Free Trade

Thomas Duesterberg and Robert Scott talked about the U.S. policy of free trade, focusing on the effects of this policy on the manufacturing industry. Among the issues discussed were whether or not the manufacturing sector benefits from free trade, the recent loss of millions of manufacturing jobs, and President Bush’s plan to appoint a new Assistant Commerce Secretary for Manufacturing. Mr. Scott argued that the decline was due to largely to faulty government policies and trade agreements. Mr. Duesterberg said that the manufacturing sector benefited overall from free trade, and that U.S. industries faced tough competition from abroad. Both guests agreed that manufacturers were hurt by the high value of the dollar, which made U.S. goods more expensive in other countries and foreign imports cheaper in the United States. The guests responded to audience telephone calls, faxes, and electronic mail.

The World Trade Organization meeting on trade issues started September 11 in Cancun. Am close