# International ![Earth image from space](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/optimized/public/2021-01/GettyImages-1214889162.jpg?itok=ho_UmfDa) At a Glance Cato scholars seek to promote a better understanding around the world of the benefits of market-liberal policies and institutions, openness and engagement in the global economy, and a principled and restrained foreign policy. Those benefits include notable improvements in human well-being as countries increase their levels of economic, civil, and personal freedoms. The United States should thus engage the world, trade freely, and work with other countries on common concerns, but avoid trying to dominate the globe militarily. Share This Topic #### Topics - [Defense and Foreign Policy](/defense-foreign-policy) - [Global Freedom](/global-freedom) - [Immigration](/immigration) - [Trade Policy](/trade-policy) [![Trade war policy United States with China](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/content_teaser/public/2025-11/GettyImages-2238877203_16x9.jpg?itok=sV2caddX)](https://www.cato.org/commentary/us-badly-losing-its-trade-war-china) Commentary ## [The US Is Badly Losing Its Trade War with China](/commentary/us-badly-losing-its-trade-war-china) By [Scott Lincicome](https://www.cato.org/people/scott-lincicome) US trade restrictions since 2018 have done little to alter China’s trajectory while imposing a significant cost on American companies and consumers. [![LNG ships - Gas Carrier](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/content_teaser/public/2024-01/GettyImages-1900372899.jpg?itok=VpiV0A5I)](https://www.cato.org/blog/diesel-export-ban-might-be-legal-it-wise) blog ### [A Diesel Export Ban Might Be Legal, but Is It Wise?](/blog/diesel-export-ban-might-be-legal-it-wise) By [James Bacchus](https://www.cato.org/people/james-bacchus) It is always tempting in politics to try a quick fix, especially when you are down and behind in the polls. But this proposed quick fix may not be a fix at all. In some places in the country, it could lead, despite its intent, to even higher prices at the pump. [![immigration, visa](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/content_teaser/public/2026-08/GettyImages-2257111581.jpg?itok=xCNc24Iw)](https://www.cato.org/commentary/trump-enacts-new-immigration-policies-against-h-1b-visa-holders) Commentary ### [Trump Enacts New Immigration Policies Against H‑1B Visa Holders](/commentary/trump-enacts-new-immigration-policies-against-h-1b-visa-holders) By [Stuart Anderson](https://www.cato.org/people/stuart-anderson) The administration enacted additional policies to restrict businesses from hiring skilled foreign nationals and renewed the $100,000 entry fee blocked in court. [![sharia courts](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/content_teaser/public/2026-07/GettyImages-2223150621.jpg?itok=twhPfo0m)](https://www.cato.org/commentary/america-needs-no-sharia-law-american-muslims-deserve-liberty) Commentary ### [America Needs No Sharia Law but American Muslims Deserve Liberty](/commentary/america-needs-no-sharia-law-american-muslims-deserve-liberty) By [Mustafa Akyol](https://www.cato.org/people/mustafa-akyol) Those who want a reformed Islam should welcome Muslims to the American way. [![venezuela](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/content_teaser/public/2026-01/venezuela%201.jpg?itok=6vXmWSKZ)](https://www.cato.org/blog/how-socialism-destroyed-venezuela-16-charts) blog ### [How Socialism Destroyed Venezuela in 16 Charts](/blog/how-socialism-destroyed-venezuela-16-charts) By [Marcos Falcone](https://www.cato.org/people/marcos-falcone) and [Daniel Raisbeck](https://www.cato.org/people/daniel-raisbeck) In Venezuela, 27 years of “21st Century Socialism” have left behind a legacy of destruction that is impossible to ignore. [View More Related Content](/search/issues/international) [![Defending Globalization logo with earth