Shattering the Myths About U.S. Trade Policy

[CUTS-TradeForum]

Shattering the Myths About U.S. Trade Policy

Robert Z. Lawrence and Lawrence Edwards, Harvard Business Review, March 2012

 

Stop blaming China and India. A more active trade policy can lead to a stronger U.S. economy. This article argues that “… trade actually accounts for only a small part of America’s economic problems, and many myths surround its role in causing them.” It analyses myths such as “America’s open trade policy is the main cause of job losses, especially in manufacturing”. Analysing “A Trade Policy for Tomorrow”, it argues: “Although the U.S. has traditionally provided leadership in multilateral trade negotiations, that has been conspicuously absent in reviving the moribund Doha Round of talks. … The U.S. must be more active at the WTO, both in bringing cases to enforce its rights under existing agreements and in negotiating for new rules that improve market access.”

 

Read the full article: http://cuts-citee.org/pdf/Shattering_the_Myths_About_US_Trade_Policy.pdf.