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
We’re out of the Paris Agreement—again! How Trump can make it stick
On Inauguration Day (January 20, 2025), President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the Paris Agreement, the global climate treaty negotiated by the…

News Release
Delays and higher consumer prices incoming from US trade conflict with China: CEI analysis
President Trump’s ten percent tariffs on Chinese goods have been met with retaliatory tariffs by Beijing, indicating a trade war has begun. CEI’s senior economist…

Blog
Trump’s unilateral tariffs: Time for Congress to do its job
Over the weekend, President Trump announced 25 percent tariffs against Canada and Mexico, though Canadian energy imports will face a lower 10 percent rate. He…
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Blog
Protectionism Keeps People Poor
Why do people trade with each other at all? Because it makes them better off. As Iain Murray’s and my paper “Traders of the…
Blog
Rediscovering a Moral and Economic Case for Free Trade
In our new paper, “Traders of the Lost Ark,” my Competitive Enterprise Institute colleagues and I attempt to articulate a strong moral and economic…
News Release
Trade Cannot Be Fair Unless it is Free
The Competitive Enterprise Institute today released a report on the urgent need to return to free trade policies at a time when tariffs and tensions…
Study
Traders of the Lost Ark
View Full Document as PDF With contributions by Fred L. Smith Jr., Marc Scribner, Daniel Press, and Ryan Khurana Profiles in Capitalism August…
Blog
Carbon Taxers in Full Retreat in Canada
New Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced on August 2nd his government was filing suit in Ontario’s Court of Appeal challenging the Canadian federal government’s…
News Release
CEI: Congress Should Reclaim Delegated Trade Authority and End President Trump’s Harmful Trade War
On Friday, China announced it would impose new tariffs on $60 billion worth of U.S. goods, further escalating trade tensions between the two countries.
The Joint Economic Committee
Ryan Radia Testifies Before the Joint Economic Committee in Congress on Digital Trade
Ryan Radia, Research Fellow and Regulatory Counsel, gave testimony before the United States Congress Joint Economic Committee on the need for U.S.
Forbes
Networking and Automation are Upending the Scholarly Study of Entrepreneurship
The changing nature of work via the sharing economy, automation and networking is one among a profusion of variables (such as economic liberty) affecting modern…
Comment
Testimony of Ryan Radia: The Need for U.S. Leadership on Digital Trade
Chairman Paulsen, Ranking Member Heinrich, and Members of the Committee, thank you for giving me the opportunity to testify before you today. My name is…
Blog
Continue Supply-Side Policies to Maintain Economic Growth
As my colleague Ryan Young says, four percent economic growth is wonderful news. It provides yet more evidence that free-market, supply-side policies work, and…
Blog
Trump’s Trade Meeting with European Commissioner Juncker: Better than Nothing
Many trade-watchers are breathing a sigh of relief about President Trump’s meeting yesterday with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker. The result was essentially a…
News Release
Trump, Juncker Take Surprise Cooler Heads Approach to Trade Brinkmanship
The surprise deal President Trump and EU President Jean-Claude Juncker announced today - to mutually resolve disputes over steel and aluminum tariffs and other industrial…
News Release
Trump Tariffs Will Harm US and EU
President Trump is set to meet with EU President Jean-Claude Juncker today, with trade tensions topic #1, but CEI Senior Fellow Iain Murray warns that…
Blog
Trump Proposes $12 Billion in Aid to Farmers Hurt by His Tariffs
As we’ve been saying ever since this issue heated up, tariffs hurt the economy. There’s no way around it. Seeing this harm, President Trump…
Letters
CEI Joins Coalition Letter Supporting the Inclusion of Language Requiring Congressional Approval of Tariffs
As conferees for the fiscal year 2019 Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act (H.R.5895), we encourage you…
Blog
Britain’s Brexit Challenge Gets Harder—and It’s Britain’s Fault
Leaving a regional trade bloc is much more difficult than entering it, as the United Kingdom is finding out. The European Union has integrated itself…
Blog
Free Trade Makes Us All Richer (Even If Other Countries Don’t “Play Fair”)
This week my colleague Ryan Young rightly warned that the White House’s newly announced tariffs on Chinese goods will harm Americans consumers and…
News Release
CEI Warns Newly Announced Tariffs on Chinese Goods Will Harm Consumers, Workers
The Trump Administration announced new proposed tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods yesterday, escalating a trade conflict with China.
Blog
VIDEO: Your Next Government? From the Nation State to Stateless Nations
Since the early days of classical civilization, when (a notably imperfect form of) democracy was born, at least some people in the world have…
Blog
CEI Book Club: Peter Navarro and Greg Autry, Death by China
Trump economic adviser Peter Navarro has a longstanding animus against China. It is important to know Navarro’s thoughts on China. He played a major role…
Fox News
Supreme Court’s Janus decision is a win for government workers (and all Americans)
In its 5-4 ruling Wednesday in Janus vs. AFSCME (American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees), the Supreme Court overturned decades-old precedent that allowed…
Blog
Full Court Press on Kigali Amendment Begins
The Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, which would restrict production of many commonly-used refrigerants on the grounds that they contribute to global warming,…
Blog
Messages of Freedom and Hope from FEEcon
Last week I was in Atlanta enjoying the excitement and intellectual ferment of FEEcon, the annual conference held by the Foundation for Economic Education.
