Free Trade, Protectionism & Tariffs

The Moral Case Against Tariffs – and for Free Trade

According to Rand, then, tariffs are destructive because they are a form of physical coercion by the government. They violate the citizens’ freedom to choose with whom to trade and on what terms and thus limit their ability to pursue their lives.

Globalization Faces Challenges

Globalization Faces Challenges

Those countries that embrace free trade with new technologies stand to reap great rewards. Those who do not, and revert to trade protectionism, could experience economic recession and monetary adversity accompanied by serious social and financial upheaval.

The Most Common Error in Economic Debates

The Most Common Error in Economic Debates

Have you ever been in an argument about whether we should raise taxes and then someone tosses out a real whopper? “The top tax rate for decades after World War II was over 90% and look how the economy boomed!” Or perhaps you read a Paul Krugman column where he said...

The Only "Fair" Trade is Free Trade

In a recent defense of what he calls "fair trade," Barack Obama stated that one major purpose of trade agreements is to ensure that American products are made at home -- not bought from other countries. No such thing is true. The purpose of any trade agreement should...

Free Trade versus Protectionism

There's a growing anti-trade sentiment in our country. Much of the dialogue is grossly misinformed. Let's try to untangle it a bit with a few questions and observations. First, does the U.S. trade with Japan and England? Put another way, is it members of the U.S....

Anti-Free Trade Paradise

Presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, pandering to anti-trade activists, suggest that should they become president, they will restrict trade agreements. Before you buy into their promised paradise, there are a few trade questions you might...

Subsidized “Free Trade” Is Not Free Trade

For a small-scale corn farmer driven out of business in Mexico by the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the fancy economic theories about the benefits of "free trade" might not seem too believable. As the theory of comparative advantage goes, we're all...

Free Trade vs. The Folly of Protectionism

Free Trade vs. The Folly of Protectionism

Protectionism fully implemented across all industries would mean a lower standard of living, because it would result in capital and labor unnecessarily being diverted into the production of goods that could more economically be produced elsewhere.

The Anti-Free Trader’s True Enemy

There's the "Free Trade but Fair Trade" crowd, and the "Level Playing Field" crowd, and the "America First" crowd, all calling for tariffs and other international trade restrictions. Their supposed adversary is corporate America, seeking to boost profits by either...

The Case for Free Trade

The Case for Free Trade

The fear of other people’s intelligence and ability applied to the production of goods we consume is not only profoundly wrong but also extremely dangerous.

Principles and Policy: Will Bush Trip Over Pears?

Once the Bush administration abandoned the principles of free trade by imposing punitive tariffs on imported steel, it was only a matter of time before other industries sought government redress for their own failure to compete successfully. Case in point: Pears....

Free Trade with a Slave State?

Q: Should a free country trade with people who live under a dictatorship (e.g. China, Cuba)? And, if not, should the government of the free country restrict such trade with dictatorships? A: If you enjoy living in a free country, then you benefit from that freedom...

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