‘America First’ means hitting China where it hurts – their pollution

As conservative members of the Arkansas General Assembly, we are committed to advancing policies that strengthen our nation’s economic foundation, protect American jobs, and uphold the principles of fairness laid out in the “America First” agenda.

These goals led us to sponsor  Senate Resolution 29 and House Resolution 1021 during the most recent Arkansas Fiscal Session, urging the U.S. Congress to enact a trade policy that supports American businesses and workers  by holding global polluters accountable. Our geopolitical adversaries, such as China and Russia, undercut America economically through minimal or non-existent environmental standards.

But broadly, “tough on China” is not enough. We must hit them where it hurts, which happens to be where we excel, and stand up for American manufacturing.

Over the past two decades, our federal trade policies have disproportionally benefitted foreign countries at the expense of American workers and industries. Nations like China and Russia are known for their high pollution levels yet have been allowed to flood our markets with cheaply produced goods, undermining cleaner American manufacturers and energy producers. The result? From 1998 to 2021, the United States has lost roughly five million jobs, with a significant portion attributable to our trade deficit with China alone.

Our rural communities have been hit hardest by these misguided policies. Manufacturing jobs, which are critical to the economic health of rural areas of Arkansas, have declined by over 20%. This decline has not only led to higher unemployment rates but has also exacerbated poverty, weakened local economies, and made rural Americans more vulnerable to crises like the opioid epidemic.

It’s a well-documented fact that goods produced in China generate three times the emissions of equivalent goods made in the United States, while Russian manufactured goods are even worse. Minerals mined in China are more than twice as polluting as those mined domestically, and Russian oil and natural gas are significantly more pollution-intensive than their American counterparts. By purchasing these heavily polluting foreign goods, we are inadvertently empowering bad actors on a global scale, geopolitically and economically.

Over-reliance on foreign goods, particularly from countries that do not share our values, leaves us vulnerable to supply chain disruptions and geopolitical pressures. By leveling the playing field to incentivize domestic production, we can reduce our dependence on imports from high-emitting producers like Russia and China, thereby enhancing our national security and ensuring a more resilient economy.

The boost this would provide a benefit to a wide range of industry sectors, including Arkansas’s vitally important steel industry, which is thriving in Northeast Arkansas. The U.S. steel industry is 75% – 320% more efficient than foreign competitors, and by enacting trade policies that hold international producers accountable for their high pollution practices, we would see upto a 9% boost in domestic steel production. Most of this would come at China’s expense and at long last reward cleaner American manufacturers and workers after decades of cheap, dirty Chinese steel being dumped on our shores.

Our resolutions, passed by the Arkansas Senate and Arkansas House, are a call to action for the United States Congress to enact a trade policy that aligns with our nation’s economic, national security, and environmental interests. By holding foreign polluters accountable and supporting American businesses and workers, we can pave the way for a brighter, more prosperous future for all Americans.

Editor’s note: State Sen. Dave Wallace, R-Leachville, represents District 19 in the Arkansas Senate, and State Rep. Joey Carr, R-Blytheville, represents District 34 in the Arkansas House of Representatives. The opinions expressed are those of the authors.