When we hear the president talk about the need for increased U.S. border security, we usually think of illegal immigration. But there is another crucial aspect to protecting our borders the president is working to address — the influx of illegal goods from foreign countries streaming across our borders — goods that threaten our domestic manufacturing industry, delay job growth and undermine our national security.
China is flooding U.S. markets with products of every kind, all at cut rate prices. Given how much of China’s manufacturing industry is subsidized by its own government, most Chinese manufacturers aren’t interested in profits; they just want to keep workers busy.
As a result, millions of tons of steel, concrete and aluminum are illegally entering the country. The gamut of illegal goods coming from China and other foreign countries isn’t limited to industrial products. Wooden furniture, honey, mushrooms, even freshwater crawfish are coming into the U.S. in violation of established trade agreements.
How can this happen? Very simply, China works overtime to cover its tracks by transshipping thousands of products to other countries where they are relabeled as products from a different country of origin. This product “laundering” is illegal, it’s hurting our own manufacturing industry and in some cases it’s threatening national security.
Former U.S. Army Brig. Gen. John Adams believes the rampant flood of Chinese steel entering our country threatens our national security. Gen. Adams notes that if our own steel industry erodes, we would obviously become reliant on foreign nations to supply us with steel products. But what happens if we are in a conflict with one of the countries we need for steel production?
China is flooding U.S. markets with products of every kind, all at cut rate prices. Given how much of China’s manufacturing industry is subsidized by its own government, most Chinese manufacturers aren’t interested in profits; they just want to keep workers busy.
As a result, millions of tons of steel, concrete and aluminum are illegally entering the country. The gamut of illegal goods coming from China and other foreign countries isn’t limited to industrial products. Wooden furniture, honey, mushrooms, even freshwater crawfish are coming into the U.S. in violation of established trade agreements.
How can this happen? Very simply, China works overtime to cover its tracks by transshipping thousands of products to other countries where they are relabeled as products from a different country of origin. This product “laundering” is illegal, it’s hurting our own manufacturing industry and in some cases it’s threatening national security.
Former U.S. Army Brig. Gen. John Adams believes the rampant flood of Chinese steel entering our country threatens our national security. Gen. Adams notes that if our own steel industry erodes, we would obviously become reliant on foreign nations to supply us with steel products. But what happens if we are in a conflict with one of the countries we need for steel production?
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