Research Library

Despite recent claims that “free trade is dead,” fellow Simon Lester explains that America was never close to anything resembling free trade in the first place. Instead, current U.S. trade policy, just like past policy, reflects a messy mix of free market and industrial policy views.

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador's deference to drug cartels in Mexico reveals that he is not interested in meaningful cooperation on bilateral drug law enforcement, and his administration should be regarded as hostile to U.S. interests, writes nonresident fellow Gary Hale.

With little pushback from the Biden administration, Mexican officials seized an American company’s port facility earlier this month. But history shows Mexico should be wary of engaging in such provocations, writes nonresident fellow Gary Hale.

Drug companies that bypass distributors and offer generics directly to patients, like the Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company, could disrupt the pharmaceutical supply chain and ultimately save thousands of lives.

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador is about to achieve the quiet but full militarization of Mexican society by placing all armed government forces under Defense Secretariat command, writes nonresident fellow Gary Hale. If he is successful, this could lay the groundwork for his possible extended tenure, even if it creates a military junta by subterfuge.

With the recent enactment of the CHIPS and Science Act, the conversation about industrial policy has started up again. Are state-directed economic policies back, and will such initiatives work?

Mark Finley reviews the 2022 edition of the bp Statistical Review of World Energy.

Though the OPEC+ group has agreed to accelerate planned oil production increases, the move will likely do little to reduce prices at the pump, despite a major U.S. concession, writes author Mark Finley — and Russia appears to support the plan. Read more on the Baker Institute Blog.   This article originally appeared in the Forbes blog on June 6, 2022.