As a result, CEI experts have encouraged and supported trade-enhancing policies and treaties over the years, including “fast-track” Trade Promotion Authority, specific trade deals, and multilateral efforts such as the Doha round of the World Trade Organization. We have opposed increased tariffs, attempts to increase regulation through trade deal language, and the trend toward bilateral rather than multilateral deals. CEI continues to make the case for free trade in the face of increased bipartisan hostility to the idea.
CEI’s experts also work with like-minded colleagues abroad to oppose harmful initiatives, such as working with British colleagues to stop that country’s competition agency from blocking mergers between American firms based on speculative reasoning.
Featured Posts
Blog
Illiberalism: The bipartisan tradition
After experiencing the horrors of World War I and fearing a second World War could be imminent, Ludwig von Mises wrote Liberalism: The Classical…
Blog
Good and bad trade news: Jones Act suspension, but more tariffs on the way
Two conflicting bits of trade news came out yesterday. The good news is that the Trump administration is considering temporarily suspending the Jones Act,…
Blog
Tariffs and inflation: Response to latest CPI release
On February 13th, the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ most recent CPI release showed a 0.2 percent month-to-month increase for January and a 2.4 percent…
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Newsletter
Net Neutrality, Poultry Wars and Disaster Insurance
The House Telecommunications and Internet Subcommittee holds a hearing on proposed rules for “net neutrality.” The European Union refuses to lift a ban on the…
Newsletter
Bush’s Climate Plan, Carcinogens in Plastic and Free Trade
President Bush outlines a new plan for national climate policy. A new study raises concerns about a connection between plastics and cancer. Democratic leaders in…
Op-Eds
The Catch-22 of Immigration Reform
The SAVE Act and the New Employment Verification Act pose threats to American workers and to nationsl security.
Op-Eds
No right to impose carbon tariffs
A new argument has emerged among policymakers, economists and trade activists seeking regulatory or direct taxes on Canadians in the name of "global warming." The…
Blog
How Al Gore Fostered Famine, Food Riots, and Rising Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Ethanol subsidies have led to hunger and food riots across the world, by diverting critical farmland from food production to fuel production. While in…
Blog
Food Riots Spread in Haiti, and Across the World, Fueled by Ethanol Mandates
Food rioting has spread in Haiti, endangering the government of its “U.S.-backed president.” “A desperate appeal from the president Wednesday failed to restore order…
Newsletter
Global Health Threats, Foreclosure Relief and Food Riots
Members of Congress hear testimony on whether global warming will become a threat to human health. Senators agree on a foreclosure relief plan for mortgage…
Newsletter
China Under Fire, Free Trade and High Gas Prices
Demonstrators disrupt the Olympic torch ceremony in Paris to protest China’s human rights record. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi objects to the U.S.-Colombia trade agreement negotiated…
Newsletter
Al Gore’s Ads, Cultural Diversity and the Farm Bill
Al Gore launches a $300 million ad campaign to promote his global warming agenda. The Maryland legislature moves to mandate “cultural diversity” programs at all…
Blog
Crazy Immigration Rules Revisited
Earlier, I wrote about how immigration authorities were poised to deport Saman Kareem Ahmad because he belonged to a group that rose up against Iraqi dictator Saddam…
Blog
Some things are supposed to be private….
Anti-biotechnology activists managed to leverage sunshine laws in Europe to get the EU government to release research information that was supposed to be confidential.
Newsletter
Recession, Trade and Home Ownership
White House advisors cite the slowing economy as part of their call for tighter regulation of mortgage lenders. U.S. exports…
Blog
Danish Government Pays Scientists to Dispute Lomborg
The Danish Energy Department paid a researcher to promote their climate policy strategy in debates with Bjørn Lomborg. Peter Laut billed about 500 hours…
Blog
Britain Cares for Animals Better than Humans
Britain’s National Health System is notoriously underfunded. The government makes ends meet by denying service. The elderly don’t get transplants. People pull their own teeth.
News Release
Supreme Court Rulings Good for Investors
Washington, D.C., February 20, 2008—The Supreme Court this session has made two important decisions that will greatly benefit investors. Both today’s ruling in LaRue v.
Newsletter
CEI Daily Update
Issues in the News 1. INTERNATIONAL President Bush receives praise for public health aid from crowds on his trip to Africa. CEI Expert Available…
Blog
Eco-Terrorism leading Britain to decrease transparency
Repeated sabotage attacks by eco-terrorists in Britain have ruined several years’ worth of field trials of plants bred with molecular plant breeding methods. Now the…
Op-Eds
Stay Poor
It's bad enough when European and American politicians desperate to "do something" about global warming appear willing to sacrifice economic growth in their own…
Op-Eds
Transforming Korean Peninsula
The Bush administration’s attention is focused on the Middle East, but the Korean Peninsula also requires attention. The impending inauguration of conservative Lee Myung-bak,…
Op-Eds
Trade Makes Intellectual Pursuits Possible
Many opponents of free trade like to appeal to a higher ideal. They see material progress as vapid and unimportant. But what about intellectual…
Op-Eds
What Race to the Bottom?
