Advertisement

March 8, 2013

Obama's Problematic Free-Trade Agenda

Claude Barfield, The American

AP Photo

After a fallow first four years, President Obama has suddenly embraced an ambitious — but highly problematic — trade agenda for his second term. First, he has adopted the goal of completing the hugely complex and politically difficult 11-member Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement (TPP) in the next 12 months. Second, in his State of the Union address the president gave the go-ahead for negotiating a comprehensive free trade agreement (FTA) with the European Union (EU) by the end of 2014.

The administration is misguided in bowing to the EU’s frantic plea for a crash, two-year timetable for FTA negotiations. Such a course will fail — and of much greater significance, it may well imperil a successful conclusion of the strategically and economically...

Read Full Article ››

TAGGED: Trans-Pacific Partnership, Europe, Barack Obama, Free Trade

RECOMMENDED ARTICLES

March 1, 2013
Is This the End of Globalization?
David Francis, Fiscal Times
In the three decades before the 2008 financial crisis, individual national economies became increasingly global: banks, companies and consumers overseas had a direct impact on the economy here in the United States. But in recent... more ››
March 8, 2013
A Blank Check for Israel? Bad Idea
Matthew Duss, The American Prospect
On the tenth anniversary of the Iraq War, some in Congress are itching for another ill-advised conflict. more ››
February 24, 2013
Progress in the Pacific
Washington Post
Mr. Abe noted that provocative behavior at sea threatens the trust of China's trading and investing partners, which in turn could endanger its first pillar, economic growth. He said Chinese leaders may come to understand that. In... more ››
March 5, 2013
On Keystone Pipeline, Consider Canada
Norquist & Gleason, Reuters
The Oscar for Best Picture last month went to Argo, the Ben Affleck movie about the Canadian government’s help in spiriting U.S. diplomats out of Iran during the hostage crisis – which underscores the United... more ››
March 7, 2013
Obama Already Going Soft on Venezuela's New Thug
Washington Post
ANTICIPATING THE death of Hugo Chavez, the Obama administration began reaching out months ago to his designated successor, Nicolas Maduro, in the hope of bettering U.S.-Venezuelan relations. On Tuesday, that strategy absorbed a... more ››
|