Major Assignment

#3
Elijah Geniesse

Assignment Description
The Major Assignment #3 is a multimodal argument
covering a controversial topic that is covered by the media.
In this topic I have to determine my controversial topic and
create written and multimodal rhetoric in order to argue
my point. Controversial topics require two sides to each
argument. Also, this assignment specifically looks into the
way the argument is represented by the media.

Argument

Should the United States impose higher

taxes on imports in order to increase
our Gross Domestic Income?

Argument Description
The United States has a very high import rate which means
that the majority of consumer products come from other
countries. Which helps businesses find products for low
prices though it hurts manufacturers that live within the
United States. There are tax impositions on items that are
imported but they are not heavy enough to deter
consumers from purchasing them. If there is an increase in
taxes on imported goods then people will be more willing
to buy domestic products which will improve our countries
Gross Domestic Income

Counter-argument

Increasing import taxes will make it

more difficult for businesses to
manufacture products at such low
prices.

Counter-Argument Description
Due to laws and regulations, domestic manufacturing has
become very expensive. This requires businesses to
manufacture in foreign countries and import their products
here in order to maintain low prices. While higher taxes will
improve domestic business it will hurt businesses who are
trying to stay competitive.

Rate of Imports from Asia-Pacific countries

How this article relates to the media..

Media products are imported and exported just as manufactured

products are. There are many markets around the world that
benefit from trading media goods. The United States is one of
the top nations in exporting Entertainment products. This
strongly benefits our countries economic well being.

How this article relates to the media..

According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, in 2014 the

United States exported $710,565 million while we only imported
$477,428 million. The only areas where imports remain higher
than exports are books and sound recordings and computer
services.

http://trade.gov/topmarkets/pdf/Media_and_Entertainmen
t_Top_Markets_Report.pdf

United States Imports vs. Exports

United States Imports vs. Exports

Exports

Imports

According to OEC, in 2015 the United States

imported $2.19 trillion goods. Making them the
highest importing country in the world by a large
margin.

According to OEC, in 2015 the United States

exported only $1.45 trillion. Meaning that there was
a negative trade balance of $735 billion.

http://atlas.media.mit.edu/en/profile/country/us
a/

How do import taxes work

The Harmonized Tariff System
provides duty rates for virtually
every item that exists. The system
uses experts who study every field
of goods and specific product. These
experts then determine tax rates
based off of specific cost, quality,
country of production, materials,
and all channels of distribution. They
spend years learning how to
properly classify an item in order to
determine its correct duty rate.
https://www.usitc.gov/tata/hts/bychapter/index.htm

How do import taxes work

There are programs such as
dutycalculator.com and The
International Trade CommissionTarriff Database that aid
consumers in determining an
accurate estimate on the tax
rates on their imported goods.
Final tax rates are generated
upon entry by the U.S. Customs
and Border Protection.

https://dataweb.usitc.gov/

Pros to Taxes on Imports

Improved domestic industry
Increased purchases for US products
Protection for domestic manufacturers
Support for US based companies
Deterrence of consumer purchases in
foreign countries
Increase in number of American jobs

Cons to Taxes on Imports

Foreign dignitaries may impose similar
tariffs to retaliate
Imported goods become more expensive
for consumers
Manufacturing in other countries becomes
more expensive
Foreign companies may discontinue
products in markets with high tariffs, this
will reduce competition and ultimately
higher prices of domestic products

Media Coverage
President-Elect, Donald
Trump, even covers this
topic in the attached
interview. Trump speaks
about his views on foreign
relations with China and
Mexico specifically. These
are our two biggest trade
countries. Both countries
manufacture products at
much lower prices then us,
therefore the majority of
consumer products in the
US are imported from these
countries along with many
others.

https://youtu.be/ASoeNe3-Hq
A
(Play 0:00-2:25)

Conclusion
Tariffs are imposed to regulate the amount of imports and exports
between the countries. The united States is in a large deficit because we
import much more than we export. This means a large part of American
money is being given to foreign companies and markets. While this is
typically less expensive, it will hurt our economy in the long run. In order
to preserve some of the American money our government imposes taxes
on imported products. These tariffs increase the cost of products that are
manufactured by foreign businesses. This increase of costs will cause an
increase in purchases of domestic products. The money will then go to
businesses within the United States, in turn helping improve our financial
stability and gross domestic income. Therefore, increases in taxes on
imported products will prove beneficial to the US market as a whole.