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March 1973

April 1973

General Meeting
March Calendar
President's Notes (Dee Lum)
Announcements
Voters Service (Claudia Patil)
Membership Memo - Capitol Tour Report (Maury Muence)
Susie Orient Says... (Susie Orient)
Foreign Trade Page - Consensus Unit
Effects of Trade Policy on Economic Development (Robert McNamara)
Update - from "VISITS", U.N. Publication
Report from the Nominating Committee
Proposed Program
Proposed Local Program
Proposed Budget - April 1973 - March 1974
Seminar to Look at Hawaii Taxes

Foreign Trade Page - Consensus Unit

A good consensus results from:

Depth of understanding of the subject

Strength of understanding of the subject

Proportion of participating members.

CONSENSUS QUESTIONS:

  1. Should the U.S. develop new policies and practices to assist workers, firms, communities, industries injured by foreign competition? If so, what type of policies should be developed and how should they be implemented? If not, why?

  2. Should the U.S. develop new policies to regulate the activities of the multinational corporations? If so, please identify these policies and explain why. If not, why?

  3. Should the U.S. develop new policies to make the U.S. products more competitive in world markets? If so, please identify the types of policies and your reasons. If not, why?

  4. Should the U.S. develop new policies which would limit imports for purposes orf environmental or consumer protection? If so, please specify and indicate ow such policies can be implemented. If not, why?

(for March Units)

$NOTEWORTHY$

The recent devaluations of the dollar makes U.S. goods more competitive overseas and is also a positive sign higher standards for foreign countries.

However, only a stable monetary system can support healthy foreign trade.
 

"Free Trade Under Fire"

(U.S. Chamber of Commerce Pub.)

Multinational Corporations have at least 20% of its sales outside its home country and manufacturing or research facilities in more than 2 countries and employ a significant number of foreign nationals in its management structure. With this definition at least 30 of the top American 50 American companies and 26 of the largest 50 companies elsewhere - can be thus classified. (Unilever, Shell, Olivetti). Yardstick to growth = "Direct investment abroad". Success is a matter of skill, knowledge, and organization rather than climate or location of natural resources. It is cheaper to transfer ideas, skills, organization patterns than continuously transport merchandise.

Jurisdiction of MNC's should be to International bodies; EEC, Andean Bloc, EFTA already exert some requirements.

Toward constructive solutions:

Improve health of the general economy by stabilizing and not fluctuating the business cycle... stabilizing MNC's. The U.S. should become more competitive possibly by lowering tariffs; anti-trust and monetary reforms; tax-incentives to encourage U.S. exports (DISC plan already defers 50% of U.S. income taxes an export sales profits). Improving U.S. products and increase machinery use and production quotas. Adjustment assistance should be used to give more job mobility. Eligibility should be changed to provide some kind of transitional

income while job retraining is underway. (In areas where population is dependent on a single industry, many sons don't want to do what their fathers are doing. Industry and gov't should work together for solutions." Mr. Champion, Dillingham Corp.) Improve economic forecasting. Educational programs should include midstream, mid-career training.
 

"A Trade Policy for America" - An AFL-CIO Program
 

The soaring rate of foreign investments combined with patent and license agreements, by American companies in the 60's have transferred American technology to plants throughout the world. In 1969, Ford was the leading French exporter of computer equipment. These companies export American technology and of course, U.S. jobs. Unlike capital, the worker cannot move about with ease. While capital and machinery can be moved from one part of the country to another -- or to other countries -- workers do not have full mobility.

Workers have great stakes in their jobs and their communities. They have skills that are related to the job or industry. They have seniority-based benefits, investments. In their homes, a stake in the neighborhood, schools and churches.

Lack of mobility is not a fault. It is a virtue. It is an important factor in giving stability to a community and to society.

Labor is not an interchangeable part as some economists believe. A jobless shoe-worker in Maine does not automatically

become a clerical worker in New York. There are those who recommend that a worker must "adjust" -- equating a worker with the retooling of a machine.

Because of our great concern with this problem, the AFL-CIO Executive Council has adopted a program calling for new international trade and investment legislation. (Burke-Hartke Trade Bill). The government should regulate, supervise and curb the outflows of American capital, technology and jobs. International agencies should establish international fir labor standards in world trade. An orderly marketing mechanism is needed to regulate the flow of imports which displace significant percentages of U.S. production and employment.

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