International Trade
Key Points
- Final ratification of the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement.
- 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 jobs and drives economic growth. Trade supports millions of American jobs that offer higher than average wages. The vast majority of U.S. exporters are not large corporations but small to medium sized enterprises—an often untold story of American entrepreneurship. Those that doubt the power of global free markets need only observe America’s trading partners who are accelerating their pace into the international space underscoring that if the United States does not actively participate in the global marketplace we risk being left behind.
The states are the clear economic winners and stakeholders in international trade. 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 job creation is obvious, imports also benefit consumers by making the products Americans buy every day more affordable.
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. The two most prominent agreements that have yet to be finalized – the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) – will help U.S. companies gain greater access to more than 1 billion customers.
Free markets are a job creation engine that spurs economic growth, but there is also a strategic aspect to U.S. trade policy. One of the great examples of American exceptionalism was our creation of the structures that govern international trade following World War II. To this day, these structures help to promote free markets and protect innovation and nations around the globe 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 U.S.
Model Policies
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Draft Resolution Urging the Presidential Administration and Congress to Support International Trade and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) Final
Whereas, the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) policy on free trade acknowledges that, “the imposition of artificial barriers to free and open trade…are deterrents to American economic interests;” and Whereas, a longstanding, close tri-lateral relationship, codified in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), has existed between the United States, …
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Resolution Urging Canada’s Trudeau Administration to Protect Intellectual Property Rights by Dismantling the Promise Doctrine and Opposing Similar Initiatives Proposed by Trading Partners Worldwide Final
WHEREAS, the right to own property is a fundamental human right; and WHEREAS, protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights (IPR) are crucial to the future of the innovation-based economy; and WHEREAS, creating an environment where property rights are protected and legally enforced contributes to social and economic growth and …
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Resolution to Combat Counterfeit Pharmaceuticals Final
WHEREAS, the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) recognizes the importance of protecting intellectual property (IP) rights including patented pharmaceuticals regardless of national borders; and WHEREAS, protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights (IPR) are crucial to the future of the innovation-based economy; and WHEREAS, intellectual property infringement can undermine our …