I’m still a staunchly pro-trade conservative. Economics tells us trade leads to gains by both parties. Domestically, when I trade my labor for money, the company I work for gets value out of my labor & I can then trade that money for things I value. Trade helps unlock that value.

International trade is fundamentally the same—the more of it we have, the more value we unlock for ourselves. It’s complicated by national boundaries & priorities, though. Things like currency values and productive necessities create important barriers to perfectly free trade.

But our chief aim should be to work with other nations to reduce those barriers together & increase trade while protecting the interests all nations have. That’s the entire premise of free-trade agreements. It’s hard work, but if we scare easy & erect more barriers—we lose out.