T he Bush administration and its newly confirmed Trade Representative Robert Zoellick should pursue an aggressive trade agenda one that emphasizes the benefits of open borders at home and abroad. This will bring tangible benefits to consumers and producers alike. Congress should follow. High barriers also remain on imported dairy products, clothing, textiles, softwood lumber and inter-coastal shipping services. Removing these barriers would put money in the pockets of American families, strike a populist blow against corporate welfare, and set a good example for our trading partners.
Retaliation is a lose-lose game.
This pain comes with no gain. The administration should drop sanctions as an enforcement tool and pursue less harmful ways of encouraging compliance with WTO rulings. Call this compassionate conservatism on a global scale. The United States should do likewise. Competition policy and other side issues should be shelved.