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Reluctance to Lead: U.S. Trade Policy in Flux

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Vinod Aggarwal
Vinod Aggarwal*
Affiliation:
UC Berkeley
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Abstract

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The U.S. is no longer providing leadership in trade policy. In recent years, we have seen a sharp turn toward a rapid proliferation of bilateral preferential trade agreements, accords that are likely to undermine the World Trade Organization (WTO). By pursuing a strategy of ‘competitive liberalization’ both on a sectoral basis under the Bill Clinton administration, and then a policy of seeking bilateral arrangements under the George W. Bush administration, this article argues that American administrations have undermined the coalition for free trade in the United States. Consequently, protectionist industries including textiles, steel, and agriculture have made further liberalization more difficult and thus the prospects for promoting continued trade liberalization have grown dimmer.

Keywords

U.S. trade policycompetitive liberalizationtrade agreementsmurky protectionism
Type
Article
Information
Business and Politics , Volume 11 , Issue 3 , October 2009 , pp. 1 - 21
Copyright
Copyright © V.K. Aggarwal 2009 and published under exclusive license to Cambridge University Press 

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