This was a pretty good op-ed on what our trade policy is doing to the world. 

Since the 1980s, pesticide use has increased fivefold in Latin America as countries have expanded their production of nontraditional crops to fuel the demand for fresh produce during winter in North America and Europe. Rice farmers in the region use monocrotophos, methamidophos and carbofuran, all agricultural chemicals that are rated Class I toxins by the World Health Organization, are highly toxic to birds, and are either restricted or banned in the United States. In countries like Guatemala, Honduras and Ecuador, researchers have found that farmers spray their crops heavily and repeatedly with a chemical cocktail of dangerous pesticides. 

We regulate our food production to protect our environment and safety, then accuse U.S. producers of not being efficient enough to compete with farmers in other countries.  And the trade agreements prevent us from addressing those nasty foreign production practices.  We have to treat imported rice the same as domestic rice.

But when you try to change trade policy, you get haughty speeches about "Economics 101" and "Adam Smith" - as if those terms provide any assistance to the wacko free trader position.

The NY Times had a series last year on China's big environmental problems.  Trade was not front and center, though China's currency manipulation is the root cause.  Why?  Currency manipulation fuels China's 12% annual growth rate, which is too fast to do responsibly.  It also fuels vigorous outsourcing by U.S. companies who can then benefit from the artificially low prices that exceed the cost of several thousand added miles of shipping (which net benefit would disappear absent the manipulation).  Efficient factories here, that produce in compliance with U.S. safety and environmental laws, shut down to either jump on the Chinese currency manipulation gravy train - or because they are victims of multinationals chasing the "China price".

Protectionism and mercantalism drive the trade deficit.  The protectionism and mercantilism of our major trading partners.  We preach free trade when few others engage in it.  You don't bring a knife to a gun fight.  We are in a gunfight folks. And we don't have a knife.  We are singing kum-bay-yah.

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