Trade versus Security March 24, 2009

Hosted by: American Enterprise Institute

Measures to ensure national security and consumer safety by regulating imports often come at the cost of reduced trade. Security benefits—for example, reducing drug smuggling and preventing import of contaminated food products—are desirable, but do they impose a high cost for trade and provide an excuse for "backdoor" protectionism? Given the economic trade-off, are tighter import quality control regulations worth subscribing to? What are the implications of a new approach to cargo inspection?

Leading economic and security experts will discuss the trade-offs between trade and security. The lineup features David Hummels, an authority on trade costs, from Purdue University; Stewart Baker, former assistant secretary for policy for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security; Christine A. McDaniel of the U.S. International Trade Commission and recently deputy assistant secretary of the treasury for economic policy; and Frank Vargo, who is responsible for trade policy at the National Association of Manufacturers. AEI's Philip I. Levy will moderate.

Official Website: http://www.aei.org/events/type.upcoming,eventID.1899,filter.all/event_detail.asp