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Free Trade under Fire
(Princeton University Press, 2002)

Featuring the author, Douglas Irwin, Professor of Economics, Dartmouth College; with comments by J. Michael Finger, American Enterprise Institute; and Steve Clemons, New America Foundation.

The Cato Institute
1000 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20001

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The 1990s began with fears of a "great sucking sound" of jobs lost due to the North American Free Trade Agreement and ended with opponents of the World Trade Organization taking to the streets in Seattle. Why has global trade become so controversial? In Free Trade under Fire, Douglas Irwin examines the positions of the proponents and critics of free trade-and makes plain the stakes involved in their disagreement. He explains the economic benefits of trade, not just for corporations, but for people and the environment. He illustrates how protectionist policies damage the economy and cost jobs, and shows how "fair trade" measures are arbitrary, unfair, and often harmful. He demystifies the WTO and sets the record straight about its controversial rulings. Irwin does not hold up free trade as a panacea but demonstrates why it is the best course available. Please join us for a spirited discussion about the economics of trade and globalization.