100 Days to Iowa, Let’s Talk Trade
The Democrats should be a pro-trade party
The Iowa Caucus is approaching, the unofficial kickoff to the 2020 Presidential election. So far, healthcare has monopolized the Democratic debates, leaving a lot of questions about where each candidate stands. Trump’s trade wars and protectionist policies have changed international trade more than any other president since World War II. The world wants to know where each of the Democrats stands on this important issue.
Historically, Democrats have been less supportive of free trade agreements than Republicans. Free trade agreements encourage international trade, which changes the industrial landscape. Under a free trade agreement, the United States would expand production of goods that it produces cost-effectively and stop making other goods that other countries are better at producing. This means some jobs will get shipped overseas, while other industries will expand.
Since the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was enacted in 1994, nearly 1 million Mexican workers lost their jobs to U.S. producers that efficiently grow crops and livestock and then export them to Mexico. Similarly, the United States lost 840,000 manufacturing jobs to cheaper labor in Mexico. The total jobs gained or lost was relatively unchanged under NAFTA, but the types and locations…
