If the trade agreements were going to make everything cheaper, then why is everything so expensive?

Question

We were told that the trade agreements would make goods so cheap, I buy a lot of stuff, supplies, materials, equipment and it is all double what is was just a few years ago, Are the trade agreements a total failure?

Answer 1

It takes energy to do anything.
Energy costs are climbing rapidly along with energy demands.
China and India, with their populations in the BILLIONS are both experiencing economic boom times and all those people want cars. Their automobiles are not designed to reduce pollution and are often not too efficient. Neither of those nations produce much petroleum, but their demands for energy are increasing rapidly.
There is NO immediate solution to this worsening energy crisis, so the cost of energy will continue to climb along with pollution.
That is a PRIMARY cause of inflation.
Couple that with an increase in the standard of living in those Nations and the subsequent increase in THEIR costs of living, you can see the cost of labor in those societies are going up and WE are paying them for their labor.
Basically, we are subsidizing the worlds increased standard of living. - And that subsidy is getting more expensive.

Answer 2

Both the premise and the conclusion of your question are faulty.

The purpose of trade agreements is not to make things cheaper, it is to facilitate trade.

As for everything being more expensive, that is false too.

As an example or 3, nything high tech related, wheterh it is hardware, software, or services drops in price regularly as the power goes up.

Do you use any hardware, software, or hi tech services in your life? I thought so. So not everything is more expensive.

In genreal, prices are pretty stable - there is no inflation to speak of in this country nor in most of the rest of the world.

That is a good thing, and in large part careful attention ot the economy and trade agreements plays a large part in that.

Answer 3

good point - in France they have abolished road tax - their petrol is still cheaper than the UK and their roads are far better.food wine and certainly cigarettes cost less than half of what they cost in the UK.
they have a country 4 times the size with the same population yet their health care and education systems are better than ours.

i don't know what our government is doing with our money but p*ss - up and brewery springs to mind - they are certainly not spending it on us .
no matter what agreements are made trade or otherwise we who work and pay in just seem to keep paying but never getting anything back.

Answer 4

The value of our currency is in the toilet. The cost of most goods has gone done in absolute terms, but because the US dollar is almost worthless, everything imported or made with imported materials seems more expensive to us.

Answer 5

well... profits have gone up for those companies selling those products...

the cost of manufacturing has gone down, but they never bothered to drop the prices to match...

Answer 6

you must be shopping at wal-mart...LOL
the actual product is cheaper but all the middlemen have to add on their fees and such.

Answer 7

Double??
I doubt that.
If its true, you are a sucker who is getting taken by your local merchants.

Answer 8

thanks mr. bush for the war.........again less is more