News Release
CEI Warns Trump China Tariffs Will Backfire
President Donald Trump announced today he will slap 25 percent tariffs on Chinese technology imports. CEI Fellow Ryan Young warned the move will backfire.
Blog
Last Chance for the 115th: Stop the President from Unilaterally Raising Tariffs
Article I, section 8 of the U.S. Constitution gives Congress the exclusive power of the purse. Under no circumstances may the president unilaterally raise taxes.
Blog
Will Trump’s Tariffs Spell the End of Free Markets?
The president’s threats must be fought, but the good news is America’s fundamental institutions will withstand Trumpian bluster. For one thing, our economy remains a…
Inside Sources
Will Trump’s Tariffs Kill Free Markets?
President Trump’s tariffs on steel and aluminum against allies like Canada, Mexico and the European Union are only the latest skirmish in a long-term attack…
Blog
It’s Not “Us vs. Them” at the G7 Meeting
Tit-for-tat retaliation for trade tariffs is a losing game for both sides. Exports are the way we pay for imports of the things we want.
The Washington Times
Freezing the Paris Climate Accord is a job for the Senate
The Washington Times published an article written by Marlo Lewis reviewing the future of American energy independence and the shackling of the American economy under…
Blog
Here We Go Again: Steel and Aluminum Tariffs and Peter Navarro
A new 25 percent steel tariff and a 10 percent aluminum tariff have come into effect. The levies are aimed at our allies, such as Canada,…
Blog
Cato Institute Honors Human Rights Work of Cuba’s ‘Ladies in White’
Congratulations are in order to our friends at the Cato Institute on their recent big event in New York, the Friedman Prize Dinner. Every two…
News Release
CEI Condemns Trump Decision on Steel and Aluminum Tariffs
Today, the Trump administration announced additional steel and aluminum tariffs on America’s allies, including the European Union, Canada, and Mexico.
China Daily
If China Wants Coal, the US Has Got Coal
ChinaDaily cited Marc Scribner on the influx in demand for US coal exports as the Chinese government has shut down many of its less productive…
Blog
Despite Trump Repudiation, Paris Climate Treaty Still Needs a Senate Vote
This week will mark the one-year anniversary of President Trump’s speech announcing that the United States would be withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement,…
News Release
CEI on Potential Auto Tariff: “Trump Tax” Is Deeply Troubling
This week, the Trump administration launched a probe to consider imposing tariffs on imported automobiles. CEI Senior Fellow Marc Scribner warned such a "Trump tax" would be bad…
News Release
CEI Report: Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation Costs Everyone, Provides Little
In a new Competitive Enterprise Institute report released today, CEI’s regulatory counsel and technology policy expert Ryan Radia argues that the EU’s new privacy rules…
Study
European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation and Lessons for U.S. Privacy Policy
The European Union’s (EU) General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which enters into effect on May 25, 2018, is the most significant policy change regarding data…
Blog
Red Tape Discourages Entrepreneurs, CEI Expert Explains in Fraser Institute Book
Today, the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank, released a new book on worldwide barriers to entrepreneurship, Demographics and Entrepreneurship: Mitigating the…
Natural Product Insider
‘Made in the USA’ Claims: Handle With Care
Natural Product Insider cited the Competitive Enterprise Institute on the financial benefits to businesses caused by deregulation during the Trump Administration so far. …
Fox Business
Trump’s China tariffs: Beijing could target US coal industry
Fox Business quoted Marc Scribner on the harmful market impact that a Chinese tarriff on U.S. coal exports would create given that the coal…
Blog
Steel and Aluminum Tariffs a Massive Net Loss for U.S. Economy
Following in George W. Bush’s footsteps, President Trump increased tariffs on foreign-made steel and aluminum by 25 percent in March. But he exempted U.S. allies…
Blog
Cato Institute Experts on NAFTA and the Trump Tariffs
While the administration has made great progress on issues like regulatory reform and energy policy, the current White House has also embraced policies that—and…
Blog
Peter Navarro’s Economic Ignorance on Trade
Trump economic advisor and Death by China author Peter Navarro’s recent column in The Wall Street Journal, “China’s Faux Comparative Advantage,” is a…
Letters
CEI Joins Coalition Letter Urging President Trump to Support and Improved Trans-Pacific Partnership
View Full Document as PDF Dear President Trump: We agree with the 25 United States Senators who recently urged you to secure…
Blog
AI in the UK: Lords’ Report Makes Startups Less Competitive
The British House of Lords recently published a report on artificial intelligence, which includes policy recommendations that would hamper the development of AI domestically and…
Letters
CEI Joins Coalition Urging President Trump to Support an Improved Trans-Pacific Partnership
View Full Document as PDF Dear President Trump: We agree with the 25 United States Senators who recently urged you to…
Letters
CEI Joins Coalition Letter Supporting Inclusion of REINS Act Language in NAFTA
View Full Document as PDF Mr. President: On behalf of millions of members and supporters of our organizations, we write in appreciation…
News Release
CEI on Possible Trade War with China
China is retaliating against the Trump administration's proposed tariffs on Chinese goods with $50 billion in new tariffs on 106 U.S. products, including vital American…
Blog
Commonwealth Nations Beating America on FinTech Regulation
While the United States continues to have healthy development of financial technologies—thanks predominately to unparalleled access to capital and technology—it is at risk of falling…
Blog
Outlook for Economy’s ‘Master Resource’ Bright
Yesterday my colleague Marlo Lewis and I sat down for a Facebook Live interview (archived here) on this week’s big event, Human…