CNN iReport

Students Attend G20 to warn about impending Chinese-American Trade War

September 23, 2009— An international delegation of students traveled to Pittsburgh for the G20 meetings to encourage leaders to resist protectionist temptations. They cited the recent US tariffs on Chinese made tires as a “frightening precedent.”  Armando Regil, a recent graduate of Tecnológico de Monterrey in Mexico, will be among those attending: “At a time when nations are still in recession, we must lower barriers to trade, rather than increase them.”

Regil was joined by students from the US, China, Kosovo, Mexico, Venezuela, Pakistan and Canada to promote free trade.  They are supporters of the FreedomToTrade.org coalition, made up of 74 think tanks and NGOs from 48 countries. FreedomToTrade.org’s petition for free trade was signed by over 1,000 economists and released at the London G20 meeting in April of this year.

Dr. Tom G. Palmer, director of the Atlas Global Initiative for Free Trade, Peace, and Prosperity, part of the FreedomToTrade.org coalition, said, “It’s refreshing to see young people promote peace and free trade, rather than economic nationalism and protectionism.  It’s now clear that free trade promotes peace and prosperity, and that’s a message that the world’s leaders need to hear loud and clear.”

The pro-trade students were at the pre-G20 conference on “Renewing Globalization and Economic Growth in a Post-Crisis World” at Carnegie Mellon University, Wednesday, September 23, 8:30 a.m.–4 p.m. 

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If you would like more information about this topic or would like to schedule an interview with someone from the delegation, please contact Austin Petersen at 816-260-0880 or email him at austin.petersen@atlasnetwork.org