The U.S. economy has gone through spurts in which exports have doubled -- or nearly so -- within five years, most recently from 2002 to 2007, when a cheap dollar gave American products and services a competitive edge. But a repeat may be tougher in the current global climate, with the dollar strengthening against some key currencies.
The president may also face domestic opposition over a renewed emphasis on free-trade policies that some argue have helped shift U.S. manufacturing jobs overseas -- a sensitive issue at a time when unemployment remains at nearly 10 percent. Predicting such an argument, Obama said Thursday that although he sympathized with communities that have lost factories and livelihoods to overseas labor, the country needs to recommit to free trade in a way that ensures Americans benefit through the opening of new markets for their goods and services.
"There is no question that as we compete in that global marketplace, we've got to look out for our workers," Obama said. "But to look out for our workers, we've got to be able to compete in the global marketplace." ...
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