A Primer on International Trade
International trade is a complex issue, even after studying international economics at JHU SAIS. My previous four years, I was working at my former PMF host agency, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, where I was mostly doing work on green energy, lead abatement, and flat rent exception requests. Thus, with my move back to foreign affairs, I knew I had to bone up on my trade and economics skills in order to be an effective International Trade Specialist. I asked the staff member who onboarded me, solicited advice from previous professors, and reached out to alumni of JHU SAIS for advice on the best way to prepare myself for a transition to trade. At the end of my first calendar year at my new position working on international trade, I have the opportunity to take stock of the books and the training that I have read and would recommend for those considering or entering the international trade policy space.
BOOKS
International Trade: What Everyone Needs to Know
This was a fantastic overview of the international trading system. I enjoyed the review of trade theory that I studied in graduate school. Unlike the International Trade Theory course I took in graduate school, this did not require intermediate economics or laborious calculations. This book reviews facets of trade theory in digestible chapters from comparative advantage to the perils of protectionism. I found the trade remedies part to be most interesting in light of the oft-discussed China shocks from the early 2000s.
Food Politics: What Everyone Needs to Know
This book is especially useful for USDA work. It has a good overview of the complexities of agricultural politics, trade, and biotechnology issues. I especially enjoyed it for the nice case studies. This approach encapsulates the lesson in short chapters that highlight the issues faced. The most applicable sections to my portfolio were the agriculture trade and the biotechnology chapters.
Dilemmas of a Trading Nation: Japan and the United States in the Evolving Asia-Pacific Order
This book was an excellent primer on the US-Japan trade-based political economy. The content was more focused on TPP than I would have expected, but it was published in 2017 so it should be expected as it was still germane at that time. Nonetheless, as this region is in my current area of responsibility. Furthermore, my undergraduate study of Japan-US trade were cases from the 1980s, near the height of the economic bubble. Thus, it was critically useful in updating my understanding of trade dynamics within Japan and between Japan and the United States.
TRAININGS
Georgetown Global Trade Academy WTO Course
Great course on the history and working of the WTO and its predecessor the GATT. Necessary for any federal practitioner of trade policy. The TBT and SPS process, a key part of my policy work, was covered in depth. Trade remedies were a major focus as well, showing the stick of the trade system. This would be a great course for anyone who is newish to the trade space. Some knowledge may be useful to synthesize the content, but hopefully the practitioners are reading books and cross-training with their colleagues in their team for the basics.
USDA Ag-100 Course
I will take this class starting in January of 2022. This course explains the whole book of business for USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service. In the Foreign Agricultural Service, I am in the office of Trade Policy and Geographic Affairs. Thus, I am especially excited to learn about the offices that I am only acquainted with the work of the Offices of Global Market Analysis and Global Programs. This exposure will show me the full gamut of tools that we have in agricultural policy, allowing for better policy development. This course will build linkages across FAS and I think I will be able to be much more effective as an International Trade Specialist through relationships. This training is USDA only for the time being, but for those who join FAS I strongly encourage this course.
This is a start to the conversation on trade with the PMFs. I am sure that several of you have ideas for more books, training, and details. I encourage you to reach out to the PMF Association to contribute your own blog post. I am happy to speak more about these books and will happily update this blog post as I come across more resources.
Joshua Noonan is from the PMF Class of 2014. He is currently an International Trade Specialist at the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service. Previous federal positions include Housing Program Analyst at HUD, Acting Country Director at the Office of the Secretary of Defense - Policy, and Acting Foreign Affairs Officer at the Department of State. Prior to federal service Joshua spent four years in the post-Soviet space and a year studying abroad in Shizuoka, Japan. Joshua received his B.A. degree from the University of Nebraska - Omaha and his MA from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. Josh is currently finishing editing his novel on the breakup of the USSR. He lives in Washington, DC with his two basil plants.