Import Substitution: From Cars to Soccer Stars

Last year, almost 70 percent of the players in England's Premier League were from other countries. Could this be causing a hollowing out of talent when the World Cup rolls around? Does the home country need to be more “protected” by setting aside more spots for local talent? Or does a “free trade” approach drive up the level of competition?

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.

For the Love of Peeps: The Price We Pay for American Sugar

For many years now, the U.S. Government has implemented a sugar program that ensures sugar producers and refiners get a minimum price for American-grown sugar. It's a hidden tax paid for by Peep-lovers everywhere.

Steel Industry Illustrates Nuances of Modern Trade

When it comes to steel tariffs, we could be in a trade war -- with ourselves.

The Months Ahead in U.S. Trade Policy

What is President Trump Thinking on Trade?

It would be a guessing game to try to predict what the president might do specifically on trade in 2018. Whatever he decides, there are trends morphing the trading system even as the U.S. Government works to figure out its role in shaping it.

Four Reasons Consumers Might Think Safeguards are the Dirty Laundry of Trade Policy

Safeguards are designed to help domestic producers adjust to competition, but there at least four reasons they don't help the American consumer. Two high profile petitions will test how the administration deals with these competing concerns.

CFIUS: The Intersection of Foreign Investment and National Security

The attractiveness of the U.S. market for FDI reflects the size and strength of the U.S. economy as well as the longstanding U.S. commitment to open markets and the rule of law. The vast majority of FDI occurs on a regular basis in every U.S. state across sectors including manufacturing, financial, and information technologies. But there are cases when foreign investment might carry security implications.

The Elemental Case for Free Trade

How can one bakery focus on selling this many flavors of macaron cookie? Production in our economy is increasingly specialized. Specialization requires trade, which in turn promotes more specialization. And, the greater the number of consumers and producers, the larger the scope for each producer to focus on a narrow specialization. That's part of the story of trade.

U.S. Export-Import Bank: Banker to Corporate Titans or to Main Street?

Public debate over whether to continue to operate the U.S. Export-Import Bank has less to do with how its run than who it's run for. The companies using its services range from the titans of industry including Boeing, GE, and Caterpillar, to small firms across the United States that literally set up shop on Main Street.