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Events • April 18, 2013 

# Regulatory Protectionism: A Hidden Threat to Free Trade 

Is it possible to reduce the risk of protectionist influence in health, safety, and environmental regulation? Should international law prohibit domestic regulations that unnecessarily inhibit trade? A new [Cato Policy Analysis](https://www.cato.org/publications/policy-analysis/regulatory-protectionism-hidden-threat-free-trade) says the answer is “yes” and calls on policymakers and activists to be more cautious of domestic industry influence. Our distinguished panel will discuss the political origins of regulatory protectionism and consider how the United States might keep its laws and regulations free of protectionism and prevent future trade disputes.

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This work is licensed under a [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/). 

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##### [K. William Watson](/people/k-william-watson)

Former Trade Policy Analyst 

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##### [Donald J. Boudreaux](/people/donald-boudreaux)

Adjunct Scholar 

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##### [James Bacchus](/people/james-bacchus)

Adjunct Scholar, Herbert A. Stiefel Center for Trade Policy Studies, Cato Institute; Former Chairman, Appellate Body of the World Trade Organization

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##### [Sallie James](/people/sallie-james)

Former Director of Development, Cato Institute 

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