Trade Policy News
Follow developments in American trade policy, from free trade agreements to protectionist measures, with reporting and conservative analysis.
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WATCH: Colombia’s Sweet Strategy to Defeat the Cocaine Trade
MIAMI—Colombian officials are working to eliminate the nation’s illicit cocaine trade and replace it with chocolate. “We say to the world, ‘Please buy cocoa, not coca,’” Defense Minister Pedro Arnulfo Sanchez told The Daily Signal at the Miami Security Forum. Thousands of acres of farmland in Colombia have been converted from growing coca crops, the…Virginia Allen -
Post-Brexit Britain Gains Prosperity via Trade Freedom, but Tax-and-Spend Policies Threaten These Gains
In the months and years before Britain voted to leave the European Union in 2016, Brexit’s enemies based their case overwhelmingly on economic arguments. That is what they have always done. The reason is simple: The political case for the European Union in Britain is not popular, because it means subordinating the elected House of…Ted Bromund -
Time to Act on a Trade Deal With Taiwan
In a recent joint letter to U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai, Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., chairman of the Senate Finance subcommittee on international trade, customs, and global competitiveness, and Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, ranking member on the trade subcommittee, made a case for strategic trade reengagement in the Indo-Pacific region. The two senators pointed out,…Anthony B. Kim -
Biden Administration Should Say No to New Trade Deals With China
In her first media interview since being confirmed United States trade representative, Katherine Tai said last week she is in no rush to lift tariffs associated with the Trump administration’s U.S.-China Phase One trade deal. She should reconsider. Tai’s stated reasoning for maintaining the tariffs is that they provide useful negotiating leverage. Which is kind…Walter Lohman -
On 1st Anniversary, China Phase One Trade Deal Has Not Aged Well
Jan. 15 marks one year since the U.S. and China signed a bilateral agreement, known as the Phase One deal, establishing new rules on trade. After a full year, and as a new administration and Congress assume power, it’s important to evaluate the effectiveness of the deal at achieving its goals. It’s not a pretty…Tori K. Smith -
Here’s What China Isn’t Buying as Part of the Phase 1 Trade Deal
There’s a lot of media coverage of what U.S.-made goods China is supposed to be buying as a part of the administration’s trade deal with China (aka the “Phase One” deal). But the deal covers only about two-thirds of U.S. annual exports to China. Last year, the U.S. exported $106 billion worth of goods to…Riley Walters -
Trump’s Trade Czar Details Monitoring of Chinese Compliance With Phase One Deal
When U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer testified before the House Ways and Means and Senate Finance committees last month on the Trump administration’s trade policies, much of the discussion was focused on the progress of the Phase One Economic and Trade Agreement with China. Lighthizer was able to shed some light on how his agency…Riley Walters -
Amid Impeachment Trial, Trump Signs Major Trade Deal With Canada, Mexico
President Donald Trump has signed the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, the trade deal replacing the Clinton-era North American Free Trade Agreement, keeping a key campaign promise on trade that strayed somewhat from Republican tradition. “This is something we really put our heart into,” Trump said at the bill-signing ceremony Wednesday on the South Lawn outside the White…Fred Lucas -
US-China Trade Deal Is a Welcome First Step
President Donald Trump and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He on Wednesday signed Phase 1 of the U.S.-China Economic and Trade Agreement. The long-awaited deal is the result of two years of tough trade negotiations between Washington and Beijing. Over this period, new taxes have been placed on hundreds of billions of traded goods across the…James Carafano -
What You Need to Know About New US-China Trade Deal
Will the new deal boost the American economy? Is it normal for a trade deal to demand one party spend a certain amount? Will it curb China’s theft of intellectual property from U.S. companies? Riley Walters, a policy analyst at The Heritage Foundation who focuses on Asia’s economy and technology, has answers. Read a lightly…Katrina Trinko -
House Votes Overwhelmingly to Pass US-Mexico-Canada Trade Deal
The House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed President Donald Trump's trade deal with Mexico and Canada on Thursday, just one day after it voted to impeach him. The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which sets rules for moving products among the three countries, passed with a vote of 385-41. The Senate will be able to vote to ratify the…Shelby Talcott -
White House Enters Into Hopeful ‘Phase 1’ of China Trade Deal
President Donald Trump announced on Friday he has reached a tentative trade deal with Chinese negotiators. This deal, labeled “phase one” of possibly two or three phases, is supposed to be finalized and signed next month when Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping meet in Santiago, Chile. As an immediate part of the deal, the…Riley Walters -
Toward a Freer Trade Deal With Canada and Mexico
The United States should be doing all it can to maintain a strong economy while protecting Americans’ wallets and jobs. One significant way to help inoculate the economy from a slowdown—and to make it hum along even faster—is more free trade. Trade issues aren’t just the concern of policy wonks—they’re critical to the American way…Kay C. James -
Why Strong Intellectual Property Laws Abroad Require a Strong US Example
China has failed to respect intellectual property rights for decades, and U.S. businesses have suffered. Thankfully, those companies are getting help from the Trump administration. In late 2017, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other leading business advocates asked the Trump administration to elevate the issue of trade secret protections in trade talks with other…Mark Brady -
Trump Won’t Use Hong Kong Protests as ‘Leverage’ in China Trade Talks
President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Chinese President Xi Jinping has the ability to ensure that chaotic protests in Hong Kong are resolved in a “humane way” and that the situation in the Chinese territory won’t be a factor in ongoing trade talks between the two countries. Tens of thousands of freedom protesters in…Fred Lucas -
US-China Talks at G-20 Unlikely to End Trade Disputes
President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, are set to meet on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in Osaka, Japan, this weekend. The two will try to unpack what’s going on in the U.S.-China trade dispute, why negotiations have become difficult, and how the two sides can come to a…Riley Walters -
Obstacles to a Trade Deal Come From Both Beijing and Washington
It’s been almost two years since the U.S. and China entered negotiations, and those talks are still dragging on. No one knows the true progress of these talks except for what’s been reported through anonymous sources, or the occasional update from the White House. But as things stand, the talks have not sufficed to stave…Riley Walters -
US-China Trade Dispute Is Already Hurting US Farmers and Ranchers
The ongoing U.S.-China trade dispute is threatening the U.S. economy as a whole, and is hurting American farmers and ranchers. In recent years, China has been among the top two largest markets for U.S. agricultural exports. And much more potential for increased exports remains. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has said that “China offers our…Daren Bakst -
With Deadline Looming, Can US-China Trade Deal Get Done?
Are President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping ever going to make a trade deal? Can they make a deal? According to the White House, the two sides are still far apart on outstanding issues, such as fair access to Chinese markets. Unless a deal, or even an extension, is made before March 2,…Riley Walters -
It’s Time to Make a Trade Deal With China
As American and Chinese delegations wrap up trade talks Thursday in Washington, the official word is that U.S. negotiators have articulated where they want China to make reforms. Unofficially, though, questions remain over how the White House perceives the future of U.S.-China economic relations, and how this might upset trade negotiations. So where are the…Riley Walters