U.S. FOREIGN TRADE POLICY: HISTORY AND REFORM WILLIAM L. CASEY, JR.
Abstract
An examination of U.S. foreign trade policy reveals significant policy inconsistencies over the decades, although there has been a post-World War Two trend towards trade liberalization. U.S. leadership in the formation of the GATT agreement and the WTO has been important in this regard, as have been concerted U.S. efforts to enter into viable bilateral and multilateral agreements with trading partners. There is ample room for improvement in U.S. trade policy in the future if political conflict can be minimized and if a consistent core of policy principles can be identified and followed.