Free Trade Benefits Everyone

The solution to restoring America's entrepreneurial spirit is to allow markets to freely trade with each other so that jobs can be created here and abroad. A recent Pew survey among U.S. consumers found that support for free trade rose from 36 percent to 44 percent, but the lack of interest shown by Congress on trade issues indicates that they are not in touch with their constituents.

The global reality is that free trade amongst countries rarely exists. Where free trade does exist is interstate commerce between our 50 states, where it has fueled our domestic economy.
 
We should therefore examine free trade at its purist. Why not have our Free Trade Agreements resemble the kind of trade that exists amongst the states?  The U.S. Constitution forbids tariffs amongst states on any kind of product or service. All 50 states are under the same federal laws controlling banking, the environment, labor rights, safety standards and copyright and patent protection.  All 50 states use the same currency, not subject to manipulation or devaluation. All 50 states are ultimately answerable to the Supreme Court.

• Enforce Trade Agreements – especially NAFTA

• Pass the Colombia, South Korean and Panama Free Trade Agreements

• Depoliticize the Trade Promotion Authority so they can create more U.S. jobs

• Foster Development through Trade and Aid, even among unpopular nations

• Help Small Businesses to Export by creating access to capital and removing trade barriers

• Create the department of Global Trade and Industry which would have control over all trade policies within a single department

• Convince Unions that free trade creates more American jobs, not less

• Protect Intellectual Property

• Welcome Investment from Abroad

Mar 13, 2010 Trade numbers climb sharply at Southland ports (Los Angeles Times) Imports through Los Angeles rose 29.8% and exports grew 32.6% compared with February of last year. "Our feeling is that consumers are coming back. Exports came in at 147,926, compared with 111,595 in February 2009. Exports rose to 123,208 containers, compared with 92,781 in February last year.    more...  

Mar 13, 2010 Export push deemed good for Memphis (The Commercial Appeal) Memphis is in a unique position, in that it's good for us going either way.    more...  

Mar 13, 2010 Sale of elephant-tusk stockpiles may encourage poaching, experts worry (The Seattle Times) Zambia, for example, claims poachers killed only 135 elephants in the past decade. At the same time, African nations stepped up game patrols and poaching plummeted. But money for enforcement programs soon evaporated. In 2006, law-enforcement officials seized nearly 30,000 tons of illegal ivory,...    more...  

Mar 12, 2010 Imports, exports dip; crude oil plunges (The Washington Times) Exports of autos and parts fell by $544 million. On the other hand, it's up nearly 90 percent from a year ago, when imported crude cost less than $40. As a result, gasoline prices have been rising. But rising import levels of refined petroleum products, such as gasoline, meant that the monthly...    more...  

Mar 12, 2010 Obama's ambitious export plan may rekindle free-trade battle (Washington Post) Restrictions on the overseas sale of some high-end technology goods may also be eased.If successful, the president said, the program would create 2 million jobs. China, by contrast, accumulated large trade surpluses that Obama said should now be used to expand domestic consumption -- and increase...    more...  

Mar 11, 2010 Talks to Address Trade in Tuna and Ivory (New York Times) Marathon negotiations on protecting the planet’s endangered species open on Saturday in Qatar with tensions bubbling over efforts to ban trade in bluefin tuna and to reopen exports of elephant ivory from Africa. Conservationists want to ban international trade in bluefin tuna to allow stocks to...    more...  

Mar 11, 2010 Obama unveils plans to double U.S. exports (Washington Post) ...export promotion, relaunches the moribund President's Export Council to be chaired by top private sector executives, and aims to streamline rules for approving the export of some higher-end technology.It also reopens a discussion over free trade that had been undercut by the global financial...    more...  

Mar 11, 2010 Obama to Create Export Promotion Cabinet to Promote Trade (New York Times) Obama said at a conference of the Export-Import Bank of the United States. In his remarks at the Export-Import Bank, Mr. Obama’s panel, called the Export Promotion Cabinet, will include representatives from the State, Treasury, Commerce and Agriculture Departments, as well other federal...    more...  

Mar 11, 2010 South Florida trade doldrums may be easing (The Miami Herald) South Florida exported $3 billion worth of precious scrap, making it the No. 2 product after aircraft, which accounted for $5 billion in trade.    more...  

