The United States is more prone to apply sanctions unilaterally than are other countries. This past year has been remarkably free of such measures, in part because of the recognition that they rarely succeed in altering a target country's behavior. However, a big test of U.S. unilateralism is scheduled for next month when the Congress takes up legislation to grant China permanent normal trading relations. If China is able to enter the World Trade Organization without U.S. support, which is a distinct possibility, this will result in discrimination against U.S. products and services exported to China because they will face higher barriers than those of other countries. Unilateralism in trade policy has its costs whether practiced at the federal, state, or local level.
Sovereign countries have the right to act against their own economic interest.
A key question in the Massachusetts-Burma case is whether an individual state has the right to act against the economic and foreign policy interests of the United States as a whole. Its research is nonpartisan and nonproprietary. CSIS does not take specific policy positions. Accordingly, all views, positions, and conclusions expressed in this publication should be understood to be solely those of the author. 2000 by the Center for Strategic and International Studies.