NPR

7 Days That Shook 7 Decades Of World Trade

Some see worrisome signs for the international trading system that grew up after World War II, following a week that saw an update to NAFTA, a preliminary U.S.-China deal and a big step toward Brexit.
U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer speaks Dec. 10 in Mexico City during an event to sign an updated trade agreement between the U.S., Canada and Mexico. It was just one development in a week that exposed deep cracks in the global trading system.

It took seven decades after World War II to put together a system of free trade around the world. That system has been rocked in just the past seven days.

Last Tuesday, congressional Democrats agreed to an updated trade agreement with Canada and Mexico. Three days later, China agreed to its own, preliminary with the United States.

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR3 min read
Apple Shows Its Steepest Quarterly Decline In IPhone Sales Since Pandemic's Outset
The 10% drop in year-over-year iPhone sales for the January-March period is latest sign of weakness in a product that generates most of Apple's revenue.
NPR4 min read
Cicadas Are Back On The Menu. One Chef Shares His Dish Ideas — And An Easy Recipe
The cicadas are coming! And so are some new flavor profiles. This spring, the bugs of two broods, the 13-year Brood XIX and the 17-year Brood XIII, will crawl from the ground simultaneously across the eastern and southern parts of the United States.
NPR4 min readCrime & Violence
Captain Sentenced To 4 Years In Fiery Deaths Of 34 Aboard Scuba Boat In California
The Sept. 2, 2019, blaze was the deadliest maritime disaster in recent U.S. history, and prompted changes to maritime regulations, congressional reform and several ongoing lawsuits.

Related Books & Audiobooks