There is much discussion about the proper role of our Federal Government in the oversight and regulation of trade policy, as well as on the revenue created from Foreign trade, called "duties, excises, imposts." Here directly excerpted from the Constitution the portion of the Constitution regarding Foreign trade, Article 1 section 8. First a comment on Article 1 section 8. Notice, reflecting the importance of this Element of Section 8 Article 1, that it is the first paragraph in the section. "The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States; To borrow Money on the credit of the United States; To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes;" (Capitalization Original) And they must be uniform across the United States, however, no comment is made about uniformity on different Countries or all segments of a country with whom we trade. Here is an excerpt, reflecting the responsibility of the Federal Government to protect our market from unfair policies or from improper or damaging foreign policy, or manipulation, directly from the Constitution Party Website: "Article I, Section 8 provides that duties, imposts, and excises are legitimate revenue-raising measures on which the United States government may properly rely. We support a tariff based revenue system, as did the Founding Fathers, which was the policy of the United States during most of the nation’s history. In no event will the U.S. tariff on any foreign import be less than the difference between the foreign item’s cost of production and the cost of production of a similar item produced in the United States. The cost of production of a U.S. product shall include, but not be limited to, all compensation, including fringe benefits, paid to American workers, and environmental costs of doing business imposed on business by federal, state, and local governments." Further, the Constitution Party platform states: "Tariffs are not only a Constitutional source of revenue, but, wisely administered, are an aid to preservation of the national economy." Then significantly the Constitution Party platform states: "Since the adoption of the 1934 Trade Agreements Act, the United States government has engaged in a free trade policy which has destroyed or endangered important segments of our domestic agriculture and industry, undercut the wages of our working men and women, and totally destroyed or shipped abroad the jobs of hundreds of thousands of workers." And you can measure this last reference I make to the Constitution Party's platform regarding the outcome of unfettered fair trade: "This free trade policy is being used to foster socialism in America through welfare and subsidy programs."

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