https://themilitant.com/2018/08/11/workers-have-nothing-to-gain-in-us-moves-on-china-trade/
Workers have nothing to gain in US moves on China trade
By Terry Evans
Vol. 82/No. 31
August 20, 2018
Claiming Beijing has been “cheating,” Washington imposed a series of
tariffs on Chinese goods, seeking to use its superior clout to gain
concessions to aid U.S. bosses in trade between the two countries. The
Chinese rulers, so far, have responded in kind. Washington is engaged in
similar disputes with the capitalist rulers in Canada, Mexico and the
protectionist trade bloc called the European Union. President Donald
Trump says their offensive seeks gains for “American jobs.”
Chinese container ship CSCL Globe docks at Felixstowe, U.K., Jan. 7,
2015. Tariffs imposed on Chinese imports by Washington, like similar
conflicts with other governments, aim to push Beijing into talks and get
more favorable terms for U.S. bosses. Labor movement needs to start from
workers common interest around the world, and oppose U.S. rulers’
protectionist moves.
Flickr/Keith Skipper
Chinese container ship CSCL Globe docks at Felixstowe, U.K., Jan. 7,
2015. Tariffs imposed on Chinese imports by Washington, like similar
conflicts with other governments, aim to push Beijing into talks and get
more favorable terms for U.S. bosses. Labor movement needs to start from
workers common interest around the world, and oppose U.S. rulers’
protectionist moves.
But the administration’s demagogy obscures the fact that there are no
such thing as “American jobs.” There are two “Americas” — one of the
bosses and the other of the working class. All the rulers’ trade
policies have one and only one purpose — dog-eat-dog competition with
their capitalist rivals abroad over who can appropriate ever more of the
wealth produced by the labor of workers and farmers both here and worldwide.
The labor movement in the imperialist world needs to start from the fact
that the working class is an international class, that’s our “we,” and
not side with the U.S. rulers in their trade skirmishes. Our interests
lie in opposing their use of protectionist barriers of any kind,
regardless of where imported goods come from.
Addressing this question in 1848 in a “Speech on the Question of Free
Trade,” Karl Marx, the founder of the modern revolutionary working-class
movement, explained that whether the rulers’ policies are free trade or
protectionist, either way the worker “goes to the wall.” The stronger
the capitalists get, the better position they’re in to exploit our class.
In so far as it advances the development of capitalism and deepens
struggles between the capitalists and the working class, Marx explained,
free trade “hastens social revolution” and the working-class movement
should favor it — on that basis alone.
Washington has sought for years to check the rising power of the Chinese
capitalists. The massive growth of industry over the last three decades
in the world’s most populous country has driven Chinese bosses to seek
markets and new sources of labor to exploit around the globe, driving
them into sharper competition with the U.S. rulers. And the U.S.
capitalist class is determined to defend its position as the dominant
imperialist power for as long as it can.
The Trump administration imposed $34 billion in tariffs on Chinese goods
being sold in the U.S. July 6. It says it intends to reduce the U.S.
rulers’ trade deficit with Beijing and press the Chinese government to
end requirements that U.S. bosses investing in Chinese businesses share
the technology they use with them. Beijing denies they enforce such
requirements. It retaliated by imposing matching tariffs of $34 billion
on goods U.S. bosses sell in China.
Washington announced Aug. 1 it would impose an additional 25 percent
tariff on $200 billion worth of goods sold by Chinese companies in
September, if Beijing doesn’t back down. While claiming they will
prevail, the Chinese rulers know they face a challenge.
Although their economy has been growing faster, the Chinese rulers go
into these trade conflicts with Washington far weaker than their U.S.
counterparts. The U.S. bosses gross domestic product was $19.4 trillion
in 2017, China’s total — though second highest in the world — was $12
trillion. Chinese bosses are more dependent on access to the vast U.S.
market, than U.S. bosses are on access to Chinese markets.
Beijing has already offered to increase its purchase of goods
manufactured in the U.S., but so far Washington says that isn’t enough.
Concessions from EU rulers
The announcement of the most recent U.S. tariff comes after the
President Trump cut a deal with Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the
Berlin-dominated EU trading bloc. Prior to meeting with Juncker, the
U.S. government had imposed punishing tariffs on steel and aluminum
exported by the bosses from Europe.
Trump got Juncker’s agreement that the rival capitalist governments
making up the EU will work with Washington to challenge Beijing. Juncker
also agreed that capitalist nations within the EU will import more
U.S.-produced liquefied natural gas. This is aimed at undercutting
Moscow’s exports of oil and gas to Germany, a matter Trump scolded
German Chancellor Angela Merkel about last month. Juncker also agreed
the EU would work with the U.S. government to eliminate tariffs on all
non-auto-related industrial goods. If implemented, such a move would be
most beneficial to the strongest capitalists powers — especially Washington.
The liberal press moguls have greeted the trade conflicts with
catastrophic warnings about what they claim is a “trade war.” These
claims are part of their hysterical efforts to paint Trump as dangerous
who must be removed from office by any means necessary.
But real imperialist trade wars in history have often been a prelude to
real shooting wars, as was the U.S. rulers’ decision to blockade all oil
and steel exports to Japan in 1941.
There is no reason to think that Washington’s trade dispute with Beijing
is aimed at provoking a trade war, much less World War III. Trump’s
moves — like his administration’s other recent foreign policy steps —
involve punishing sanctions or tariffs as a way to get talks on more
favorable terms for the U.S. rulers.
However the trade dispute between the bosses in the U.S. and China ends,
U.S. bosses won’t “reward” U.S. workers. Whether their victory leads
them to pump up production for new trade, or if setbacks lead them to
cut back, their profits depend on squeezing the workers.
AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka backs the administration’s tariffs,
identifying workers needs with those of the bosses. But this course can
only lead to disaster. Our problem isn’t workers abroad — it is
capitalism. Our problem is the bosses and their government here in the
U.S. We need to chart a course to overthrow the rule of the capitalist
bosses who exploit us and take political power into our own hands.
The labor movement needs to start from the solidarity and common
interests of workers in the U.S., China and around the world. We demand
the unconditional lifting of all Washington’s tariffs and sanctions.
In This Issue
Front Page Articles •SWP takes campaigns to workers’ doorsteps
•SWP: Build fighting alliance of workers and farmers!
•Workers have nothing to gain in US moves on China trade
•‘Militant’ files appeal against ban by Illinois federal prison
•New round of protests in Iran oppose impact of rulers’ wars
•US, NKorea denuclearization moves good for working class
Feature Articles •NY forum takes up crisis facing workers, farmers in
Nicaragua
Also In This Issue •Debate in UK deepens over Jew-hatred in Labour Party
•‘New York should stop trying to overturn verdict in Bah killing’
•Who were the combatants who began Cuba’s revolution?
On the Picket Line •Locked-out Quebec aluminum workers win solidarity
•British Columbia workers strike casino bosses over pay, dignity
25, 50 and 75 years ago
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