Letters

Time To Turn Up The Heat?

[Re: "Fanning Protectionism's Flames," Editor's Page, June 2004, Page 9] We are asked to compete against China, which subsidizes its extrusion industry by some 30% to 40% through currency manipulation. At the same time China makes zero payments into our health-care

From where I sit, the fire isn't hot enough and more fuel needs to be added. I've written over 300 letters to Congress with less than 20 responses. . . . The solution from where I sit is really quite simple: fire the current trade negotiators for the United States, form a coalition to do a PPI test ("Big Mac test") on all WTO members, require them to present a plan that adjusts their currency to fair market value over a reasonable period of time, and go from there. Otherwise we'll be sitting at the same table eating the same yuans next year.