CPA: National Security Decision on Steel and Aluminum Is Necessary Beginning

Washington ~ The Coalition for a Prosperous America (CPA) strongly supports President Trump’s decision to ensure that America’s ability to produce steel and aluminum are sufficient for our national security. Previous U.S. government measures taken by previous presidents since Ronald Reagan were too narrow to prevent industry decline which endangers American interests. “President Trump, Secretary…

Why the U.S. Trade Deficit Is Worse Than It Seems

You don’t have to know David Ricardo from Ricky Ricardo to understand the problems with President Trump’s approach to fixing America’s trade woes. [ Spencer Jakab | March 5, 2018 | WSJ] But a seemingly unrelated news item on Monday shows what is being ignored in the debate over Mr. Trump’s tariffs: The U.S. trade balance may be much worse…

Inside the bitter Oval Office tariff fight

This culminated last week. But the war — between Peter Navarro’s economic nationalist camp and Gary Cohn’s free trader-cohort — has been roiling the White House for months. [Jonathan Swan | March 4, 2018 | Axios] It came to a head in the Oval Office in January of this year, when Cohn, Navarro, Rob Porter, Wilbur…

US Notches Dismal Productivity Performance in 2017

By Jeff Ferry, CPA Research Director The productivity figures for the US economy in 2017, published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) last month, show the US economy continuing to underperform on productivity growth, one of the most important metrics for the long-term health of the economy. The labor productivity of our non-farm business…

Auto, dispute settlement, sunset clause talks progress as bilateral discussions break out on ISDS

MEXICO CITY – Negotiators have made progress on automotive rules of origin, state-to-state dispute settlement and a review mechanism during the seventh round of North American Free Trade Agreement talks here, though the U.S. continues to refuse to back down from some of its more controversial proposals, according to sources familiar with the negotiations. [ Brett…