Free trade creates new opportunities, jobs, and value for consumers. Now will someone please tell Congress? As it begins its new session, Congress’s agenda…
Op-Eds
Discontinue Subsidies
Regarding “Family farming Ladue” (Jan. 14): U.S. farm subsidies are so corrupt, so distorting and so harmful to poor Americans that they should be…
Op-Eds
Fix H1-B Visa Program
The Dec. 11 story “Immigrants wait years for green cards” accurately describes a tragic situation compounded by anfractuous immigration laws and bad public policy.
Blog
The Cuddly Europeans Threaten Climate Penalties
The Europeans may harp on climate change, but the U.S. actually has done better at slowing emissions growth without ratifying the Kyoto protocol. No matter.
Newsletter
CEI Daily Update
Issues in the News 1. INTERNATIONAL The budget of the United Nations is expected to grow by 25% in one year.
Op-Eds
An Industry Worth Its Weight in Gold
Originally published in Spanish in the Sunday, December 16, 2007 edition of El Comercio newspaper, Quito, Ecuador. Translated by Ecuador Mining News…
News Release
Senate Passes Farm Bill
Washington, D.C., December 14, 2007—Yesterday the Senate passed the 2007 farm bill, the first major revision of agricultural policy in five years. "The $286…
Products
CEI Planet: November – December 2007
Full Document Available in PDF The Tiger at a…
Blog
Gordon Brown hopes “Fool in the Rain” isn’t about him
In anticipation of the incredibly overhyped Led Zeppelin reunion tomorrow in London, a UK Telegraph article on the band's legacy invites a…
Blog
Marrying to Fight Global Warming
What to do about global warming? The usual ideologues and activists are busy at the latest international conclave in Bali. Needless to say, there are…
Blog
Since When Has Hugo Liked Democracy?
Ivan, Like you I was happy to see that Hugo Chavez lost the referendum that would have, more or less, made him a “president…
News Release
New Video: Cheers to Repeal Day!
Washington, D.C., December 4, 2007—The Bureaucrash Activist Network is releasing a new video just in time to celebrate the repeal of Prohibition…
Blog
NO to Chavez “reforms”
Venezuelan voters narrowly defeated Hugo Chavez’s effort to expand his presidential powers and abolish presidential term limits, the country’s electoral council announced just…
Op-Eds
A More Competitive Europe
Your article “EU to identify lagging economic sectors” (Nov. 20) discussed a European conference where 23 sectors of the European economy were identified as…
Op-Eds
US barring import of brilliant minds
Sir, Gideon Rachman's article “Hearts, minds and immigration” (November 13) wonderfully describes the current political arguments concerning immigration policy. But while discussing the US,…
Newsletter
CEI Daily Update
Issues in the News 1. BUSINESS Congress considers legislation to “solve” the shake-up in subprime mortgages. CEI Expert Available to Comment:…
Newsletter
CEI Daily Update
Issues in the News 1. ENVIRONMENT International aid agencies continue to criticize the expanded use of biofuels as harmful to the environment and the…
Op-Eds
Federal Ethanol Mandates Will Plow Us All Under
Holman W. Jenkins Jr.'s column “Cheap Shot at Toyota,” (editorial page, Oct. 24) rightly points out the significant negative consequences of the ethanol “cornrush”…
Op-Eds
Why America Doesn’t Ratify Treaties
One of the leading sources of anti-Americanism relates to America's supposed arrogance in failing to sign or ratify international treaties that the rest of…
Newsletter
CEI Daily Update
Issues in the News 1. ECONOMICS Taxpayers advocates highlight the amount of public money doled out to the owners of professional sports franchises. …
News Release
U.S.-South Korea Free Trade Agreement Necessary
Contact: Jody Clarke, 202.331.2252 Washington, D.C., October 15, 2007—As Congress considers bilateral trade agreements with several countries, a new study from the…
Newsletter
CEI Daily Update
Issues in the News 1. TRADE Prominent Democrats come out in favor of pending free trade agreements with Colombia, Panama…
Study
The Law of the Sea Treaty
The genesis of the Law of the Sea Treaty (LOST), widely known as the “constitution of the oceans,” runs back more than 60 years. The…
Newsletter
CEI Daily Update
Issues in the News 1. INTERNATIONAL Microsoft suffers a legal setback in Europe where it has been accused of anti-competitive practices.
Study
A Village’s Travail
Full Document Available in PDF Rosia Montana, a poor mining town in the Transylvanian…
Newsletter
CEI Daily Update
Issues in the News 1. ENERGY & AGRICULTURE The “UN warns of unrest as food price inflation hits developing countries,” pointing the finger…
Newsletter
CEI Daily Update
Issues in the News 1. TELECOM Some colleges are ditching expensive landline phones in dorms, since students all have cell phones, anyway. (…
Newsletter
CEI Daily Update
Issues in the News 1. POLITICS The DC Examiner editorializes on the aggressive tactics labor unions are using to recruit public…
Op-Eds
Congress’ Energy Legislation Would Impair Alabama
Major industrial firms like <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = “urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags” />Toyota and Boeing continue to pour investment into Alabama, which now boasts…
Blog
Heritage to Congress: Ratify FTA with Colombia
Over at The Heritage Foundation, James M. Roberts, in a paper titled “The U.S.—Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement: Don’t Let Progress Fall Victim to D.C.
