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PLATFORM : Buy American

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<i> ED CHOLAKIAN owns manufacturing and service-related businesses in Sylmar. Commenting on the state of American manufacturing and the U.S. trade deficit with Japan, he told The Times:</i>

The small manufacturers that helped our country grow are disappearing partly because foreign markets are closed to American products. Until we put up the same kind of restrictions on imports, the situation will not change. We don’t need free trade; we need fair trade.

However, we can only blame ourselves for our economic problems. How can we blame Japan, Germany and Taiwan for turning away U.S. goods when we are reluctant to buy our own products?

Foreign countries are not going to buy enough of our products to make a difference. Our trade negotiators are not going to make a difference. The difference is going to have to be made by each and every one of us. We have to wake up and buy American products.

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American companies have quality products. We taught Japan and other countries how to manufacture cars and other products. Future jobs are at stake. I’m not as worried about what I see today as much as by what I see coming if the current trend continues.

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