Free Trade Fact of the Day
Posted July 15th, 2008 at 10.40am in American Leadership.
The World Trade Organization released a report today titled Trade in a Globalizing World. From the Executive Summary:
International trade is integral to the process of globalization. Over many years, governments in most countries have increasingly opened their economies to international trade, whether through the multilateral trading system, increased regional cooperation or as part of domestic reform programmes. Trade and globalization more generally have brought enormous benefits to many countries and citizens. Trade has allowed nations to benefit from specialization and economies to produce at a more efficient scale. It has raised productivity, supported the spread of knowledge and new technologies, and enriched the range of choices available to consumers. But deeper integration into the world economy has not always proved popular, nor have the benefits of trade and globalization necessarily reached all sections of society.
Trade scepticism is on the rise in certain quarters, and the purpose of this year’s core topic of the World Trade
Report, entitled “Trade in a Globalizing World”, is to remind ourselves of what we know about the gains from international trade and the challenges arising from higher levels of integration.
- Author: Conn Carroll
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July 16, 2008 Nathan--Montana writes:
The only reason other countries have opened their economies to free trade is because they wanted the then valuable American Dollar!
Who is spinning the story that even NAFTA is a benefit to the American economy? Ranchers are going out of business due to the flooding of the cattle market with beef that wouldn’t pass our inspection process here in the states–namely from Canada. Farmers can’t compete with low-ball prices on grains from the same place.
I went to an auction yesterday at yet another lumber mill. (About a month ago a 100+ year operation closed in Bonner, MT also) They are closing their doors due to the inability to compete with the now free trade neighbor to the north! The liberals living in their stick frame houses apparently let the Canadians still cut timber.
We could have reasonably priced commodities that are top notch, MADE IN THE USA quality and it is being pushed aside for poorly inspected beef, lower quality grain, and crooked/wind shaken timber supplying Home Depot & Lowes with horseshoe shaped 2×4 studs!!! (I challenge you to find a clear & straight 2×4 there–maybe 10% of each bunk would qualify)
WHEN ARE WE GOING TO WAKE UP AND PAY OURSELVES FIRST? Let’s supply our own needs for food, materials, and energy then if there is some left seek other markets.
It seems that it is a mandate that we cannot sell ourselves what we produce and it is an infection that will be the end of small business. NAFTA isn’t even approved of by the majority of congrss. THEY NEVER SIGNED IT!!! It is simply more fallout from the oh-so-elequent-save-our-economy Bill/Willy Clinton years.
It’s black and white folks–please help promote awareness before the FTAA superhighway is splitting our nation in half.
Respectfully submitted
My “Heritage”–6th generation cattle ranch operation–Southwest Montana.