Newt Gingrich outlines some interesting details behind another situation where Trump can protect America’s workers in the article excerpted below. In it, he writes that “Free, fair, and reciprocal trade is a fight we must win. Our survival depends on it.”
As the Trump administration continues to negotiate and define its trade relationship with China, it’s important to remember that whatever agreement comes out of the current détente will only be one step in a continual process.
Worldwide trade is incredibly complex and ever-changing. No trade regime with China can be completely defined or enforced under a single agreement. The moment one deal is made, China will immediately begin looking for other ways to gain an unfair advantage – and they are not the only ones.
This is why the Trump administration must continue to develop a system that can enforce the trade agreements it makes with China – and every other country with which the U.S. does business.
For example, the Qatari government had provided an estimated $25 billion in illegal subsidies to its state-owned carrier, Qatar Airways, in violation of its years-long Open Skies agreement with the U.S. – a bilateral treaty that ensures fair competition in the aviation market. These subsidies essentially propped up Qatar Airways, wiping away massive losses and insulating the carrier from challenging market forces. The global aviation community correctly recognized that it would be impossible to compete with an airline that didn’t have to worry about profits or demand.
President Trump brought the Qatari government to the negotiating table and held it accountable for its dubious actions. A new agreement struck in January represented an opportunity for Qatar to turn the page, and for rule-abiding airlines to finally compete on a level playing field. Qatar pledged to be more transparent in its financial transactions and in a letter accompanying the agreement, said it had no plans to launch “fifth-freedom” routes, such as those from Europe to the United States. The Qatari leadership has continued to do virtually everything it said it wouldn’t.
Read more of “For President Trump, Another Opportunity to Protect American Workers” at Gingrich Productions
