Revisiting Us Trade Policy

In trade policy, as in many other areas of public policy, decision makers often confront present and future problems with little understanding of how similar disputes were resolved in the past. Too often, busy public officials had no time to write or record negotiating histories. Revisiting U.S. Trade Policy, which is certain to become a classic in the literature of trade negotiations, is just such a record. Built on the oral histories of thirty-five former U.S. trade policymakers -- including Michael Blumenthal, Alonzo McDonald, William Roth, and Robert S. Strauss -- this unique record, prepared for publication by Alfred E. Eckes, revisits some of the most important moments of America's trade liberalization program in the years after World War II. From GATT to the World Trade Organization, these major players look back in candid hindsight at their decisions concerning trade policy and the effects that those decisions had on shaping the new international economic order.

The trade policies addressed in this book have far-reaching effects on the world's increasingly interdependent economies, but until now little research has been devoted to them. This volume represents the first systematic effort to analyze specific U.S. trade policies, particularly nontariff measures. It provides a better understanding of how trade policies operate, how effective they are, and what their costs and benefits are to trading nations. The contributors chart the history of U.S. trade policy since World War II, analyze industry-specific trade barriers, and discuss the effects of tariff preferences and export-promoting policies such as export credits and domestic international sales corporations (DISCs). The final section of essays examines the worldwide impact of import policies, pointing out subtleties in industry-specific policies and providing insight into the levels of protection in developing countries. The contributors blend state-of-the-art economics with language that is accessible to the business community, economists, and policymakers. Commentaries accompany each paper.

Lovett (Tulane Law School), Eckes (a former commissioner of the U.S. International Commission during the Reagan and Bush I administrations), and Brinkman (international economics, Portland State U.) evaluate the evolution of U.S. trade policy, focusing on the period from the establishment of the Gen

A Foreign Affairs Best Book of the Year: “Tells the history of American trade policy . . . [A] grand narrative [that] also debunks trade-policy myths.” —Economist Should the United States be open to commerce with other countries, or should it protect domestic industries from foreign competition? This question has been the source of bitter political conflict throughout American history. Such conflict was inevitable, James Madison argued in the Federalist Papers, because trade policy involves clashing economic interests. The struggle between the winners and losers from trade has always been fierce because dollars and jobs are at stake: depending on what policy is chosen, some industries, farmers, and workers will prosper, while others will suffer. Douglas A. Irwin’s Clashing over Commerce is the most authoritative and comprehensive history of US trade policy to date, offering a clear picture of the various economic and political forces that have shaped it. From the start, trade policy divided the nation—first when Thomas Jefferson declared an embargo on all foreign trade and then when South Carolina threatened to secede from the Union over excessive taxes on imports. The Civil War saw a shift toward protectionism, which then came under constant political attack. Then, controversy over the Smoot-Hawley tariff during the Great Depression led to a policy shift toward freer trade, involving trade agreements that eventually produced the World Trade Organization. Irwin makes sense of this turbulent history by showing how different economic interests tend to be grouped geographically, meaning that every proposed policy change found ready champions and opponents in Congress. Deeply researched and rich with insight and detail, Clashing over Commerce provides valuable and enduring insights into US trade policy past and present. “Combines scholarly analysis with a historian’s eye for trends and colorful details . . . readable and illuminating, for the trade expert and for all Americans wanting a deeper understanding of America’s evolving role in the global economy.” —National Review “Magisterial.” —Foreign Affairs

