Foreign Policy, Trade and the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election

Experts including Council on Foreign Relations President Richard Haass will dig into foreign policy and trade issues at a forum Monday night at Wayne State University.

Canadian Mexican Flags Canada Mexico NAFTA Trade Border

There’s an event happening today at Wayne State University devoted to taking a look at the 2020 election through the lens of foreign policy and national security.

“I find it frustrating that trade is often put on the defensive. Trade has been proved to be tightly linked to improved quality of life.” – Richard Haass, Council on Foreign Relations 

Wayne State and the Council on Foreign Relations are co-hosting the “Election 2020 U.S. Foreign Policy Forum,” happening Tuesday from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. in the Community Arts Auditorium on Wayne State’s campus in Midtown Detroit. Panelists will include former government officials from Republican and Democratic administrations who will discuss issues central to U.S. national security and issues of particular importance to Michigan.

Click on the player above to hear Council on Foreign Relations President Richard Haass talk about trade and Trump.


Guest

One of the people who will be on the panel of speakers is Richard Haass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations and  former special assistant to President George H.W. Bush from 1989-93. He’s the author of the forthcoming book, “The World: A Brief Introduction.”

“I find it frustrating that trade is often put on the defensive,” Haass tells WDET’s Jake Neher on Detroit Today. “Trade has been proved to be tightly linked to improved quality of life.”

Haass also talks about the benefits and drawbacks of updates to the North American Free Trade Agreement, including the name change to the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement. He says the agreement includes new protections for workers and wages. But he says he’s concerned that those protections could end up hurting workers more than helping them. 

“We may need to adjust this down the road because this could be an unintended consequence of trying to build in protections for workers, you actually drive business elsewhere,” says Haass.

Tune in Tuesday

Detroit Today continues the conversation about trade, the auto industry, and whether USMCA is good or bad for American workers. Guests will include Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (D-Dearborn), Congressman Andy Levin (D-Bloomfield Twp.), and Michigan State University economics professor Charles Ballard.

Author

  • Dynamic and diverse voices. News, politics, community and the issues that define our region. Hosted by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Stephen Henderson, Detroit Today brings you fresh and perceptive views weekdays at 9 am and 7 pm.