Ford Closing.

[SLR_dave]

its ridiculous to say that cheap imports need to be taxed higher.... the days of import tariffs died 10 - 15 years ago as australia needed to play on the big stage in relation to global trade agreements.... we had to stop taxing inports if we wanted to export on a level playing field...

we simply cannot compete in manufacturing compared to asia

Urm, just politely, I dunno about that. Australia still had an import tariff on general passenger vehicles in 2008-2009, I think it was 5%, and that was before the dollar hit US parity, I'm no banking and finance expert, but I never understood how free trade agreements would assist Australia, it seemed to me we were bullied into them by the US. We sell largely commodities and primary products, and always have, so, free trade was only gonna assist Australia if everyone else played fair too, which of course is still a developing idealogue.

I havent checked, but last I heard, in Japan, there are still regulations which make it difficult to register a Japanese made vehicle once it exceeds three or four years of age, which of course encourages the purchase of new vehicles built domestically in Japan, and I dont actually know, but doesnt Germany still have an import tariff on vehicles? We can, and still do do, compete with Asia, and Australian auto manufacturing workers get paid more than in competing countries (Thailand, China, for example).

If globalisation was truly to be a step forward for humanity, I thought the point was that once the less developed nations became developed to that of the richer nations, then their workers would also have the opportunity to expect higher wages.

Untill that happens, shouldnt the Australian Government be able to impose a tarriff on products produced in countries where workers are given less opportunities than those of a competing product here?

It's a crying shame about Fords demise in Australia, and its been allowed to happen not just because of the financial ebb and flow of the last few years, but also, to a large extent because of decisions made by Ford in the US... surely, so, its not just Asia that gets competetive with the domestic product! The Australian product (considering all that) stands up pretty well!......till recently at least.