Fran Smith’s work focuses on trade and international issues affecting consumers. She is also the founder and coordinator of International Consumers for Civil Society, an umbrella group that has 24 non-profit organization members in 13 countries worldwide.
Smith served from 1994-2005 as Executive Director of Consumer Alert, a national consumer group. She received an appointment to the U.S. Trade Representative’s Trade and Environmental Policy Advisory Committee, which reviews and comments on trade agreements and related matters involving the U.S. She also served a 4-year appointment on the National Academy of Science’s Institute of Medicine’s Food Forum.
Smith has testified before Congressional committees and regulatory agencies, has been a participant in numerous public meetings of regulatory agencies, and has commented on regulatory issues both domestically and internationally. She was a contributing editor at Consumers’ Research magazine and has had articles and letters published in the Legal Times, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, USA Today, Detroit News, Investor’s Business Daily, Journal of Commerce, Washington Post, Washington Times, New York Times, and other newspapers. She also is the author of a widely distributed monograph on the Biosafety Protocol.
A native of New Orleans, Louisiana, Smith holds a B.A. from the University of New Orleans and an M.A. from the State University of New York at Buffalo.
Authored by Fran Smith
News
Competitive Enterprise Institute Scholar to Champion Consumer Interests on Aviation Consumer Protection Advisory Committee
The Competitive Enterprise Institute is pleased to announce that adjunct scholar Fran Smith has been appointed by the secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation…
Trade Promotion Authority is Critical for Upcoming Trade Deals
With the Senate vote today (60-38) on Trade Promotion Authority (TPA), “fast track” authority now goes to the President for his signature. “Fast-track authority is…
CEI Statement on TPA House Passage
After the House of Representatives today narrowly passed Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) – so-called “fast track” authority – by a vote of 218-208. Competitive…
Blog
Groups Urge U.S. House to Nullify Wasteful Catfish Rule
- By: Fran Smith
In a coalition letter yesterday, 10 market-oriented groups, including CEI, urged the House leadership to call for a vote on S.J. Res. 28 to nullify…
Bashing Trade Is a Popular Election Year Target
- By: Fran Smith
Pundits are opining that Bernie Sanders’ significant win in the Democratic primaries in Michigan was primarily due to his vehement anti-trade stance. Donald Trump’s surge…
Permanent Moratorium on Internet Taxation in Customs Bill
- By: Fran Smith
Today the Senate voted 75-20 in favor of the conference report accompanying H.R. 644, the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015, the so-called customs…
Op-Eds/Articles
Is ‘zero for zero’ a sugar industry ploy?
- By: Fran Smith
The U.S. sugar lobby is promoting a supposedly free market idea: to get rid of the U.S. sugar support program if Brazilian producers give up…
Letter to the Editor: Circumventing the WTO is dangerous
- By: Fran Smith
Sir, Jean-Pierre Lehmann’s letter (“Focus on EU-US deal risks further damage to…
Sugar Program Isn’t Sweet for Consumers or the Economy
- By: Fran Smith
Don’t look now, but here comes the farm bill, one of those catch-all legislative behemoths littered with wasteful programs and supported by entrenched special interests.
Studies
Free Trade Without Apology
Congress needs to stop trying to appease organized labor and approve free trade deals on the treaties’ own merits.
Clarify the Role of Invasive Species
Liberate to Stimulate Index In the past, policies addressing problem plants and animals followed a rational path: They focused on controlling organisms…
Advance a Global Pro-Trade Agenda
- By: Fran Smith
Liberate to Stimulate Index Increasing liberalization of world trade is a key factor behind the dramatic increase in global prosperity since the…
Citations
Travel Weekly
Airline Consumer Advocates Unhappy With DOT Appointment
Travel 60 Weekly cited CEI President and CEO Kent Lassman and CEI Adjunct Fellow Frances Smith on U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao’s appointment of Smith as…
Politico
Leadership Change-Ups At FAA
Politico cited CEI’s Senior Fellow Marc Scribner on CEI’s adjunct fellow Frances Smith appointment to DOT. CONSUMER RETORT: The Competitive Enterprise Institute shot back…
AllOnGeorgia
US DOT Creates National “In-Flight Sexual Misconduct Task Force”
- By: Fran Smith
AllOnGeorgia cited CEI’s Adjunct Fellow Frances Smith’s upcoming ACPAC position as consumer representative. U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Elaine L. Chao has announced…
Regulatory Comments
Balance of Competences Review: Trade and Investment
Full Document Available in PDF Iain Murray is a British citizen who is Vice President at CEI and heads the…
Comments on Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership
- By: Fran Smith
Full Document Available in PDF In what would be the largest trade pact ever, the United States and the European Union early…
Comments Submitted to U.S.-EU High Level Working Group on Jobs and Growth
- By: Fran Smith
Full Document Available in PDF The path to economic growth and prosperity is not something readily planned from above but rather is…
