C. Donald Johnson, Director Emeritus of Georgia Law’s Dean Rusk International Law Center, just published an op-ed in The Hill, a publication based in Washington, D.C.

Entitled “Trump team spurns Adam Smith with its trade stance”, the op-ed recounts Johnson’s meetings with colleagues in Geneva, Switzerland, headquarters of the World Trade Organization, and elsewhere in Europe. Johnson writes:

“Common questions discussed at each meeting involved whether the WTO can continue to function if the United States clogs the dispute settlement system, refuses to comply with its rules or simply withdraws from participation.”

He characterizes the current U.S. administration’s approach as “a complete reversal of American policy since the 1930s of promoting the free-market policies of Adam Smith,” pointing to U.S. disputes with China and others as examples.

The full op-ed by Johnson – who served as Ambassador, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, 1998-2000, and who is the author of The Wealth of a Nation: A History of Trade Politics in America (Oxford University Press 2018) (prior posts) – is available here.