It’s Productivism, Not Protectionism

Global Rebalancing Will Lead to Global Prosperity European leaders and the media are up in arms over recent U.S. policy decisions to support the reshoring of American industry. The export ban on advanced U.S. semiconductor equipment, the tax credits for renewable energy equipment made in the U.S., and especially the support for American-made electric vehicles…

World Cup Soccer as a Model for a Deglobalized World

There is a growing consensus in the U.S. and many other advanced economies that we must move away from globalization, and towards more localized economies, less reliant on global supply chains or untrustworthy countries for vital goods. Many can see the necessity for greater localization, but can’t imagine what it will look like. Will it…

Raimondo Speech Marks Biden Administration Endorsement of Industrial Strategy

A little-noticed speech by Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo last week was a rousing endorsement of industrial strategy by a senior Biden administration official as the way forward for the U.S. economy. Raimondo minced no words as she called for the private sector and America’s educational institutions to join the fight to position the U.S. as…

ITC Report: Free Trade Harms Minorities, Manufacturing Workers, and Workers Without College

A new International Trade Commission (ITC) report on the distributional effects of trade points out that import competition has negative and disproportionate effects on minority workers, workers without college education, and workers in manufacturing.             In October 2022, the ITC published a report entitled “Distributional Effects of Trade and Trade Policy on U.S. Workers.” (https://www.usitc.gov/publications/332/pub5374.pdf)…

Looming Copper Shortage Threatens U.S. Resiliency and Geopolitical Order

The “Green Revolution” promises to produce electric power in a climate-friendly, low-emissions  manner for homes, businesses, cars, trucks and other vehicles. There’s just one giant stumbling block. All these clean-energy sources use large amounts of copper. Global copper demand is forecast to double between now and 2035. But copper supply may not keep up. If…