We’ve known for decades that countries like Japan and Korea manage their economies to export, preferably to the U.S., and control their own imports tightly to make it very hard for the U.S. to increase its exports. The problem is not static; it’s actually getting worse. Countries like Vietnam, Malaysia, and Thailand have learned by watching Japan and Korea. They would love a free trade deal with a big, dumb set of political leaders like many of those in our Congress, so they could sell their manufactured goods here. Those countries have lower environmental and safety standards, lower wages, and government subsidies to help their exports. So it would not be free and fair trade at all.

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