Open to Trade, Open for Business

US Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger use the op-ed page of today's Wall Street Journal to make the case for free trade, and to chide Congress for their inability and downright unwillingness to further open foreign markets to American products.

Free trade has been under assault from political leadership, and the assault has become even more hostile in a federal election year. Unfortunately, if political posturing were to become public policy,

In every state of the union, such a retreat would be disastrous for jobs, economic growth and consumer choice. Nowhere is this more clear than here in Torrance, Calif., where today we are visiting a Hitachi plant that remanufactures auto parts. This "foreign" company employs 16,000 Americans -- 8,000 in California alone -- and is just one of hundreds of overseas firms that invest directly in the U.S. From where we're standing, what America needs is more openness here and abroad -- not less.

"But what about American manufacturing?" one might ask. "What about American exports?" Even at a time when our economy has slowed, U.S. exports are booming. In 2007, we saw a record $1.6 trillion in exports, up 12.6% from the prior year. And exports are growing even faster in 2008. In the first quarter of this year, export growth is up nearly 18% from the same period last year. Nearly a third of all U.S. agricultural products and more than 20% of the goods we manufacture were exported last year. Indeed, exports have been a kind of silent stimulus over the past year, helping even a slowing economy stay in the black.

In economic downturns, the global economy can help keep American companies profitable. This in turn, keeps American workers employed. That logic does not disintegrate because this is an even-numbered year.