SoylentNews

US Probe To Determine If Car Imports 'Impair The National Security'

posted by janrinok on Saturday May 26 2018, @06:30AM   
from the making-America-grate dept.

Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:

The traditionally separate spheres of national security and the auto industry will soon come together as the US Department of Commerce launches an investigation into vehicle imports.

Wilbur Ross, the Secretary of Commerce, has launched an investigation under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 to determine "whether imports of automobiles, including vans and light trucks, and automotive parts into the United States threaten to impair the national security."

"There is evidence suggesting that, for decades, imports from abroad have eroded our domestic auto industry," Ross said in a statement. "The Department of Commerce will conduct a thorough, fair and transparent investigation into whether such imports are weakening our internal economy." He goes on to cite data showing that imports have grown to cover just under half of cars sold in the US today, and even though Americans are buying cars in record numbers, US employment in motor vehicle production has dropped. It also pointed out that US-owned manufacturers only account for 20 percent of global research and development in the auto industry.

But they won't go down without swinging. Foreign governments have signaled that they are willing to defend their interests. Gao Feng, spokesman for China's Ministry of Commerce, suggested in a press conference that "the abuse of national security clauses... will seriously damage multilateral trade systems and disrupt normal international trade order," Reuters reports.

Germany's not exactly pleased, either. "To cite aspects of national security as justification is totally constructed and far-fetched," said Eric Schweitzer, head of German's DIHK Chambers of Industries and Commerce, again according to Reuters. "We almost have to take this as a provocation. I gain more and more the impression that the United States no longer believes in competition for ideas and customers, but only in the right of the supposedly stronger."

---

Original Submission

• Re:Of course imports have an effect on security Re:Of course imports have an effect on security (Score: 3, Touché) by c0lo on Saturday May 26 2018, @04:40PM (1 child)

  by c0lo (156) on Saturday May 26 2018, @04:40PM (#684577) Journal

  And, that is a big part of the reason that Bill Clinton should have been convicted of treason. Not only Clinton, but all of the major players who pushed all those "trade agreements" through congress. The less active members of congress, who merely approved of the trade deals, were all useful idiots.

  By chance, do you now how many countries were granted "the most favoured nations" by Reagan's administration? 'Cause China's inclusion on that list happened during his time

  --
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford

  Parent

  Starting Score:	1		point
  Moderation		+1
  Touché=1, Total=1
  Extra 'Touché' Modifier		0
  Karma-Bonus Modifier		+1
  Total Score:		3

• Re:Of course imports have an effect on security (Score: 4, Informative) by Runaway1956 on Saturday May 26 2018, @06:21PM

  by Runaway1956 (2926) on Saturday May 26 2018, @06:21PM (#684618) Journal

  MFN/NTR status for China, a non-market economy, which had been originally suspended in 1951, was restored in 1980 and was continued in effect through subsequent annual Presidential extensions. Following the massacre of pro-democracy demonstrators in Tiananmen Square in 1989, however, the annual renewal of China’s MFN status became a source of considerable debate in the Congress; and legislation was introduced to terminate China’s MFN/NTR status or to impose additional conditions relating to improvements in China’s actions on various trade and non-trade issues. Agricultural interests generally opposed attempts to block MFN/NTR renewal for China, contending that several billion dollars annually in current and future U.S. agricultural exports could be jeopardized if that country retaliated. In China’s case, Congress agreed to permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) status in P.L. 106-286, President Clinton signed into law on October 10, 2000.[10] PNTR paved the way for China’s accession to the WTO in December 2000; it provides U.S. exporters of agricultural products the opportunity to benefit from China’s WTO agreements to reduce trade barriers and open its agricultural markets.

  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Most_favoured_nation [wikipedia.org]

  It's the "permanent" part, signed into law, despite serious human rights violations. MFN had been tied to human rights, prior to Clinton. MFN had been denied for more than 20 years, because of those violations. Carter reinstated MFN, but Clinton untied MFN from human rights.

  Parent