For FASH455 students: Please share your reflections on the video regarding the free trade debate. You can focus on analyzing 1-2 specific debates raised in the video (e.g., comparing the arguments from both sides) and then share your thoughts. Please do not simply state your “opinion,” but use examples, statistics, or trade theories we learned to support your viewpoint.
Further reading: Is Free Trade Worth the Cost?
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FASH455 Global Apparel & Textile Trade and Sourcing 
Hi Victoria, I agree with this entirely. Eliminating free trade would cause a lot of frustration on the consumer side especially in the world we live in today where everything can be accessed quickly and conveniently.
I completely agree with your comment. Especially for immigrant populations, the global trade network allows for an ease of sourcing ingredients or traditional items that makes life more comfortable.
Outsourcing takes jobs away from US workers, but benefits our economy. We get cheaper products, but fewer jobs. Its such a hard argument to make.
Hi Annabelle, I agree that free trade is all about balance. The pros of free trade are too significant to completely get rid of it, however figuring out a way to lessen the cons will make this a better system for everyone.
I was also surprised that tariffs had a negative impact on the economy. This is definitely something that needs to be reconsidered. I do think that the idea of tariffs is a good one, however the execution not so much. So policy makers need to find the disconnect and fix/improve it.
Hi Victoria, I completely agree. Everyone nowadays wants products through online purchasing as it is easy and convenient, though with free trade implemented this will not be possible anymore.
Hi Katie, I agree that it would be nearly impossible to not participate in free trade, since it has become the system in which the world functions. Shutting down our trade with other countries would not only put us in trouble economically, but politically, since our relationships with many countries depend on this exchange. There’s no simple answer but the issues it causes for American households, especially lower-income, should not be overlooked when discussing policy and tariffs for our trading systems.
The video went into detail about the advantages and disadvantages of free trade. One debate that was raised was if trade’s benefits were greater than the harm it causes to various industries and employees. A lot of employees are losing their jobs due to companies making the decision to produce items overseas. For example, in the video it stated that when the U.S. put tariffs on steel and aluminum in 2018, 1,000 jobs were created. However, 75,000 jobs were lost in the industries that relied on steel. The owners of these manufacturers benefit by having lower costs for production of materials, but workers suffer. Therefore, those in the government should work to find solutions that would benefit everyone. This way, employees won’t lose their jobs and production isn’t just sent overseas because it’s cheaper. This would take a lot of brainstorming on figuring out how to go about this, because trade is very important to our economy.
After watching the video, I believe there are both advantages and disadvantages to free trade. One main idea focused on in the video was the job market and job opportunities. One side argues that job opportunities are available in developing countries including Vietnam and Bangladesh where workers can produce apparel. The other side, however, highlighted that free trade also eliminates jobs and puts many people out of work. US workers are being laid off due to manufacturing and production being done overseas where labor costs are cheaper. The video shared that this shift to produce overseas, especially in China, has resulted in factories becoming ghost towns in the US. For example, 75,000 jobs in manufacturing were lost as a result of the 2018 tariffs on steel and aluminum. This hurt businesses and the US workforce. The video also reminded us that none of this is simple and there is not one right solution. However, it is important to keep everyone in mind and try to benefit as many as possible.
Free trade is not perfect which is why it is so important to understand the advantages and disadvantages involved in this practice. It stimulates the global economy and allows countries to focus on producing goods in sectors that they excel at instead of trying to produce in every sector for the sake of being self sufficient. However, outsourcing some of these jobs and pulling certain industries out of domestic production can cause significant harm to working class individuals and industrial towns and cities. Lack of free trade also hurts the same vulnerable demographics the most because limiting free trade increases prices of goods as they will be less available. The video states that poor americans experiences 5 times the income loss on tariffs compared to the 10% of earners. There is no simple solution to satisfy all these issues and trade is a complicated subject and strategy to deal with the issues are forever changing and evolving.
The video does an efficient job showing both sides of the free trade debate. Supporters point to the idea of comparative advantage, saying free trade makes things more efficient, brings down prices, and encourages innovation. On the contrary, critics worry about job losses and lower wages in industries that can’t compete globally. Free trade can help the economy grow, but its benefits can widen the gap between high- and low-income groups and may be unequal. Overall, it is crucial to have policies that support the workers who are negatively affected and ensure that the advantages of trade are spread more fairly.