Cohen, Blecker, and Whitney (professors of international relations and economics at American U.) see the formation of U.S. trade policy is seen as a combination of competing forces of political, economic, and legal factors. They attempt to show how trade policymaking involves reconciling a range of economic goal and political necessities. After reviewing the history of trade policymaking in the United States, they separately examine the three factors before integrating them into a model of political economy that explores both import and export policy. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Trade flows and trade policies need to be properly quantified to describe, compare, or follow the evolution of policies between sectors or countries or over time. This is essential to ensure that policy choices are made with an appropriate knowledge of the real conditions. This practical guide introduces the main techniques of trade and trade policy data analysis. It shows how to develop the main indexes used to analyze trade flows, tariff structures, and non-tariff measures. It presents the databases needed to construct these indexes as well as the challenges faced in collecting and processing these data, such as measurement errors or aggregation bias. Written by experts with practical experience in the field, A Practical Guide to Trade Policy Analysis has been developed to contribute to enhance developing countries' capacity to analyze and implement trade policy. It offers a hands-on introduction on how to estimate the distributional effects of trade policies on welfare, in particular on inequality and poverty. The guide is aimed at government experts engaged in trade negotiations, as well as students and researchers involved in trade-related study or research. An accompanying DVD contains data sets and program command files required for the exercises. Copublished by the WTO and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development

This curriculum unit helps students explore how U.S. trade relations fit into the country's overall role in the world. The unit is part of a series on current and historical international issues developed by the Choices for the 21st Century Education Project. Choices material places special emphasis on the importance of educating students in their participatory role as citizens. The unit considers trade issues in the context of international affairs and anxiety about economic globalization here at home. The teacher's unit discusses the "Choices" approach and how to integrate the unit into the classroom. It suggests a 5-day lesson plan with student activities. The unit begins with discussion of trade's impact on the local economy. The second day of the lesson plan calls on students to consider the impact of economic globalization through the eyes of four fictional characters. The third and fourth days of the unit feature a simulation in which students assume the role of advocates for the three options. The lesson plan concludes with students developing their own options and taking part in a classroom survey. The Teacher's Resource Book offers key terms, an issues box, and suggestions to make "Choices" work in the classroom. An alternate 3-day lesson plan is also provided. The student guide is divided into three parts: "The Global Economic System--Made in the U.S.A."; "How U.S. Trade Policy Affects Us"; and "Rethinking U.S. Trade Policy." Three options are outlined for classroom debate: (1) "Promote Free Trade"; (2) "Protect American Workers"; and (3) "Put Global Values First." Included is a worksheet for "focusing your thoughts" on the three options for classroom debate. The student is asked to create an opinion that reflects his or her own beliefs and opinions. The student guide offers reading on opposing viewpoints on U.S. trade policy and contains a 14-item suggested reading list. (BT)

What was the “battle in Seattle” over trade all about? You may know...but do your students? With John Rothgeb's concise text U.S. Trade Policy: Balancing Economic Dreams and Political Realities, your students will learn about international trade, the political tensions it rouses, and its historical roots. Rothgeb carefully traces the forces that affect U.S. trade policy's development and implementation, including: * the strategic and competitive international arena * policymakers' views on the value of trade * the influence of special interest groups * the impact of institutional rivalries Supplement your foreign and economic policy course with a balanced discussion of the enormous changes spurred by the Reciprocal Trade Agreements Act, the Bretton Woods system, and the GATT, to the controversy surrounding current trade relations withteh European Union and China.

In this monograph Anne O. Krueger demonstrates the increasing reliance on bilateral and regional trading arrangements and shows the dangers of departures from multilateralism. Using examples from trading relationships with individual countries (especially Japan and Korea), she shows how the presence of third countries not covered by agreements, market forces, and unanticipated technological and economic events undermine the intended effects of many bilateral arrangements. Ms. Krueger analyzes the North American Free Trade Agreement, and its prospective enlargement to a Western Hemisphere free trade agreement, in light of its impact on the multilateral trading system. While such arrangements can be "GATT plus", they can also be GATT substitutes. The author outlines the ways in which the presence of regional arrangements can detract from the open multilateral trading system, especially at a time when the new World Trade Organization should be the focal point of energy and attention. Ms. Krueger concludes by summarizing the failures of bilateral approaches to achieving their objectives and calling for a renewed commitment to the open multilateral trading system.