international trade

There Are No Coincidences - trade edition

Stan Abrams
December 30, 2008 11:45

You will either find this very interesting or come away thinking that I’m a conspiracy theorist that hides in the basement with tin foil on my head (so as to block alien transmissions from Mars, of course). Here’s the deal. Earlier this month, the US Trade Representative complained to...

Obama, Labor and China

Stan Abrams
December 29, 2008 11:15

Now that the Obama trade and foreign policy team is in place, there are new stories floating around out there about his China policy. The one thing everyone is nervous about is summarized quite well in this Reuters piece: President-elect Barack Obama may face pressure early in his administration to...

Don’t Worry About ‘Creeping Protectionism’

Stan Abrams
December 23, 2008 11:10

Fear not, international trade watchers. Incremental increases in trade barriers are a thing of the past. We are now entering the age of galloping global protectionism. Start the tariff increases, non-tariff barriers, in-your-face protectionism, and the WTO lawsuits that will follow. As I mentioned...

Revenue Needs, Ag Policy, and Taxes

December 18, 2008 18:04

Mr. Kristof has again hit on the food aspects of agricultural policy in the New York Times. Today, he makes some keen observations on Governor Paterson's proposal to raise revenue with "an 18 percent sales tax on soft drinks and other nondiet sugary beverages."The state's use of taxation authority...

U.S. Trade Priorities

Stan Abrams
December 17, 2008 11:16

From Politico: Rep. Xavier Becerra tells the editorial board of La Opinion that he has turned down the job of U.S. trade representative, having concluded — trade watchers take note — that trade won’t be the first, second, or third priority of the Obama administration. From Pilar...