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Path: utzoo!watmath!atbowler
From: atbowler@watmath.UUCP (Alan T. Bowler [SDG])
Newsgroups: can.politics
Subject: Re: A free trade puzzle
Message-ID: <16374@watmath.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 10-Sep-85 09:44:33 EDT
Article-I.D.: watmath.16374
Posted: Tue Sep 10 09:44:33 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 11-Sep-85 05:11:52 EDT
References: <1378@utcsri.UUCP>
Reply-To: atbowler@watmath.UUCP (Alan T. Bowler [SDG])
Distribution: can
Organization: U of Waterloo, Ontario
Lines: 16
Summary: 

In article <1378@utcsri.UUCP> peterr@utcsri.UUCP (Peter Rowley) writes:
>
>Some people point to the amount of money spent collecting duty (more than
>is taken in) as an argument for free trade.  But it's clear that the
>customs brokers will by no means be put out of business.
>
I know the more rabid libertarians try to give this impression, but it just
isn't true.  What is true is that the amount of money collected at the
border from Joe Public (i.e. amounts in excess of your personal exemption
for things bought outside the country) does not cover the entire cost
of manning the border.  The amount collected on all tariffs is a lot more.
Free trade or not the border stations will still
have to be manned by the same number of people.  You still need to check
for illegal immigrants, illegal substances, and a number of other things
that we don't want in the country.  (Just consider the cost of a major
outbreak of something like hoof and mouth disease).