As I mentioned here a couple months ago, the ITC will be carrying out a study requested by USTR on "the potential distributional effects of goods and services trade and trade policy on U.S. workers by skill, wage and salary level, gender, race/ethnicity, age, and income level, especially as they affect underrepresented and underserved communities." The ITC recently announced its schedule for the investigation. See the details at the link and below.
I think this could be a useful exercise and I hope that some pro-trade folks take the time to participate. I can see how some people might think the whole thing has been set up with a particular outcome in mind, and prefer to steer clear of it. But the request doesn't just ask about the distributional effects of trade agreements, so it doesn't have to be about putting trade liberalization on trial. Instead, it asks about the distributional effects of "goods and services trade and trade policy." That leaves room for studying the negative distributional effects of various different kinds of tariffs, Buy America procurement, the Jones Act and other protectionist policies in general, and the negative effects on under-represented and under-served communities in particular. It also leaves room for studying the positive distributional effects of trade in goods and services.
If I were still at a think tank, I would make this a priority project and dive right in. But I'm busy with other things at the moment, so I'm going to have to sit this out, but I hope others can participate!
Distributional Effects of Trade and Trade Policy on U.S. Workers
SUMMARY: The Commission has established a schedule and procedure, set forth below, for conducting roundtables, an academic symposium, and a hearing in connection with this investigation. The Commission will hold seven roundtable discussions between March 1 and April 1, 2022, an academic symposium on April 5-6, 2022, and a hearing on April 19, 2022. The roundtables, academic symposium, and hearing will focus on the potential distributional effects of goods and services trade and trade policy on U.S. workers by skill, wage and salary level, gender, race/ethnicity, age, and income level, especially as they affect underrepresented and underserved communities. The roundtables and hearing will afford an opportunity for interested persons to present information and views relating to the investigation, and the academic symposium will afford an opportunity for researchers and data experts to present work relevant to the investigation. The Commission instituted the investigation under section 332(g) of the Tariff Act of 1930 following receipt, on October 14, 2021, of a request from the U.S. Trade Representative.
Commission events:
March 1: Roundtable on Race and Ethnicity I (virtual)
March 8: Impacts on Underserved Communities (in-person/virtual hybrid; from Fresno, CA)
March 10: Roundtable on Race and Ethnicity II (virtual)
March 14: Roundtable on Gender and Orientation (virtual)
March 22: Roundtable on Disability, Age, and Education (virtual)
March 30: Impacts on Underserved Communities (in-person/virtual hybrid; from Detroit, MI)
April 1: Roundtable on Local Economic Impacts on Underserved Communities (virtual)
April 5-6 Academic Symposium (virtual)
April 19: Hearing (virtual)Filing deadlines relating to the roundtables:
February 15: Deadline for filing requests to appear at Roundtable on Race and Ethnicity I
February 22: Deadline for filing requests to appear at Roundtable on Impacts on Underserved Communities – Fresno, CA
February 24: Deadline for filing requests to appear at Roundtable on Race and Ethnicity II
February 28: Deadline for filing requests to appear at Roundtable on Gender and Orientation
March 8: Deadline for filing requests to appear at Roundtable on Disability, Age, and Education
March 16: Deadline for filing requests to appear at Roundtable on Impacts on Underserved Communities – Detroit, MI
March 18: Deadline for filing requests to appear at Roundtable on Local Economic Impacts on Underserved CommunitiesFiling deadlines relating to the academic symposium:
February 11: Deadline for submitting requests to appear and a copy of abstract and CV
March 1: Deadline for submitting papersFiling deadlines relating to the hearing:
April 1: Deadline for filing requests to appear
April 5: Deadline for filing prehearing briefs and statements
April 12: Deadline for filing electronic copies of oral hearing statements
May 6: Deadline for filing posthearing briefs and statements
May 17: Deadline for filing all other written submissions
