In a clear violation of the U.S. trade law, Canadian airplane maker Bombardier sold its airplanes to a U.S. airline for a fraction of the cost it takes to make them — this is called “dumping.”
The kicker? Bombardier used an illegal government bailout to make this happen. The U.S. Department of Commerce affirmed this fact and is in the process of holding Bombardier accountable with a massive penalty.
Watch U.S. Fly is closely following the issue because it impacts hundreds of thousands of American workers.
Writing in The Hill, public policy expert and prominent columnist George Landrith explains the situation and its consequences:
“Bombardier has violated every free trade principle in the book and got caught in the act …
When companies and nations cheat, people around the globe increasingly question the benefits of international trade. Most people recognize that trade brings many benefits, like lower consumer prices, a wider choice of goods and many innovations. The issue for them has more to do with whether trade is fair or whether governments rig the system to favor their home industries. That is precisely what Canada and Bombardier have done.
When only the U.S. abides by free trade agreements and our trading partners cheat, American workers suffer.”