Unfudged Numbers

“The total value of American imports and exports fell by more than $200 billion last year. Through the first nine months of 2016, trade fell by an additional $470 billion. It is the first time since World War II that trade with other nations has declined during a period of economic growth.” During this election season, we’ve heard a lot of loud (and often sophomoric) arguments about global trade. In the NYT Upshot, Binyamin Appelbaum provides a little-noticed fact about trade: It’s No Longer Rising. (It’s hard to sugarcoat these numbers.)