What would happen if we didn't have any trade barriers?

Question

What would result in the elimination of 100% of all trade barriers?

Answer 1

America would be unemployed and third world countries would have more sweat shops.

Answer 2

Predatory pricing by places with cheap, exploitationist labor systems.  Perpetuation of sweat-shops.  Perpetuation of child labor.  Attempts to "corner" markets - to artificially alter the balance of a particular commodity to drive out competition and then immediately jack up prices once you have a lock on the market.

Many jobs would also leave the country.  Unions would probably fold because their salaries contribute to USA pricing, whereas union overhead doesn't always exist from foreign versions of things.

Prices would suffer.  So would quality.  Some of the trade barriers prevent material from coming that is cheap because it doesn't have expensive sample and safety checks.  We'd see meat with BSE (Mad Cow) and chicken tainted with salmonella.  We'd see grain tainted with ergot.

While I actually agree that lower trade barriers are a good idea, ZERO trade barriers aren't.  To protect our people and their jobs, I think we need to keep matters competitive within our country.