Mar 11, 2010 Trade deficit shrinks; Obama plans export push (USA Today) ...trade deficit unexpectedly shrank in January, reflecting a big drop in imports of oil and foreign cars. American exports also fell, a potential blow to hopes that the economic recovery will be helped this year by U.S. sales abroad.The Commerce Department said the trade deficit slid to $37.3...    more...  

Mar 11, 2010 Obama set to unveil details of trade agenda (CNN) He plans to re-establish the president's export council, a private sector advisory committee on international trade. He plans to name Jim McNerney, president and CEO of The Boeing Company, and Ursula Burns, CEO of Xerox Corporation, to lead the council, the official said. The president will also...    more...  

Mar 10, 2010 Obama Faces Criticism Over Pace of Action on Trade Issues (New York Times) And in the Senate, there is interest in completing free-trade agreements that the Bush administration negotiated with Colombia, Panama and South Korea. Kirk presented the administration’s annual trade agenda to Congress. Appearing before the Senate Finance Committee, Mr.    more...  

Mar 10, 2010 China's Exports Rise 46% (New York Times) BEIJING —China announced Wednesday that its exports climbed 46 percent in February from a year earlier. The 46 percent increase in exports beat economists’ predictions and the January increase of 21 percent. China reported a $7.6 billion trade surplus for the month.    more...  

Mar 9, 2010 Maldives Ban Fishing of Sharks (New York Times) Palau, a tiny Micronesian state, in September announced a ban on shark fishing. Like the Maldives, Palau is regarded as one of the world’s top scuba-diving destinations. The value of sharks to the Maldives “is clearly in tourism and diving,” Mr.    more...  

Mar 9, 2010 Despite fears, big powers resist trade wars (The Washington Times) Free-trade pacts with South Korea, Colombia and Panama have stalled in Congress since Mr. December's jump was the biggest gain since monthly record-keeping began in 1991. In 2009, trade plunged by 13.2 percent, the Dutch bureau reported. After December's gain, world trade was still 8 percent...    more...  

Mar 8, 2010 Brazil Threatens Retaliation in Dispute on Cotton Subsidies (New York Times) BRASÍLIA (Reuters) — Brazil detailed its planned retaliation against the United States over American cotton subsidies on Monday, but said that Washington still had a chance to settle the trade dispute through negotiations. Bilateral trade between the two countries fell to $36 billion in 2009,...    more...  

Mar 8, 2010 Kirk gets pressure on trade deals (The Washington Times) Baucus, Montana Democrat. "We must address the remaining obstacles to these agreements. Kirk. The two senators reminded Mr. Obama vigorously opposed all three free-trade agreements, which were negotiated by the Bush administration. Citing violence against labor leaders, he opposed the Colombian...    more...  

Mar 8, 2010 Rep. Levin known as trade critic, but his record on the issue is more complicated (The Hill) Pelosi voted for NAFTA, while Levin voted against it.Rangel is thought to be more business friendly than Levin, a point Rep. He said Levin is “not nearly as pro-business as Charlie was.”But Rangel and Levin voted identically on NAFTA and China. Phil Hare (D-Ill.) of Levin’s new...    more...  

Mar 7, 2010 Fair trade labeling isn't cut-and-dried (The Sacramento Bee) But it can also encompass workers' living and education standards. The standards remain as varied as the organizations that seek to promote or certify fair trade products, critics say. He also belongs to the Fair Trade Federation and buys into other organizations to authenticate his principles....    more...  

Mar 5, 2010 Always some baseline level of standards. Always. (Washington Post) If Wal-Mart were a sovereign nation, it would be China's fifth- or sixth-largest export market. And cheating on the quality of products is the same as cheating on customers. We will not tolerate that at Wal-Mart."There aren't many Wal-Marts out there, of course.    more...  

Mar 5, 2010 Valley grapes squeezed in Mexico trade dispute (The Fresno Bee) California Grape and Tree Fruit League, said farmers can ill afford to see this dispute continue another season. At least 40% of California's table grapes are exported, with Mexico ranking as the No. 2 importer of California table grapes, behind Canada. In 2008, California's grape exports to...    more...  

