Reagan Prized Free Markets

He favored free trade and opposed protectionism

WSJ editorial. Excerpts:

"Phil Gramm’s op-ed “Ronald Reagan was No Protectionist” (July 24) is absolutely right. Despite efforts by Oren Cass, Robert Lighthizer and other national conservatives to get the Gipper on their side, Reagan favored free trade and opposed protectionism. He wanted to cut taxes on trade, not raise them. One need only listen to Reagan’s words and observe his actions.

In 1985, Reagan stated “our trade policy rests firmly on the foundation of free and open markets—free trade.” He argued that “Instead of protectionism, we should call it destructionism. It destroys jobs, weakens our industries, harms exports, costs billions of dollars to consumers, and damages our overall economy.”

Reagan concluded free-trade agreements with Israel and Canada, vetoed protectionist legislation, rejected import relief for industries from footwear to copper, and helped launch the Uruguay Round of multilateral trade talks. Although committed to addressing unfair trade, Reagan saw open trade as promoting economic prosperity at home and strengthening our alliances around the world.

Douglas A. Irwin"

Related post:

Ronald Reagan Was No Protectionist: He agreed to cap Japanese auto imports in 1981 but hated the deal and did it only as a compromise (2025)