Ronald Reagan Quotes

The thing that we have to worry about is this protectionist movement that has reared its head again in this country

People say free trade causes dislocation. In actual fact, it's the lowering of trade barriers that causes the dislocation.

Before we move forward with new efforts to lower the barriers to international free trade, we must review the consequences of the policies of the past and address the problems of the present.

Debates about trade inevitably revolve around the question of jobs, even thought trade has little effect of aggregate employment levels.

Free trade is always vulnerable to democratic politics.

Trade has suddenly become massively unpopular. I think that's massively unjust. I think free trade has been wonderful for America on balance.

Unfortunately, the United States has entered into several free trade agreements that do not sufficiently protect and support our manufacturing industries and the millions of American workers they employ.

That level of trade deficit throttles real growth in our country and continues the unfortunate path of selling out America. We are not winning the global trade war, we are losing it badly.

Now, given the experience that we have had thus far, with our subsequent trade agreements with NAFTA and others, you would think that with our experience of job loss that we have had there that when you find yourself in a hole that you might stop digging.

Beneficial in theory, so-called free trade agreements far too often have been detrimental to the United States economy and the manufacturing sector that forms its central pillar.

A liberal economy doesn’t mean opening wide the doors for imports.

I never was a free-trader. I never felt that we could ... do away with all protective devices, because we would have been flooded with imports which would have hurt our economy.

Immediate restrictions must be introduced to drastically reduce imports. We waste millions of dollars on provocative imported commodities, like dog food, nuts, and ice cream.

We want to export our products but not our jobs.

Those who whine incessantly and maintain the romantic notion of a self-contained market speak against the interests of American workers and a growing standard of living. They are trafficking in fear and promoting ignorance while advancing their own political ambitions. No great nation has ever increased its worth over time by closing its markets. In fact, history is replete with examples of closed markets leading to destructive economic consequences.

Free trade ideas often look great in prospect but less in retrospect.

It is difficult to overcome protectionism when times are bad.

I am all in favor of growing the American economy and engaging in trade with the world, but not at the expense of American workers. The North American Free Trade Agreement is a perfect example of this. Ask the textile workers of North Carolina how NAFTA worked out for them - if you can find any.

Unfettered free trade has led to a disaster.

Protectionism is something that will hurt everybody, but especially the United States.

There are some who want to move us back to the days when we were protectionists and keep all goods off our shores.

In Illinois, we've seen job losses from agreements like CAFTA and NAFTA. Those agreements didn't help American workers - and they haven't brought improvements to the lives of workers in other countries, either.

I want to go get trade agreements because if America walls itself up, if we address sort of an economic fortress America, we will lose.

Protectionism has never been an answer, will never be an answer. We need trade. We need trade agreements worldwide.

Manufacturing value chains are global. Many U.S.-made goods have foreign components. Slapping on tariffs will raise prices and slow imports, but it will make us poorer and impede growth.