ManufactureThis is continuing our Q&A with Michael Stumo of the Coalition for a Prosperous America... What do you think the U.S. needs to do in order to rebuild its manufacturing base?     We need to fully rework our trade policies.  Free trade is a fraud.  Fair trade is a good start.  Smart trade is a goal we have to shoot for.  That means we have to respond to, and neutralize, foreign currency manipulation.  Asian countries intervene in currency markets to keep their currency values low in comparison to the dollar.  It is uncontroverted that China's currency is undervalued, we believe by 35%.  That is a 35% subsidy to Chinese exports to us, and a 35% tariff on our exports to them. We have to neutralize foreign country border taxes.  Virtually all other countries have a consumption tax, like a value added tax.  The average level is 17%.  The tax is border adjustable because they charge incoming goods with the tax, and pay companies a 17% tax rebate when exporting goods.  It is like a tariff and an export subsidy, which is why it is a "border adjustable" tax.  The tax is WTO legal, however.  The only country that does not do this is the U.S.  In the past 40 years, we have decreased our tariffs and so have other countries, but the other countries have largely replaced their tariffs with border taxes resulting in no net change.  Our trade policy must neutralize this unfairness through new or renegotiated trade agreements, or we can consider shifting our tax system to institute a VAT while decreasing our reliance on income taxes for revenue.  The Congress must decide upon a national trade and economic strategy to guide trade negotiators, instead of letting the U.S. Trade Representative office take the lead.  USTR, it appears, just tries to get an agreement, like filling a quota.  Congress must take more control, rather than be presented with a take-it-or-leave-it trade agreement with a gun-to-the-head timeline for decision. America must retain its ability to set its product and food safety standards, and make sure imports comply.  Otherwise our domestic standards system is a leaky sieve... ineffective.  We have 100 years of food safety improvements under our belt, but imported seafood and melamine tainted milk products eviscerate our system.  Shoddy steel from China is in our buildings and bridges.  We need not trade away our safety and disadvantage our domestic producers in this way. The Coalition for a Prosperous America is working on these problems.  Farmers, manufacturers and labor are collaborating together aggressively to spread the message in Congressional districts across the country, as well as in DC.