Trade Deficit, 'Fiscal Cliff' Threaten Economy

To boost sales of Chinese products in the U.S., Beijing undervalues the yuan through intervention in currency markets and subsidizes exports. It pirates U.S. technology and imposes high tariffs on imports. Diplomatic efforts pursued by both Presidents Bush and Obama have failed to yield much relief for competing U.S. businesses and workers.

Eliminating the trade deficit by developing U.S. energy and taking aggressive steps to counter Chinese protectionism would boost GDP by $1 trillion and create 10 million jobs.

However, in coming months the president and Congress will be preoccupied with averting the "fiscal cliff" and with deficit reduction -- without action by Jan. 1, taxes will increase by $136 billion and spending will be cut by $532 billion.

The likely outcome is higher taxes on the wealthy and spending reductions that will slice the deficit by some about $300 billion. This reduction in demand could throw the economy into a deep recession without offsetting policy actions to jump start additional oil and gas production, curb the growing trade deficit with China or offer businesses relief from new regulations and health care mandates.

Other items on President Obama's second-term agenda -- tax reform, immigration reform and alternative energy projects will take many months to affect and few immediate effects on growth.

In the end, the president and Congress will not be able to raise taxes -- on the wealthiest of the wealthy or anyone else -- and cut spending without risking a second recession, deeper and more painful than the Great Recession.

Follow @PMorici1

This article is commentary by an independent contributor, separate from TheStreet's regular news coverage.

Professor Peter Morici, of the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, is a recognized expert on economic policy and international economics. Prior to joining the university, he served as director of the Office of Economics at the U.S. International Trade Commission. He is the author of 18 books and monographs and has published widely in leading public policy and business journals, including the Harvard Business Review and Foreign Policy. Morici has lectured and offered executive programs at more than 100 institutions, including Columbia University, the Harvard Business School and Oxford University. His views are frequently featured on CNN, CBS, BBC, FOX, ABC, CNBC, NPR, NPB and national broadcast networks around the world.

« First ‹ Previous 1 2