To understand trade policy, one needs to understand the basics of international economics. This book provides nonspecialists with accessible explanations of international trade, enabling readers to appreciate the importance of current events in international trade policy. Due to the ever-increasing globalization of the U.S. economy, articles that involve international trade policy—both here and abroad—are increasingly common in publications such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Economist. In many cases, it is apparent that the authors of such articles lack a sound understanding of the basics of international trade policy. Similarly, many nonspecialist readers do not have the necessary background to grasp the meaning of current events in international economics. This book serves both writers and readers, providing concise, easy-to-understand overviews of the key topics necessary for journalists to write understandable articles on trade policy and for readers to understand what they are reading. The book begins with coverage of the basic framework of international economics that readers need to grasp in order to understand trade policy. The next two sections cover the tools of trade policy and the political factors that drive their use. The author discusses the history of trade policy, describes how it has evolved over time, and explains where it is headed in the future. Readers will come away with a working understanding of topics such as balance of payments, the current account, comparative advantage, government export subsidies, the World Trade Organization (WTO), the Doha Round, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the European Union (EU), and the U.S. Trade Representative.

This unique text integrates for the first time the three critical aspects of U.S. foreign trade policy formulation and implementation: economics, politics, and laws. In a comprehensive and nonjudgmental manner, a political scientist, an economist, and a legal scholar combine efforts to present a well-rounded view of the nature and impact of trade p

In 2004 the United States incurred a record merchandise trade deficit of $651 billion on a Census basis and $665 billion on a balance-of-payments basis (BoP). A surplus in services trade of $48 billion gave a deficit of $617 billion on goods and services (BoP) for the year up $121 billion or 24.3% from the $496.5 billion deficit in 2003. In 2004, U.S. exports of goods and services totaled $1.147 trillion, compared with $1.020 trillion in 2003 and $0.975 trillion in 2002. In 2004, U.S. imports were $1.764 trillion, compared with $1.517 trillion in 2003, and $1.387 trillion (balance of payments basis) in 2002.

The twenty contributions in this book, by academics, former government officials, and businessmen address issues in the world trading system.

Exploring the political and economic determinants of trade protection, this study provides a wealth of information on key American industries and documents the process of seeking and conferring protection. Eight analytical histories of the automobile, steel, semiconductor, lumber, wheat, and textile and apparel industries demonstrate that trade barriers rarely have unequivocal benefits and may be counterproductive. They show that criteria for awarding protection do not take into account the interests of consumers or other industries and that political influence and an organized lobby are major sources of protection. Based on these findings, a final essay suggests that current policy fails to consider adequately economic efficiency, the public good, and indirect negative effects. This volume will interest scholars in economics, business, and public policy who deal with trade issues.