President Barack Obama recently announced the appointment of 20 private-sector members to the President’s Export Council. Although the President promised to provide Americans an “unprecedented level of openness in Government,” the White House announcement did not mention the numerous financial connections between President Obama and his appointees. To correct that …
President Barack Obama recently promised that his Administration will be “going to bat” for U.S. exporters. A look at his specific recommendations suggests that the country would be better off if he stuck to golf. For example, President Obama promised improved access to credit to exporters through the Export-Import Bank …
Tick, tick, tick — the sound of a Congressional trade bomb. By its own, not very exacting standards, Congress has patiently waited for change in Chinese currency policy. The single most likely time for that was the G-20 finance minister’s over the weekend in South Korea. But nothing meaningful from …
The April 22-25 visits of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to Zimbabwe and to Uganda highlight Iran’s unrelenting quest for international partners ready to either associate with its anti-U.S., anti-West program or soften potential sanctions taking shape in the UN Security Council. The visits also allowed Iran to once-more denounce the meddling of …
Today’s papers give the impression of a collective exhale on U.S.-China relations. Chinese President Hu Jintao is coming to Washington for a global nuclear security summit and that means a trade war over exchange rates has been averted. However, a better term than “averted” is “postponed.” It is probably true …
The New York Times, Washington Post, and others today ran front-page stories on economic and political disagreements the U.S. has with China. The headlines mostly distract from the real issue. China is nowhere close to a global military power but it is becoming a global economic power. It is therefore …
In a retaliatory response to the U.S. government’s unwillingness to eliminate domestic cotton subsidies, Brazil has announced higher tariffs on over 100 American goods ranging from cars to ketchup. Trade issues are central to the bilateral relationship between Brazil and the United States. Brazil is an attractive export destination for U.S. …
This past Sunday marked an important anniversary for the American economy. On November 22, 2006, the United States and Colombia signed the U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement. This agreement would immediately eliminate tariffs on U.S. exports to this important trading partner – creating billions in revenue for U.S. businesses and new …
President Obama has decided to apply heavy tariffs to passenger car and light truck replacement tires made in China. This is the latest and worst episode in an ill-advised assault on free trade with the PRC. Taking WTO-compliant steps to counter Chinese subsidies or other mercantilist behavior is entirely reasonable. …
Here is a quote from the President’s new budget (emphasis added): “If we lead the world in the research and development of clean energy technology, we can create a whole new industry with high-paying jobs that cannot be shipped overseas. Some compare the promise of this sector to information technology.” …
