It’s Not the Value of the Chinese Currency: The Proof in Charts
While the U.S. Treasury did not label China as a currency manipulator this week, it did criticize the Chinese authorities for recently intervening in the… Read More
Don’t Wait to Cut U.S.-EU Tariffs
The United States and the European Union (EU) are currently negotiating a proposed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). A recent survey by the Atlantic… Read More
Asia Pivot Should Be More Than Just Rhetoric and Good Intentions
President Obama’s impending trip to Asia in April is an opportunity for the U.S. to go beyond mere rhetorical commitment to the Asia pivot. At… Read More
The Chorus for LNG Exports Gets Bigger and Louder
As Congress returns to work and focuses on a Ukraine aid package, exporting liquefied natural gas (LNG) is getting all sorts of attention these days,… Read More
U.S. Senators to Japan: Do as We Say, Not as We Do?
A recently released letter from 18 U.S. Senators to U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman asked Japan to open its agricultural market to foreign exports in… Read More
Nuclear Trade Agreements: Not All That Glitters Is Gold
The Senate Committee on Foreign Relations held an important hearing on 123 agreements—that is, agreements the U.S. makes with other countries that govern the exchange… Read More
U.S. Trade Deficit: Made in Washington, D.C.?
The Treasury Department recently reported that China and Japan are the largest foreign holders of U.S. government debt. China now owns $1.317 trillion in U.S…. Read More
Trade Promotion Authority’s Benefits Depend on the Details
Legislation to give President Obama Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) was just introduced. TPA gives the President the authority to negotiate trade agreements, which are then… Read More
H.R. 3766 Wrong Approach to Global Commercial Nuclear Growth
Last week Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R–FL) introduced H.R. 3766, resurrecting the supposed “gold standard” for commercial nuclear trade. However, the bill discourages the very behavior… Read More
Farm Bill: Taxpayers and Consumers Are Getting Catfished
As lawmakers look for ways to cut spending from the farm bill, they should go hunting for catfish—the new, not-so-pretty face of government waste. The… Read More
A Tariff Cut Can Boost U.S. Output
The Federal Reserve recently cut its forecast for economic growth in the United States. That’s a problem. We need higher growth to create jobs and… Read More
U.S., Japan Break Up Private-Sector Collusion
The “largest criminal investigation the Antitrust Division has ever pursued” in its 80 years of existence is continuing to unfold. The U.S. Department of Justice… Read More
SecurityNews
Cooperation with Mexico: Key to Border Security and Stopping Transnational Crime
According to recent reports, the U.S. is in talks with Mexico to strengthen security along Mexico’s southern border. The effort reportedly includes a three-level security… Read More
News
Indo–Pakistani Cease-Fire No More
Indo–Pakistani skirmishing along the Line of Control (LoC) that divides Kashmir has escalated in the past 10 days and threatens to destroy a decade-old cease-fire… Read More
America Needs a New Balanced Tariff Structure
Where does America get its shoes? Today, 99 percent of shoes sold in America come from overseas. Imported shoes are taxed at an average rate… Read More
Expiration of Trade Preference Program Means Higher Prices
On July 31, the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) expired. GSP is a program that waives tariffs on thousands of products that Americans import from… Read More
Imports: Let’s Hear More Economic Sense Like This from the President
As President Obama heads to Chattanooga, Tennessee, today to give a speech at an Amazon.com fulfillment facility, he finally seems to be coming around on… Read More
News
Dealing the Right Cards in Japan’s Upper-House Shuffle
On Sunday, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) took majority power in Japan’s upper house, giving his party majority control over both upper… Read More
“Everyday High Prices” Should Not Be Trade Agency’s Slogan
Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade negotiations are taking place this week in Malaysia. Here’s a modest suggestion to help new U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman bring… Read More
China GDP Claims Don’t Matter
China’s State Statistical Bureau (SSB) announced second-quarter real gross domestic product (GDP) growth at 7.5 percent and first-half real GDP at 7.6 percent. High or… Read More
Good News: Reporters Link Bigger Trade Deficit to Stronger Economy
The government just announced that the trade deficit for May increased by $400 million. Usually, the media report announcements of bigger trade deficits as bad… Read More
Syria and the G8: Only a Dinner Party Discussion
The leaders of the G8 have wrapped up a two-day summit. Although tax, transparency, and trade (the so-called three Ts) were priorities on the official… Read More
Will the Currency Zombie Eat the Trans-Pacific Partnership?
Currency manipulation is the issue that never dies. No matter how many times the link between exchange rates and American jobs is shown to be… Read More
20 Completely Unjustified Programs in the House Farm Bill
The House of Representatives is preparing to vote on a $1 trillion package of agriculture subsidies and welfare benefits that exemplifies warped federal policy. Within… Read More
Brazil Turns Away from Capital Controls
Last week, Brazil announced that it is finally eliminating its most prominent tax on foreign portfolio investment. This reversal is the most recent reminder of… Read More
Trade Promotion Authority: Make the Case
Trade promotion authority (TPA) does several positive things. For one, it gives the President a window where Congress agrees to an up-or-down vote on trade… Read More
A Conservative Agenda for Trade: Eliminate the Threat of Tariffs
When it comes to trade, the ultimate objective for conservatives should be to eliminate tariffs—not just reduce some or all, but take them completely off… Read More
Pacific Alliance: Decreasing Trade Barriers and Increasing Economic Growth
The presidents of the “Pacific Alliance” (Chile, Colombia, México, and Perú) met last week in Cali, Colombia, to sign an agreement removing tariffs on 90… Read More
GDP Grew 2.5 Percent in the First Quarter
After dreadfully low growth in the last quarter of 2012—just 0.4 percent—gross domestic product (GDP) returned to a healthier rate of growth of 2.5 percent… Read More
Energy Secretary Nominee Faces Tough Natural Gas Decision
If confirmed as the next Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary, Dr. Ernest Moniz will take over an agency that has increasingly injected itself into making… Read More
