WASHINGTON—The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), the leading U.S. science- and tech-policy think tank, today joined with other members of the Global Trade and Innovation Policy Alliance to call on the Trump administration, Congress, and policymakers worldwide to defend and support the global trading system, because it is mutually beneficial for American firms, workers, and citizens and for trading partners around the world.
The Alliance—an international network of 14 think tanks on five continents dedicated to liberalizing trade, spurring innovation, and curbing mercantilism—issued a joint declaration today calling on global policymakers to defend and support the global trading system for the mutual benefit of their own citizens and people of all nations by:
- Reaffirming deeper and continued trade liberalization and global integration, including in service sectors.
- Adopting a more effective framework to push back against the rising tide of mercantilism and other efforts to artificially inflate exports.
- Implementing economic policies that spur productivity and innovation to improve competitiveness, including in both traded and non-traded sectors.
ITIF transmitted the declaration to Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross, Director of the National Trade Council Peter Navarro, and leaders of the House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Finance Committee, arguing that while trade has become a contentious topic around the globe in recent months, it would be a mistake to move away from globalization and deeper international integration toward protectionism and fragmentation.
“We firmly believe that the case for trade remains as strong as ever,” said Stephen Ezell, ITIF vice president for global innovation policy in a letter to the U.S. policymakers. “But we also believe it would be disingenuous and inadvisable to merely cheer on globalization and tell opponents and skeptics with legitimate grievances to ‘get over it.’ The better path forward is to reinstate the call for market-based globalization with minimal mercantilist distortions while also recognizing that national governments have an obligation to enact domestic policies that help their citizens compete successfully and prosper.”
“The world is at a pivotal moment,” the letter concluded. “Trade remains in the mutual best interest of all countries—so long as it is conducted on genuinely fair and market-based terms.”
Read letter.
Read joint declaration.
