International Trade
Key Points
- Final ratification of the US-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement (USMCA)
- Final negotiation of a high standard Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership agreement.
- Ensuring that future agreements contain strong intellectual property provisions and omit protectionist measures such as trade agreement carve outs.
International trade creates and supports millions of American jobs that offer higher than average wages and drive economic growth. As a testament to the strength of American entrepreneurship, the vast majority of U.S. exporters are not large corporations but small to medium-sized enterprises. Those that doubt the power of global free markets need only observe America’s trading partners who are accelerating the negotiation of trade frameworks underscoring that if the United States does not proactively participate in the global marketplace we risk being left behind.
The states are the clear economic winners and stakeholders in international commerce. From Alaska’s marine products to Iowa’s grains and oilseeds to Florida’s aerospace products and parts, the states are in the business of exports! And while the link between exports and growth is obvious, American families also benefit from imports that make the products they buy every day more affordable as well as from job-creating foreign direct investment (FDI). Many of the overseas companies employing American workers provide unparalleled training opportunities for the manufacturing jobs of the future.
One of the surest ways to expand U.S. market access is through the negotiation of free trade agreements (FTAs) as FTA partners buy more American goods per capita than non-FTA partners. Tariffs and other impediments to seamless commerce act as discriminatory taxes which limit and restrict companies that export to other nations. A carefully drafted FTA whether bilateral or multilateral eliminates tariffs and other non-tariff barriers to trade among FTA partners resulting in a mutually beneficial economic relationship.
One of the most consequential agreements is the not yet ratified United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) which has high standard intellectual property (IP) provisions and brings NAFTA into the 21st century. ALEC model policy supporting speedy congressional approval of USMCA can be found here.
Free markets are a job creation engine that spurs economic growth, but there is also a strategic aspect to U.S. trade policy. Trade frameworks often serve as non-military strategic footprints in significant regions around the globe. One of the great examples of American exceptionalism was our creation in the years following World War II of the structures that still govern international trade. To this day, these institutions help to promote free markets and protect innovation and nations around the world welcome U.S. economic partnership. Unilaterally forfeiting America’s role in the global trade sphere would exact unacceptable economic and strategic costs. There is no guarantee that the nation or nations that fill the leadership vacuum we leave will promote free markets as strongly as the United States.
Model Policies
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Resolution Urging Congress to Reassert Its Constitutional Authority over International Commerce Final
Whereas Article 1 Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution confers upon Congress the exclusive authority “To regulate commerce with foreign nations.”; and Whereas Article 1 Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution also states that “The Congress shall have the Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts, and Excises to …
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Resolution Supporting the United States in Signing a Bilateral Trade Agreement with Taiwan Final
Whereas, the United States and Taiwan have enjoyed long-standing partnership with the shared common values of freedom, democracy, and human rights; and Whereas, Taiwan is an exceedingly vibrant and dynamic democracy, described as a “democratic beacon of hope” for the Indo-Pacific, serving as a key trading partner and strategic ally …
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Urging the United States Government to Keep the American People Safe and Healthy by Decreasing the Nation’s Dependency on Foreign Manufactured Pharmaceutical Ingredients and Medicine, Particularly from China Final
WHEREAS, many citizens of the United States depend on pharmaceutical drugs to cure, treat, or prevent disease and these drugs can result in lifesaving and life sustaining outcomes; and WHEREAS, China has become the world’s largest supplier of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API), and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration estimates …
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Resolution Urging Negotiation of a Bilateral Free Trade Agreement between the United States and the United Kingdom Final
Whereas, the United Kingdom separated from the European Union on January 31, 2020, thus gaining the right to determine its own trade policies; and Whereas, the United States and the United Kingdom have strong historic, cultural, and economic bonds; and Whereas, the United States and the United Kingdom have an …
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Draft Reaffirmation of the US Commitment to Taiwan on the 40th Anniversary of the Taiwan Relations Act Final
Draft Reaffirmation of the US Commitment to Taiwan on the 40th Anniversary of the Taiwan Relations Act Section 1. Preamble: WHEREAS, the Taiwan Relations ACT (“TRA”) was signed into law on April 10, 1979, codifying the historically close relations with Taiwan that had existed prior to January 1st, …
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Resolution Supporting Congressional Approval of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) Final
Whereas, the imposition of artificial barriers to free and open trade are harmful to American economic interests; and Whereas, together, the United States, Canada and Mexico promote a shared belief in freedom, representative democracy and market principles as recognized in the U.S. Constitution; and Whereas, a longstanding, close tri-lateral relationship, codified in the …
Press Releases
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2020 ALEC International Pioneer Award Goes to Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Alexis Jarrett Email: [email protected] ARLINGTON, VA – (DECEMBER 3, 2020) Today, ALEC presents its International Pioneer Award to Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen at …
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A State Legislator Win: The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) Will Activate
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Alexis Jarrett Email: [email protected] A State Legislator Win: The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) Will Activate 18 states introduced …
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ALEC Adopts Model Policy in Support of the North Atlantic Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Alyssa Hackbarth [email protected] 856-649-8102 ARLINGTON, VA (October 12, 2017) – In light of the ongoing negotiations of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), ALEC …
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The ITC Rules against American Workers and Consumers Again
In response to a petition Whirlpool filed in May under Section 201 of the Trade Act of 1974, the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) determined that the manufacturer of large …