illustration](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/promo_block/public/2023-09/defending_globalization.jpg?itok=te_TH3fL)](https://www.cato.org/defending-globalization) ##### Featured Project ### [Defending Globalization](https://www.cato.org/defending-globalization) Globalization today faces renewed attention—and criticism. Like any market phenomenon, the free movement of people, things, money, and ideas across natural or political borders is imperfect and often disruptive. But it has also produced undeniable benefits—for the United States and the world—that no other system can match. [Defending Globalization](https://www.cato.org/defending-globalization) is a new Cato Institute multimedia project on all aspects of the *fundamentally human* activity that we call “globalization.” [Learn More](/defending-globalization) ![Centers of Progress front cover image](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/promo_block_book_cover_1x/public/2023-09/Centers_FC_foreword.jpg?itok=51wE7_VF) ##### New Release ### *[Centers of Progress: 40 Cities That Changed the World](https://www.cato.org/books/centers-progress)* Where does progress happen? The story of civilization is the story of the city. It is cities that have created and defined the modern world by acting as the sites of pivotal advances in culture, politics, science, technology, and more. There is no question that certain places, at certain times in history, have contributed disproportionately toward making the world a better place. This book tells the story of forty of those places. Come journey through these pages to some of history’s greatest centers of progress. [View Book](https://www.cato.org/books/centers-progress) #### Meet Our Experts [![Mustafa Akyol Cropped](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/bio_picture_mobile/public/2024-11/akyol-cropped-new.jpg?itok=PnqQ3H0C)](/people/mustafa-akyol) ##### [Mustafa Akyol](/people/mustafa-akyol) Senior Fellow, Center for Global Liberty and Prosperity [![Doug Bandow Cropped](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/bio_picture_mobile/public/2023-11/bandow-cropped.jpg?itok=ZDqToQa8)](/people/doug-bandow) ##### [Doug Bandow](/people/doug-bandow) Senior Fellow [![David J. Bier](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/bio_picture_mobile/public/2021-01/David%20Bier.jpg?itok=JEvQToSZ)](/people/david-bier) ##### [David J. Bier](/people/david-bier) Director, Immigration Studies, and The Selz Foundation Chair in Immigration Policy [![Gabriela Calderon de Burgos Cropped](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/bio_picture_mobile/public/2025-01/calderon-cropped.jpg?itok=iikOiEzE)](/people/gabriela-calderon-de-burgos) ##### [Gabriela Calderon de Burgos](/people/gabriela-calderon-de-burgos) Fellow in Latin American Studies [![James A. Dorn](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/bio_picture_mobile/public/2021-01/James%20dorn.jpg?itok=dft5Y53-)](/people/james-dorn) ##### [James A. Dorn](/people/james-dorn) Senior Fellow Emeritus [![Chelsea Follett](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/bio_picture_mobile/public/2021-01/Chelsea%20Follett.jpg?itok=eaQOLmbf)](/people/chelsea-follett) ##### [Chelsea Follett](/people/chelsea-follett) Research Fellow [![Benjamin Giltner Cropped](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/bio_picture_mobile/public/2025-07/Benjamin%20Giltner%20Cropped.png?itok=bWPlx2WD)](/people/benjamin-giltner) ##### [Benjamin Giltner](/people/benjamin-giltner) Policy Analyst [![Colin Grabow](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/bio_picture_mobile/public/2021-01/Colin%20Grabow.jpg?itok=4AdaK5_L)](/people/colin-grabow) ##### [Colin Grabow](/people/colin-grabow) Associate Director, Herbert A. Stiefel Center for Trade Policy Studies [![Jon Hoffman cropped](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/bio_picture_mobile/public/2024-05/jon-hoffman-portrait-cropped.jpg?itok=J4OWAoj2)](/people/jon-hoffman) ##### [Jon