An often overlooked aspect of the Jones Act is its environmental effects. By raising the cost of waterborne transportation, the law encourages the use of trucks and rail, which generate more greenhouse gases and emit pollutants that are in many ways more harmful than those emitted by waterborne transport. In a new paper, Timothy Fitzgerald presents a detailed examination of the potential environmental gains that could be realized from reform or repeal of the law.

After seven years of negotiations, India has backed out of joining the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), a Free Trade Area (FTA) that was to include 16 countries—including China, Japan, Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and India—and would cover 40 percent of global gross domestic product and over half the world population. In a new paper, Cato scholar Swaminathan S. Anklesaria Aiyar argues that India needs to avoid the temptations of protectionism and opt instead for reforms that make it more competitive.