For Global Atlanta readers following U.S. trade policy, Jim Galloway‘s “Political Insider” column in the Atlanta Journal Constitution of July 2 is a must read.
In it, the veteran journalist and columnist delineates the gulf separating the traditional Georgia Republican Party’s opinion that “When we trade, we win” with presumptive Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump‘s “slightly different take: When we trade, we’re cheated.”
Meanwhile, Gov. Nathan Deal, a Republican, is heading to Germany on Saturday, July 9, with other state officials to visit manufacturing companies with operations in Georgia. The delegation will be making stops in Dusseldorf, Nuremberg, Munich, Linz and Regensberg.
While in Munich, Mr. Deal will participate in a meeting of the Regional Leaders Summit linking Georgia with states and provinces around the world.
Georgia joined the Regional Leaders alliance in 2008 when Sonny Perdue was governor. Mr. Perdue was the first Republican governor to assume the position since Reconstruction. His cousin, David Perdue, also a Republican, is currently a U.S. senator from Georgia.
In 2014 Georgia hosted the Regional Leaders Summit with delegations attending from the alliance’s members including Bavaria, Germany; Quebec, Canada, Shandong, China; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Upper Austria and Western Cape, South Africa.
The Georgia Department of Economic Development actively promotes trade globally. The department’s website says that “In Georgia, we know companies that sell overseas create twice as many jobs as those only selling in the U.S. market. They grow an average of 18 percent faster, and their workforce is typically 10 to 15 percent more productive. International sales volume also helps lower overall production costs and leads to increased profitability.”
Fox News has reported Mr. Trump to say the following concerning trade with China, Japan and Mexico, three among Georgia’s top trading partners. “We don’t beat China in trade. We don’t beat Japan, with their millions and millions of cars coming into this country, in trade. We can’t beat Mexico, at the border or in trade.”
It’ll be interesting to see what he says at the Republican convention to be held in Cleveland, Ohio, July 18-21.