U.S. Nears a Crossroads on Trade |
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March 11, 2010
After a year in which global exports declined 12 percent in the biggest contraction since World War II, trade policy is heating up again.
After a year in which global exports declined 12 percent in the biggest contraction since World War II, trade policy is heating up again.
Ron Kirk, the United States trade representative, said labor unions had “a seat at the table” when discussing free-trade deals.
But the question is whether the United States is prepared to lead the way or whether pressures will make it all but impossible for the Obama administration to engage fully with the country’s trading partners.
“If you’re serious, as the Obama administration is, about being a leader in the multinational system, you can’t not provide leadership in the international trade arena,” said Robert Z. Lawrence, a professor of international trade and investment at the Harvard Kennedy School.
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