Tuesday 17 July 2012

Sen. Schumer Wants to Ban Foreign-Produced Olympic Gear; Will That Include U.S. Production?

From yesterday’s Wall Street Journal:

"The horror, the horror. No, we aren’t referring to those blue berets that U.S. athletes will wear at the opening Olympic ceremonies in London this month. We mean the horrified reaction from American politicians that those uniforms are made in China. Someone should tell these folks that if you want to have exports, you also need imports.

A half dozen Democratic Senators—led by Chuck Schumer, who else?—have introduced a bill to require that future uniforms be made in America. These are the same geniuses whose tax-and-spend policies make the U.S. economy less competitive. A country that worries about where its Olympic clothes are made has bigger competitive problems than those berets."


"The U.S. Olympic team may not be wearing American made uniforms during the opening ceremony in London, but another Olympic team will be sporting products made in Middle Tennessee during the games.

The Brazilian Olympic equestrian team is using saddle pads produced by Wilker’s Custom Horse Productsin Cool Springs, Tennessee.  The business made a dozen white custom saddle pads with kelly green and yellow trim and piping for the team."

MP: Just wondering if Sen. Schumer’s anti-trade bill will be consistent and include a ban on any foreign Olympic uniforms being made in America like the saddle pads from Tennessee?  After all, if a voluntary, international transaction between Olympic uniform buyers in America and uniform producers in China is undesirable, then shouldn't an international transaction between uniform (or saddle pad) producers in America and uniform (saddle pad) buyers in Brazil be equally undesirable?  How can we justify banning international uniform buying without also banning international uniform selling?  

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