks, Member of Congress
47. Pete Sessions, Member of Congress
48. Joe Barton, Member of Congress
49. Marc Thornberry, Member of Congress
50. Brian Babin DDS, Member of Congress
51. John Abney Culberson, Member of Congress
52. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Member of Congress
53. Mark Walker, Member of Congress
54. Ted S. Yoho, Member of Congress
55. Michael T. McCaul, Member of Congress
56. F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr., Member of Congress
57. Roger Marshall M.D., Member of Congress
58. Leonard Lance, Member of Congress
59. Mark Sanford, Member of Congress
60. Steve Russell, Member of Congress
61. Paul Mitchell, Member of Congress
62. Doug Lamborn, Member of Congress
63. Brad R. Wenstrup, Member of Cogress
64. Ron Estes, Member of Congress
65. Steve Womack, Member of Congress
66. Kevin Cramer, Member of Congress
67. Warren Davidson, Member of Congress
68. Jen Hensarling, Member of Congress
69. Austin Scott, Member of Congress
70. Mimi Walters, Member of Congress
71. Mike Coffman, Member of Congress
72. French Hill, Member of Congress
73. Karen Handel, Member of Congress
74. Pete Olson, Member of Congress
75. Charles W. Dent, Member of Congress
76. Ralph Norman, Member of Congress
77. Ann Wagner, Member of Congress
78. Ed Royce, Member of Congress
79. Francis Rooney, Member of Congress
80. Dan Newhouse, Member of Congress
81. H. Morgan Griffith, Member of Congress
82. Randy Weber, Member of Congress
83. Dave Brat, Member of Congress
84. Will Hurd, Member of Congress
85. Drew A. Ferguson, Member of Congress
86. Vicky Hartzler, Member of Congress
87. Dave TRott, Member of Congress
88. Jody Hice, Member of Congress
89. Barry Loudermilk, Member of Congress
90. Ken Buck, Member of Congress
91. Glenn Grothman, Member of Congress
92. Frank Lucas, Member of Congress
93. Andy Barr, Member of Congress
94. Bob Goodlatte, Member of Congress
95. Steve Chabot, Member of Congress
96. John H. Rutherford, Member of Congress
97. Rob Woodall, Member of Congress
98. Rick W. Allen, Member of Congress
99. Steve Stivers, Membber of Congress
100. Jim Jordan, Member of Congress
101. Kevin Yoder, Member of Congress
102. Roger Williams, Member of Congress
103. Rod Blum, Member of Congress
104. Tom Emmer, Member of Congress
105. Tom Cole, Member of Congress
106. Tom Graves, Member of Congress
107. Michael Simpson, Member of Congress