Should an 'Environmental Damage' tax be put on foreign goods?

[Lancer]

One of the reasons US goods are so expensive is our polution control laws. Industry is forced to add expensive devices and proceedures to their manufacturing process so instead they take their businesses where such laws are lax or nonexistant, like China. Chinese cities are disappearing under a toxic fog reminicent of the late 60s and 70s in the US. Then they undersell American business here at home. Loss of jobs, tax base and strategic industry results. In order to make clean American manufacturing more competitive and world industry cleaner I suggest we create a poluters tax, and slap it on the dirty wicked commie...erm, I mean poluting counties goods.

Agree?

[chequita guevara]

Absolutely!

Why stop there? A slavery tax should be imposed also, so that American workers don't have to compete with slaves or underpaid workers.

[Whoha]

No non-tariff barriers, if you want a tariff vote for that.

[Krill]

Depends on the country. But as Chana would see it as a tariff, it is probably not a wise thing to do...

[Lancer]

Slavery yes, underpaid, no. What is underpaid? In the Philippines a factory worker might make $4 a day and be lucky to have a job. The fact that they'll work for that is the only reason they have a factory. I can see slapping a duty on that factories goods if they are poluting the environment in order to level the playing field w/ US manuacturers, but I can't see slapping another duty on because of the cheaper wage. That playing field will level due to market forces, and the Phil people really need the work.

Che, you should come along next trip and see...

[chequita guevara]

Underpaid by local standards, Lancer. In places like China, Indonesia, Vietnam, etc., workers often get paid less than the local minimum wage. If you can't pay your workers a living wage in their own country, you shouldn't be competing against companies in America that do.

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by Whoha
No non-tariff barriers, if you want a tariff vote for that.

We have a right to say collectively that we will not buy or will act punatively against products or services made in a way which offends us. You do not have an inalienable right to sell to me.

[Whoha]

so boycott the product, no NTBs. of course those are pretty much just tariffs in any event, but be up front about it.

[el freako]

This is a very big can of worms to open anyways - especially for the US with it's 'sovereignty is king' attitude to international relations.

If you put tarrifs on those countries which have laxer pollution controls than you what is to stop similar tarrifs on US goods from countries that have tougher ones?

If other countries have chosen to have lower pollution standards (as the US chose to do when it was poorer) why should they be forced to raise them before they regard them as worth paying for?

If the US did put tarrifs on them would the US be any better off?
Sure your producers would benefit from less competition but your consumers would suffer from higher prices.

The only way to have a lasting solution to this problem (as coersion or bribery only works when it is being applied) is through international cooperation and a pooling of sovereignty in regards to the problem.

Unfortunately the US is too mired in 19th century ideas about the sovereignty of nation-states to take up such a 21st century solution.

[DanS]

I don't think it would ever make it through the WTO.

[Proteus_MST]

Sounds good,
I agree that Europe should introduce it for Goods from USA and other Countries with lax environmental laws

[Az]

what che said

[JohnT]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara
Underpaid by local standards, Lancer. In places like China, Indonesia, Vietnam, etc., workers often get paid less than the local minimum wage. If you can't pay your workers a living wage in their own country, you shouldn't be competing against companies in America that do.

Why, this would kill the American fruit industry! You commie!

[realpolitic]

Originally posted by Comrade Tassadar
The US putting an environmental damage tax on foreign goods

Finally, all our DU will be made in America.

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara
Underpaid by local standards, Lancer. In places like China, Indonesia, Vietnam, etc., workers often get paid less than the local minimum wage. If you can't pay your workers a living wage in their own country, you shouldn't be competing against companies in America that do.

Just apply a communism tax as those countries seem to be most abusive to their workers and be done with it.