4 ms·

0.0006% of GDP So. pretty trivial stuff. You're making it sound like the US has been this free-trade vanguard check : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_c

0.0006% of GDP So. pretty trivial stuff. You're making it sound like the US has been this free-trade vanguard check : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_tariff_rate https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_tariff_ra... U.S. is 161 out of 180 (180=lowest). So we are the leader of the free trade vanguard as far as large countries go. I apologize "for making it sound like". That was not my intention. Perhaps you were eager to read that into it.

rchaud 7y ago
Thanks for adding a link. The US' average tariff rate is indeed low. But tariffs are only one instrument of trade policy. The US farming sector is protected against foreign competition due to an absolute advantage in food production that exists because of the $20bn that goes into subsidy and assistance programs each year [0]. The reason every round of WTO trade talks takes years to complete is because of the dispute between rich world farmers and poor-world farmers. It's not just the US, but also the EU and their Common Agricultural Policy that leads to overproduction, waste and export of surpluses to poor countries at below market prices. [0]https://outline.com/VB9gCX https://outline.com/VB9gCX (link to a 2015 Economist article)