Former U.S. Rep. Sue Myrick of North Carolina, speaking now for the Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America, explains in a Daily Caller column why she supports free trade.
As a former chair of the Republican Study Committee (RSC) when I served in Congress – I like to think I know a thing or two about conservative values. And with the U.S. House poised to take up Trade Promotion Authority (TPA), it’s critical for conservatives to look past the president sitting in the White House and look toward America’s future. Trade is not only critical for U.S. global leadership, it helps improve the lives of workers and families right here at home. Currently, trade supports 1 in 5 jobs in America, and, by opening up more markets to U.S. exports, we ensure that we can compete with the rest of the world and help build an economy that provides good, high-paying jobs for our children.
These agreements also help us share our values of economic and individual freedom with other countries. As Ronald Reagan said, “You knew that in the end it was free enterprise, not government regulation, not high taxes or big government spending, but free enterprise, that had led to the building of a great America.” Our nation’s support for free trade goes back to the 1770s when our founding fathers, and the first tea party patriots, fought to end unfair taxation and stop British trade barriers controlling imports that were harming colonial businesses and consumers.
While the world has changed, trade barriers have not kept jobs in America – in fact, they have prevented us from expanding job creation. A perfect example of this can be found in the footwear industry – where the tariffs (taxes paid on imports) on each pair of shoes can be as high as 67.5 percent despite the fact that 99 percent of all shoes sold in the U.S. are imported. Rather than helping retain jobs, these tariffs are holding back footwear companies from hiring more footwear designers, innovators, truckers, marketing professionals, retail associates and U.S. manufacturing workers.
These “hidden taxes” are also needlessly driving up the cost of shoes for hardworking American families, with many of the highest rates applied to children’s sneakers and lower-cost shoes.
