By Dave Frengel The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is America’s biggest-ever trade agreement.  TPP negotiations already involve ten Pacific Rim nations and that number may grow as Japan and others consider joining.  The US Administration and trade negotiators hope to complete the agreement by the end of the year. US exporters…

Reposted from The Associated Press on February 19, 2013 ********* China Rejects Status As World’s Biggest Trader BEIJING — China has a new status its government doesn’t want — world’s biggest trader. Official Chinese and American trade data indicate China passed the United States last year in total imports and…

Press release from Public Citizen ***** Reporters Memo: Japanese Prime Minister Abe’s Visit to Washington   The 12 Questions about the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) that President Obama and Prime Minister Abe Do Not Want to Hear this Week   Date: February 21, 2013                                                                                                                            Contact: Steve Knievel  202-454-5122   Today Japanese Prime Minister…

The USTR press people are starting to push the propaganda supporting a Trans-Atlantic Trade Agreement with the EU.  Here is the link.  They can’t seem to find any opponents, apparently.  And as to balanced trade, no comment.  Doesn’t matter.  

On February 14, about 135 business, civic, academic, and labor leaders met at the conference facilities of AMN Healthcare for the “Manufacturing in California - Making California Thrive” economic summit. Comments to welcome attendees were made in turn by San Diego City Councilman Mark Kersey, Assembly member Marie Waldron, Dale…

Reposted from the Economic Policy Institute blog ***** Signing trade deals is a terrible jobs strategy Robert Scott | Eocnomic Policy Institute | February 13, 2013 As part of his proposals to spur job growth, President Obama promised in last night’s State of the Union address to complete negotiations onthe…

When a foreign country “dumps” product into another country, they violate international rules.  What is dumping? In economics, “dumping” is a kind of predatory pricing, especially in the context of international trade. It occurs when manufacturers export a product to another country at a price either below the price charged…

  Ian Fletcher spoke on trade before The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on January 17, 2013.  You can listen to the audio of his insightful remarks here. UPDATE:  Here is a link to the video, thanks to commenter Joe Brooks.

Reposted from The New York Times ******* Chinese Army Unit Is Seen as Tied to Hacking Against U.S. David E. Sanger, David Barboza, Nicole Perlroth | February 18, 2013 | NY Times On the outskirts of Shanghai, in a run-down neighborhood dominated by a 12-story white office tower, sits a…

Reprinted from Global Trade Watch.   While President Obama’s State of the Union reiterated the tired “free trade” = exports = jobs refrain, the newly-released government trade data for 2012 shows that job-eroding U.S. trade deficits have ballooned with “free trade” agreement (FTA) partners while declining with the rest of the world. Why? In…