You and Donald Trump Might Not Like Free Trade, but It's Been Good to You Both | Cato Institute

You and Donald Trump Might Not Like Free Trade, but It's Been Good to You Both | Cato Institute: "Study after study has shown that countries more open to the global economy grow faster and achieve higher incomes than those that are relatively closed. By enlarging markets to span national borders, free trade permits greater specialization and economies of scale, both essential ingredients of economic growth.

But free trade agreements are not free trade. They are managed trade. They are premised on mercantilist assumptions that exports are good and imports are bad."



"Trade restrictions penalize consumers, import-using industries and taxpayers.



Yet, holding firm to those domestic barriers, while insisting that foreign markets open wider, is the standard strategy for negotiating free trade agreements."