Freedom to Trade: Refuting the New Protectionism

Edward Hudgins, former director of regulatory studies at the Cato Institute, is the editor of Freedom to Trade: Refuting the New Protectionism. He argues that “free trade is challenged from many parts of the political spectrum — from Pat Buchanan to Richard Gephardt, who perpetuate myths that imports cost jobs or that trade deficits, or surpluses, matter. Only international free trade and domestic free markets hold the promise of increasing living standards and job opportunities.” Freedom to Trade is a collection of nine papers examining the myths and realities of the free-trade debate. Chapters examine the history of trade, the “myth of the race to the bottom,” the “myth of surrendered sovereignty,” the impact of free trade on American cities and trade and human rights in China.

Edward L. Hudgins is an adjunct scholar of the Cato Institute and current director of the Washington, DC office of the Objectivist Center. He is an expert on the regulation of agriculture, pharmaceuticals, labor, space and transportation and on state and international regulatory comparisons.