What to Do About Steel
By William Reinsch: Catching up on my summer reading, I was struck by Robert Samuelson’s August 8 column in the Washington Post, titled, “The (mostly false) globalization story.” I’m a big admirer of Samuelson, even though he’s not THE Samuelson who wrote the classic economics text that college students of my era all studied. He […]
Trade Adjustment Assistance: Part II
By William Reinsch: In my previous column on Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA), I took the coward’s way out and postponed any actual suggestions for improvement until later. Later has now arrived, and I need to fulfill my commitment by looking at the adjustment problem in somewhat greater detail. First, while I previously suggested that it […]
A Closer Look at Trade Adjustment Assistance
By William Reinsch: Over the years Trade Adjustment Assistance, or TAA, has become a standard part of the trade wonk’s vocabulary. The program has had its ups and downs. The Reagan Administration tried hard to kill it; the George H. W. Bush Administration tried too, but perhaps not so hard. Clinton didn’t do it any […]
Now Here’s a Novel Idea
By William Reinsch: One of the themes of this year’s election cycle, not to mention the last two or three, is gridlock. Congress can’t get anything done. All it does is kick the can down the road through stop gap measures, temporary reauthorizations, or continuing resolutions. When they do get their act together, it tends to be at […]
Bill Reinsch quoted in Politico on Pacific trade deal
Donald Trump has vowed to kill the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal — and as president he’d be empowered to stop the agreement even if Congress passes it. -snip- “In a way, it would almost be worse to pass it and renege, than not to pass it in the first place,” said Bill Reinsch, a distinguished […]
Bill Reinsch cited in DTN The Progressive Farmer on TPP
The possible consideration of legislation to ratify the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) pact in a lame-duck session of Congress was dealt a new blow when Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., again suggested it is not the cards. -snip- McConnell’s words suggested TPP could be considered in the future, William Reinsch, a distinguished fellow with the […]
Making Globalization Work to America’s Advantage
By William Reinsch: While there has been a lot of discussion about trade during the campaign, particularly TPP, there has been somewhat less talk about the underlying force of globalization that has brought us to where we are today. Trump has made reference to it — he appears to be against it — but Clinton […]
Litmus Tests on TPP?
By William Reinsch: Apparently trade and TPP are inescapable these days. Last week the Clinton campaign announced that former senator and Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar would chair her transition team. This immediately produced an outcry from the progressive wing of the party because of Salazar’s past outspoken support for TPP. This sort of […]