DiMicco, president and chief executive officer of Nucor Corporation, which is one of the largest U.S. steel producers, stressed the need to support the American manufacturing and agriculture industries, both domestically and in the worldwide arena.
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What worried DiMicco instead was a shortage of policymakers enforcing free trade.
"Competition, not governments can determine winners and losers," he said.
Without requiring free trade, "it's not that we don't succeed," DiMicco said, "but we don't succeed as much as we could.
DiMicco said the U.S. imports more beef than it exports, a fact that he said "blows my mind."
According to DiMicco, excessive imports not only harm the economy, but they also may pose health and environmental risks to Americans. He said if a country such as China produces counterfeit steel, which then is used by an auto maker, the result can be deadly in a car accident.
DiMicco also said China uses "inefficient, polluting energy sources" and recently surpassed the United States in becoming the highest greenhouse gas producer.
While much of his message centered on strengthening America's manufacturing might, DiMicco acknowledged that free trade would also benefit other nations.
"We seek to include everyone in the American dream," he said.
The forum included representatives from four Iowa State University student organizations that sponsored the forum: ISU Democrats, ISU Republicans, ISU Engineering Leadership Program and ISU Collegiate Future Farmers of America.
"It's always positive if people can get together and talk about an issue in an atmosphere that promotes America's future," said Jordan Navara, executive director of ISU Republicans. "I felt this was a positive promotion of intellectual debate. This kind of issue begs hearing all sides."
One of the main issues at the heart of the debate, said Sarah Walter, founding student director of the ISU Engineering Leadership Program, was the concept of instant gratification.
"The more you invest in developing countries, the more they develop," she said. "Eventually, their wages will increase to what we now have. Companies need to realize the instant gratification of moving jobs overseas doesn't work."
In order to make this change, Walter said, the nation must elect policymakers who recognize the importance of retaining American engineering and manufacturing jobs.
Presidential candidates Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kansas, and Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-California, claimed to be such policymakers when they spoke during the town hall meeting.
"I think we have to be much more aggressive, particularly with China, in the trade process," Brownback said. "... We ought to be willing to use tariffs against the Chinese."
Hunter said China was "cheating" in its economic practices by using currency manipulation to maintain low prices, while "pushing American goods off the shelf."
China is using "our money" to arm itself with military strength, Hunter said.
To further stimulate economic growth, Brownback said he would establish an optional alternative flat tax.
Ultimately, the speakers said, citizens have a say in promoting fair trade by using their vote and financial support. According to DiMicco, "The cost of doing business on an unlevel playing field is huge, far greater than the benefit of buying a $10 T-shirt at Wal-Mart."
