Let’s talk about free trade agreements this week. Check out this editorial from USA Today titled “Donald Trump could revive TPP to pressure China.” Here’s a quote I found interesting:
“For years, as the United States expanded commerce with countries near and far, the Rust Belt seethed. Eventually, it found in Donald Trump a presidential candidate who would tell them what they wanted to hear — that previous trade agreements were bad, and that America needed to start protecting its domestic industries. As Trump has sought to impose those more protectionist policies, however, he has managed to create new groups of the aggrieved. These include farmers, tech companies, drug makers, high-end manufacturers and other industries that are thriving in a globally competitive world through exports. Of late, amid all the talk of tariffs and trade wars, they have been making their displeasure known.”[1]
What is the TPP and why is it so controversial? How have free trade agreements (e.g., NAFTA, CAFTA, etc.) impacted the United States? Is the U.S. better off or worse off because of those agreements? Can policymakers ensure these agreements benefit all citizens, rather than just a few?
[1] The USA Today Editorial Board (2018, May 06). Donald Trump could revive TPP to pressure China. Retrieved from https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2018/05/06/donald-trump-revive-tpp-pressure-china-editorials-debates/513233002/