We use cookies to provide you with a better experience. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies in accordance with our Cookie Policy.
  • INDUSTRY PRESS ROOM
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
  • MEDIA FILE
  • Create Account
  • Sign In
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Free Newsletters
  • MAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Digital Edition
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletters
    • Mobile Apps
  • TRANSPORTATION
  • MATERIAL HANDLING
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • LIFT TRUCKS
  • PODCAST ETC
    • Podcast
    • Webcasts
    • Blogs
      • One-Off Sound Off
      • Global Logistics and Risk
      • Empowering Your Performance Edge
      • Analytics & Big Data
      • Submit your blog post
    • Events
    • White Papers
    • Industry Press Room
      • Upload Your News
    • New Products
      • Upload Your Product News
    • Conference Guides
    • Conference Reports
    • Newsletters
    • Mobile Apps
  • DCV-TV
    • DCV-TV 1: News
    • DCV-TV 2: Case Studies
    • DCV-TV 3: Webcasts
    • DCV-TV 4: Viewer Contributed
    • DCV-TV 5: Solution Profiles
    • Parcel Forum 2022
    • MODEX 2022
    • Upload Your Video
  • MAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Digital Edition
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletters
    • Mobile Apps
  • TRANSPORTATION
  • MATERIAL HANDLING
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • LIFT TRUCKS
  • PODCAST ETC
    • Podcast
    • Webcasts
    • Blogs
      • One-Off Sound Off
      • Global Logistics and Risk
      • Empowering Your Performance Edge
      • Analytics & Big Data
      • Submit your blog post
    • Events
    • White Papers
    • Industry Press Room
      • Upload Your News
    • New Products
      • Upload Your Product News
    • Conference Guides
    • Conference Reports
    • Newsletters
    • Mobile Apps
  • DCV-TV
    • DCV-TV 1: News
    • DCV-TV 2: Case Studies
    • DCV-TV 3: Webcasts
    • DCV-TV 4: Viewer Contributed
    • DCV-TV 5: Solution Profiles
    • Parcel Forum 2022
    • MODEX 2022
    • Upload Your Video
Home » U.S. Chamber: International trade can help get U.S. economy moving
inbound

U.S. Chamber: International trade can help get U.S. economy moving

December 21, 2009
Toby Gooley
No Comments

At a time when the United States needs to create jobs and get its economy moving again, why isn't anyone in the federal government talking about international trade? Leslie Schweitzer, senior trade adviser for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce (CofC), posed that question at the 8th Annual Northeast Cargo Symposium of the Coalition of New England Companies for Trade (CONECT).

Considering that "global trade and investment is a stimulus package in itself," it's a mystery why that subject isn't included in discussions about the economic crisis, Schweitzer said. International trade is what continues to drive the U.S. economy—a fact many legislators don't seem to appreciate, she added.

The U.S. Chamber is concerned that Congressis buying into the "rising tide of isolationism and protectionism" pushed by the AFL-CIO and other labor groups, Schweitzer said, noting that a move in that direction would be disastrous. "Curtailing international trade is a surefire way to prolong the recession," she said. The chamber estimates that 57 million U.S. jobs are directly or indirectly related to international trade.

Exports are getting some attention on Capitol Hill because they represent manufacturing jobs at home. But nobody in the federal government will even mention imports, Schweitzer charged. In her view, this reticence reflects the fact that people associate imports with lost jobs as well as the government's preoccupation with domestic crises in the financial, housing, and auto markets. "I think I can safely say that there is no trade agenda in Washington," she asserted.

The U.S. Chamber is pushing its own trade agenda in Congress and at the White House. Among its priorities are the pursuit of more free-trade agreements ("Chile and Mexico have more than 50 each...we have 17"); stronger enforcement of existing trade agreements; helping small and medium-sized businesses enter new markets; and greater coordination among federal agencies with authority over trade, Schweitzer reported.

The chamber is not limiting its outreach to policymakers. The group is taking it to the street, so to speak. Schweitzer—the former CEO of a commodities importer—and three staffers are traveling the country under the auspices of the CofC's TradeRoots program, talking up the importance of international business. The program's mission is to "promote American prosperity through international trade." Visitors to the TradeRoots Web site are greeted with a photo of a Depression-era bread line and this headline: "Buy American" means "bye American jobs."

Global Logistics
KEYWORDS U.S. Chamber of Commerce
  • Related Articles

    U.S. economy can push 3-percent growth next year if retailers cut stores, economist says

    study: ports help bolster U.S. economy

    U.S. Chamber launches first-ever project to measure transport performance

Contributing Editor Toby Gooley is a writer and editor specializing in supply chain, logistics, and material handling, and a lecturer at MIT's Center for Transportation & Logistics. She previously was Senior Editor at DC VELOCITY and Editor of DCV's sister publication, CSCMP's Supply Chain Quarterly. Prior to joining AGiLE Business Media in 2007, she spent 20 years at Logistics Management magazine as Managing Editor and Senior Editor covering international trade and transportation. Prior to that she was an export traffic manager for 10 years. She holds a B.A. in Asian Studies from Cornell University.

Recent Articles by Toby Gooley

The forklift of your dreams?

Smart choices for small spaces

National Forklift Safety Day 2022 connects safety with labor challenges

You must login or register in order to post a comment.

Report Abusive Comment

Most Popular Articles

  • Schneider welcomes first battery-electric truck

  • Fred Smith is not worried about Amazon

  • RJW LOGISTICS GROUP EXPANDS RETAIL LOGISTICS OPERATION TO DALLAS

  • Maersk deploys indoor drones for warehouse inventory counts

  • Outlook 2023: What’s in store for logistics/supply chain?

Now Playing on DCV-TV

5afe63a5 7125 4318 b851 1e5738df1c91

Patterson Fan Co. | HVLS V-Series Ceiling Fan | Staging Area Air Movement

DCV-TV 4: Viewer Contributed
The Patterson V-Series is a high-volume, low-speed industrial ceiling fan that is designed to circulate a lot of air at a very low speed. These fans, ranging in diameters of 8’ all the way to 24’, are perfect for large, open spaces such as staging and shipping areas. One 24’ fan can generate a cooling effect of 6 –...

FEATURED WHITE PAPERS

  • The five best applications for robotic lift trucks in warehouse environments

  • Fulfillment Facility Improved Efficiencies by 4x

  • 3PLs: Complete Orders Faster with Flexible Automation

  • Reusable Packaging for the New Wave of Supply Chain Automation

View More

Subscribe to DC Velocity Magazine

GET YOUR FREE SUBSCRIPTION
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • NEWSLETTERS
  • ADVERTISING
  • CUSTOMER CARE
  • CONTACT
  • ABOUT
  • STAFF
  • PRIVACY POLICY

Copyright ©2023. All Rights ReservedDesign, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing