The Chamber leads a two-front battle to knock down trade barriers abroad and keep our markets open at home. Trade is no longer a luxury. It is in the vital self-interest of our nation. One-third of our economy is now trade dependent. Ninety-five percent of the world's consumers live outside the United States.
Free trade critics are right on one score: too many markets abroad remain unfair and closed to American goods and services. Our intellectual property is being stolen, and our products are being pirated and counterfeited. But the answer isn't to close our markets—it's to open theirs and instill the rule of law.