Global Markets & TPP

by Raymond J. Keating- After three months of stunning declines in U.S. exports and imports, the freefall stopped in June, according to the latest report on trade from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Seasonally adjusted exports of U.S. goods and services had stagnated for the previous two years, but with the spread of the […]

  by Raymond J. Keating- When economists talk about free trade and its benefits, we’re not only talking about lowering or removing barriers to selling and buying goods and services, but also reducing governmental barriers to investment. Economic growth and development are enhanced by allowing for the efficient distribution of financial capital, based on market […]

by Raymond J. Keating- Impulses among politicians to impose some kind of “Buy American” regulations on pharmaceuticals amount to nothing more than protectionism that will cause serious ills for American consumers (i.e., patients), entrepreneurs, businesses (overwhelmingly small businesses), and workers. Despite the current politics, free trade actually is not controversial – or at least it […]

by Raymond J. Keating- It’s not surprising that during the pandemic crisis the latest trade data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis was grim. Yet the plunge in both U.S. exports and imports is still breathtaking. U.S. exports of goods and services declined by 20.5 percent in April, and that came after a drop […]

by Raymond J. Keating- A surefire way to make matters worse during a time of economic and political uncertainty is to impose additional governmental costs and controls, like higher taxes. And that includes taxes on imports – or tariffs. Three things have been clear about misguided trade policies over the past three-and-a-half years: ● First, […]

by Raymond J. Keating- In case you missed it, this week is World Trade Week 2020. And it’s a good time to remind government and elected officials about the importance of trade to the U.S. economy, and that steering U.S. trade policy in a free trade direction will help the economy recover more quickly, and […]

by Raymond J. Keating- May is World Trade Month, but unfortunately, given the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, this is not a good time for trade. That is made clear in the latest monthly trade statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Given the relative meaninglessness and the danger of how it can be […]

by Raymond J. Keating- The latest data for January points to trade continuing to be an economic negative coming into 2020. And it’s hard to see that improving in the near term. The January numbers showed that exports declined in January. That came after small increases in November and December. But if we look back […]

On January 29, President Trump will sign the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). The Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council (SBE Council) strongly supported and advocated for USMCA’s passage, as the modernization of NAFTA along with the emergence and growth of the digital economy require a new framework to help boost trade, efficiencies, protections and opportunity for […]

by Raymond J. Keating- The latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis show continued deterioration in terms of those aspects of our economy tied to trade, which, of course, is significant. U.S. exports in November inched up slightly compared to October. But exports have been riding an uneven decline since May 2018. In […]