Trump Upped the Ante in High Stakes Game of Tariff Poker
The biggest chunk of tariffs in the Great Tariff War of 2018 is between the United States and China, beginning with two rounds of tit-for-tat tariffs worth around $50 billion against one another. The United States just raised on the ante by another $200 billion. China will not fold; they will go “all in” in this poker game, but we don’t know what that means yet as they hold their cards close.
read more
Despite Trade Tensions Fireworks Exports from China are Booming
Whether you bought a multipack of screamers, bottle rockets, and roman candles from a roadside stand, or plan to watch a professionally-designed community display this Fourth of July, chances are the fireworks themselves were produced in China.
read more
What You Need to Know About “Made in China 2025”
U.S. trade policy toward China under the Trump Administration is heavily focused on addressing the perceived unfairness and competitive disadvantages created by China's industrial policies, chief among them, Made in China 2025. Here's your Essential graphic on the policy's core components.
read more
Trade, Respectfully
Farmers are price takers. For years, the export opportunities created by market opening policies have been positively reflected the price they get for their corn. But as we spoke about current trade policy with its frequent tariff announcements, the farmers were checking the current price of corn. “We’re down to 3.6!” a farmer from Michigan interjects as we talk about China.
read more
The Sobering Reality of a Tariff War
There is plenty of collateral damage in a tariff war because the one-upmanship spills over beyond the sectors named in the original complaint (steel for example), sweeping in producers like farmers for maximum political effect. The other dirty little secret in tariff wars is that they provide cover for governments to protect the producers of products facing normal market competition. That’s what might just be motivating our closest trading partners to put American whiskey on their lists for tariff retaliation.
read more
Mapping Exposure to Retaliatory Tariffs
Getting Real: The Brookings Institute Maps Out How Tariffs Could Affect You The Brookings Institute Metropolitan Policy Program developed and maintains the Export Monitor, which TradeVistas previously featured in this Tool. In the unfolding tariff war with some of our major trading partners, the analysts at the Metropolitan Policy Program recently released an important analysis of […]
read more
Trade Promotion Authority: Driving Trade Deals on the Fast Track to Congressional Approval
A May 17 NAFTA deadline has been in the news. That's because Congressional leaders have advised the Trump administration that the deal needs to get done soon in order to have a vote on NAFTA 2.0 in this Congress under so-called “fast track” voting procedures. There are all sorts of steps on the timeline built into the Trade Promotion Authority legislation (TPA) for expedited approval of trade agreements. Here’s a short version of the history, context, and essentials of how it all works.
read more
Sharing Trade Powers
Here’s your annotated guide to the timeline and procedures for “fast track” approvals of U.S. trade deals by Congress.
read more
The One Trade Lesson Everyone Should Learn: Smoot-Hawley
In Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Bueller's classmates stare blankly, blow bubbles, and fall asleep on their desks as high school teacher Ben Stein (an economist in real life) explains how the United States sank deeper into depression in the early 1930s. As he drones on, asking the students questions — “Anyone? Anyone?" — few of the movie's fans realize he's teaching one of the most important lessons in the history of trade policy: how Congress muffed the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of 1930.
read more
Dr. Seuss Helps Us Thrive in the Knowledge Economy
By focusing on better preparing youth for employment in the knowledge economy, we can address long-term labor market shortfalls, improve lifetime earning potential, and contribute significantly to national productivity and global competitiveness. Where does it all begin? With teaching our kids to read well.
read moreWEEKLY E-MAIL
