They're are called "free trade agreements" because they do away with protectionism, thereby liberalizing those markets. There are no absolutes in the real world

They're are called "free trade agreements" because they do away with protectionism, thereby liberalizing those markets. There are no absolutes in the real world but markets do usually become freer as a result of these trade negotiations. People don't have beef with FTAs because they aren't liberal enough. I know that liberals like to get in on board the hate train but it's a bit disingenuous to pretend that you're on the same page as most of the folk protesting FTAs when you stand at odds on the basic question of whether protectionism can be economically beneficial or not.