Hoffman](/people/jon-hoffman) Research Fellow ![Sahana Krishnamurthy Cropped](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/bio_picture_mobile/public/2025-07/Sahana%20Krishnamurthy%20Cropped-2.png?itok=FMas0ubE) ##### Sahana Krishnamurthy Former Research Associate [![Scott Lincicome cropped](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/bio_picture_mobile/public/2023-10/scott-lincicome-square.jpg?itok=a5RaMdZx)](/people/scott-lincicome) ##### [Scott Lincicome](/people/scott-lincicome) Vice President, General Economics and Stiefel Trade Policy Center [![Justin Logan cropped portrait new](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/bio_picture_mobile/public/2023-08/Justin-Logan-cropped.jpg?itok=XUHM7_6y)](/people/justin-logan) ##### [Justin Logan](/people/justin-logan) Director of Defense and Foreign Policy Studies [![John Mueller](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/bio_picture_mobile/public/2021-01/John%20Mueller.jpg?itok=FgHy7NGE)](/people/john-mueller) ##### [John Mueller](/people/john-mueller) Senior Fellow [![Johan Norberg cropped](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/bio_picture_mobile/public/2023-11/johan-norberg-Cropped.jpg?itok=T1oNAMQ6)](/people/johan-norberg) ##### [Johan Norberg](/people/johan-norberg) Senior Fellow [![nowrasteh_cropped](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/bio_picture_mobile/public/2026-05/nowrasteh_cropped.jpg?itok=ZDVkFtZQ)](/people/alex-nowrasteh) ##### [Alex Nowrasteh](/people/alex-nowrasteh) Senior Vice President for Policy [![Alfredo Carrillo Obregon Cropped](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/bio_picture_mobile/public/2026-05/Alfredo%20Carrillo%20Obregon%20Cropped.jpg?itok=3GkrNrAK)](/people/alfredo-carrillo-obregon) ##### [Alfredo Carrillo Obregon](/people/alfredo-carrillo-obregon) Policy Analyst [![Clark Packard Square headshot](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/bio_picture_mobile/public/2022-03/ClarkPackard_sq2.jpg?itok=OytqAxRu)](/people/clark-packard) ##### [Clark Packard](/people/clark-packard) Research Fellow [![Joshua Shifrinson cropped](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/bio_picture_mobile/public/2023-08/josh-shifrinson-headshot-Cropped.jpg?itok=6YE0cjty)](/people/joshua-shifrinson) ##### [Joshua Shifrinson](/people/joshua-shifrinson) Non-resident Senior Fellow [![marian-tupy-crop-temp.jpg](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/bio_picture_mobile/public/2022-08/marian-tupy-crop-temp.jpg?itok=wW_BiiI_)](/people/marian-l-tupy) ##### [Marian L. Tupy](/people/marian-l-tupy) Senior Fellow, Center for Global Liberty and Prosperity [![Ian Vásquez](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/bio_picture_mobile/public/2021-01/Ian%20Vasquez.jpg?itok=HJ-vkM2y)](/people/ian-vasquez) ##### [Ian Vásquez](/people/ian-vasquez) Vice President for International Studies, Director of the Center for Global Liberty and Prosperity, and David Boaz Chair [![Carol Xu Cropped](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/bio_picture_mobile/public/2026-07/Carol%20Xu%20Cropped.png?itok=CAx1uSHF)](/people/carol-xu) ##### [Carol Xu](/people/carol-xu) Research Associate [![Shipyard and shipping containers](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/promo_block/public/raslider/201806_jonesact_hp.jpg?itok=NYWx6Rqh)](https://www.cato.org/project-jones-act-reform) ##### Featured Project ### [Cato Project on Jones Act Reform](https://www.cato.org/project-jones-act-reform) The Cato Institute aims to shake up this status quo by shining a spotlight on the Jones Act’s myriad negative impacts and exposing its alleged benefits as entirely hollow. By systematically laying bare the truth about this nearly 100-year-old failed law, the Cato Institute Project on Jones Act Reform is meant to raise public awareness and lay the groundwork for its repeal or reform. [More on the Project](/project-jones-act-reform)