Mar 5, 2010 European Parliament Wields a Wider Influence (New York Times) For the first time, the European Parliament will be able to vote down international treaties, including trade deals. “But European politics has not been made simpler by the Lisbon Treaty. The Lisbon Treaty is actually another step in a well-trodden path, as previous treaties also expanded...    more...  

Mar 4, 2010 Florida business owners try to assess impact of Chilean earthquake (St. Petersburg Times) Chile exported more than $8 billion in goods to the United States. Some of Chile's largest winemakers have issued statements about production and shipping problems. They knew what to do," Cremaschi said. "The [winery's] buildings comply with regulations for earthquakes." Times researcher Will...    more...  

Mar 4, 2010 U.S. backs international trade ban on Atlantic bluefin tuna (Washington Post) In the western Atlantic, the population has dropped 82 percent in 40 years.    more...  

Mar 4, 2010 Suite Talk, March 4, 2010 (Politico) John Conyers (D-Mich.).Suite Talk follows career changes, client developments and other movements in the public affairs sector.    more...  

Mar 4, 2010 EDITORIAL (Tampa Tribune) He'll oversee a staff of more than 2,000. Sanchez championed trade as a special assistant to the Envoy to the Americas during the Clinton administration. Later as an assistant secretary of transportation, he oversaw aviation treaties. An astute negotiator, he has dealt with more than 30...    more...  

Mar 3, 2010 U.S. supports ban on popular sushi fish, the Atlantic bluefin tuna (USA Today) Japan, which consumes the majority of bluefin tuna fished, has said it will not take part in the trade ban. The proposal, sponsored by Monaco, would prohibit international commercial trade in the species. The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas has predicted that if...    more...  

Mar 3, 2010 U.S. to back bluefin sales ban (Washington Post) The Obama administration did not immediately endorse the proposal, a move that sparked widespread criticism from American marine scientists and ocean activists. In the western Atlantic, the population has dropped 82 percent.    more...  

Mar 3, 2010 State paper companies win duties on imports (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) Appleton, Ohio-based New Page and Sappi Fine Paper North America, a division of South Africa's Sappi Ltd. (NYSE:SPP) Trade tensions have simmered between U.S. and Chinese producers of coated paper since at least 2006. NewPage, which operates four paper mills in Wisconsin, is the largest North...    more...  

Mar 2, 2010 Goodspeed In The Holy Land? East Haddam Opera House Heads To Jerusalem (The Hartford Courant) In fact, the "export" of services is identical to the export of goods, as far as the economy is concerned. And Goodspeed, as a historic American company in a classic American art form, figures it can go global. A Commerce Department affiliate is paying for Courtney, his spokesman said. In some...    more...  

Mar 2, 2010 14 Companies In State Going To Jerusalem On Trade Mission (The Hartford Courant) A Commerce Department affiliate is paying for Courtney, his spokesman said. In some cases, Courtney and executives will meet with officials from Israeli government agencies, including the defense ministry. Courtney is a member of the House Armed Services Committee. The U.S. and Israel have a...    more...  

Mar 1, 2010 Courtney To Lead Trade Mission To Israel (The Hartford Courant) The trip, which is being coordinated by the U.S. Department of Commerce's Export Assistance Center in Middletown, is scheduled for April 5 through April 11. The U.S. and Israel have a free trade agreement. Michael Price, executive director of the Goodspeed Musicals in East Haddam, has also joined.    more...  

Mar 1, 2010 To stop overfishing of tuna, ban foreign sales of bluefins (The Boston Globe) Recently, one fish sold for $177,000 at a Japanese auction. They favor a ban on international sales to drive down the value of the fish and give the species a chance to rebound over five to 10 years. The United States should support a ban this year, even though it would at least temporarily hurt...    more...  

Feb 28, 2010 OPINION (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) Alto-Shaam of Menomonee Falls last fall supplied the world's biggest cruise ship with 88 ovens. The company had been exporting for about 40 years, Kreple said, but its leaders have pushed its export business in the last six or seven. Companies with distinctive goods or methods have thrived.    more...  

Feb 27, 2010 EDITORIAL: Boost trade, economy (The Orlando Sentinel) Kirk acknowledged in a meeting with the Sentinel editorial board. Kirk said his office is working on the three delayed agreements. Agricultural exports support more than 800,000 jobs.    more...