The WTO Isn’t Dead, but America Is Breaking It
This opinion piece critiques the United States' role in the decline of the World Trade Organization (WTO), arguing that Washington is hypocritically eulogizing an institution it helped cripple. The author responds to Jamieson Greer’s earlier criticism of the WTO, asserting that U.S. frustration ignores its own responsibility for accelerating the organization's decay. The article highlights that the American middle class largely benefited from open trade, and that manufacturing job losses were primarily driven by productivity gains rather than China’s WTO accession. As the chief architect of the WTO, the U.S. historically reaped significant economic and geopolitical rewards. However, recent U.S. policy has retreated from these principles, prioritizing domestic farm subsidies and trade remedies while resisting the very disciplines it demands of other nations. The core argument suggests that meaningful reform of the global trading system is impossible if the U.S. continues to deny its part in undermining the WTO’s authority and effectiveness.
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The WTO Isn’t Dead, but America Is Breaking It
This opinion piece critiques the United States' role in the decline of the World Trade Organization (WTO), arguing that Washington is hypocritically eulogizing an institution it helped cripple. The author responds to Jamieson Greer’s earlier criticism of the WTO, asserting that U.S. frustration ignores its own responsibility for accelerating the organization's decay. The article highlights that the American middle class largely benefited from open trade, and that manufacturing job losses were primarily driven by productivity gains rather than China’s WTO accession. As the chief architect of the WTO, the U.S. historically reaped significant economic and geopolitical rewards. However, recent U.S. policy has retreated from these principles, prioritizing domestic farm subsidies and trade remedies while resisting the very disciplines it demands of other nations. The core argument suggests that meaningful reform of the global trading system is impossible if the U.S. continues to deny its part in undermining the WTO’s authority and effectiveness.
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