Liberals in Congress no longer believe in the benefits of free trade, but Africa still does. Bloomberg reports: Southern African countries will launch a free trade area on Aug. 17, when their leaders meet in Johannesburg, to boost trade and economic growth in the region. The 14-member Southern African Development …
Debunking myths about the supposed harm free trade inflicts on U.S. manufacturing, Cato Institute’s Daniel Ikenson notes: While the rest of U.S. manufacturing has recovered, Michigan’s manufacturing economy remains stagnant. Real GDP growth between 2005 and 2006 in Michigan ranked dead last among the 50 states. Meager manufacturing value-added growth …
This week The Heritage Foundation’s ‘What Would Reagan Do” campaign asks, “Why did Reagan value economic freedom?” You can check out the WWRD page for the answer, but in the meantime here is what President Reagan said when signing “America’s Economic Bill of Rights” on July 3, 1987: Inextricably linked …
With the Doha Round of WTO trade talks grounded, any growth in U.S. trade opportunities will have to come from Free trade agreements. As the International Trade Administration documents, trade with countries that the United States has FTAs was significantly greater than their relative share of the global economy. Although …
U.S. agriculture subsidies are again threatening American leadership on free trade. The Financial Times reports: Brazil is preparing to take action against the US over what it says are illegal subsidies and other trade barriers following the collapse of the Doha round of talks at the World Trade Organisation in …
Writing on agriculture’s role in the collapse of the Doha Round of World Trade Organization negotiations, Hoover Institution fellow Victor Davis Hanson summarizes the past 70 years of U.S. farm policy in the New York Times: Here at home Congress recently overrode President Bush’s veto to approve a $300 billion, …
Writing in the Wall Street Journal, Cato Institute’s Daniel Ikenson examines how nations can still increase free trade despite yesterday’s collapse of the Doha Round WTO talks: As Doha negotiations sputtered for seven years, the WTO reports that annual global trade flows have increased 70%, to $14 trillion. UNCTAD reports …
Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), who once threatened to resign if Congress stripped funding for the infamous Bridge to Nowhere, was indicted yesterday on seven felony counts for failing to disclose gifts from an Alaskan firm. Meanwhile, across the Atlantic in Geneva, international talks aimed at ushering in a new era …
