Pardee Fellow in Media on Trade in Latin America

Pardee Center Research Fellow Kevin Gallagher has written two op-ed pieces that have appeared recently in the on-line version of The Guardian.

In the July 8 issue, in an opinion piece titled "Free Trade’s “false promises” he cautions that NAFTA has not delieved its promised prosperity to Mexico and that the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement "seems to be on the same path

In the June 27 issue, Gallagher co-authored an op-ed piece – The WTO wants to talk – but who’s listening? – that urges developing countries to “pull the plug” on proposals currently under consideration in a revived round of WTO trade talks because the proposals have “limited gains and real costs” for developing countries.

Gallagher and co-author Tim Wise, deputy director of the Global Development and Environment Institute at Tufts University, argue that despite the fact that this round of talks is being touted as the ‘Development Round’ for developing countries the proposed deal would create losses from tariff revenues that equate to four times the likely benefits and that half of the projected benefits would flow to just eight countries.

Meanwhile, Gallagher was quoted in a story also published on June 27 in washingtonpost.com about the future of trade in the Americas in anticipation of a Summit of the Americas early in 2009 when a new U.S. president will be in office.

According to the article, Gallagher warns that foreign direct investment “is not an end but a means to sustainable development and thus must serve as a comprehensive development strategy” in Latin America. Called “A Plan B for Deepening Economic Ties in the Americas” the story was written by Marcela Sanchez.