We need leadership to boost poverty-eradicating free trade

by Tim Wilson, November 10, 2009

There is a welcome article in today’s Financial Times about the failure of the Obama Administration to tackle free trade. While there are legitimate criticisms of the Administration, as outlined by Lee Kuan Yew giving China a free reign in the Asia Pacific, the real issue is the failure to push negotiations in the WTO along to promote poverty-eradicating free trade. Leadership needs to be shown in free trade talks. Negotiations don’t move themselves along. Without leadership by the United States and the will of many other developed and developing countries alike, millions of people are needlessly being trapped into poverty.  The Obama Administration will leave many legacies, but none could be more important in both political and outcome terms than showing the leadership to conclude the Doha Round.

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