Free trade deals should be a PATH to free trade. Meaning, an agreement detailing steps that must be taken that will end in free and fair trade. The path must include incentives (moving closer to free trade) for fair trade, and penalties (tariffs) for unfair trade.

So what is unfair trade? Unfair trade is any behavior violating international norms. That could be currency manipulation, subsidies, force labor, human rights violations, lack of labor rights, disregard of environmental norms, and so forth.

It is cheaper to break the rules. Preserving the environment, paying a minimal wage, and allowing workers to organize costs more money. So companies that play by the rules are penalized, while companies (and countries) that ignore the rules are rewarded. Because free traders act like cult followers and no amount of evidence will convince them otherwise, the current policies are destroying this country’s base.

The reason that not a single one of our trade agreements work and result in massive trade deficits on our part is because we refuse to punish unfair trade. Instead, we punish the American companies and workers who play by the rules.