Is free trade generally beneficial for a country?

By preferring the support of domestic to that of foreign industry, he intends only his own security; and by directing that industry in such a manner as its produce may be of the greatest value, he intends only his own gain. ... By pursuing his own interest he frequently promotes that of the society more effectually than when he really intends to promote it. I have never known much good done by those who affected to trade for the public good.

[The Economist was] founded in 1843 to support the cause of free trade.

Globalization is not someone's political agenda. It is a technological revolution that is fundamentally changing the world's economy, producing winners and losers along the way. The question is not whether we can stop it, but how we respond to it. It's not whether we should protect our workers from competition, but what we can do to fully enable them to compete against workers all over the world.

This is a sad day for supporters of free and fair rules-based trade. Our relationship with our Central American neighbors is a critical one. The right CAFTA deal would strengthen ties between the U.S. and these nations. I urge the Administration to reopen the CAFTA negotiations and re-establish the broad, bipartisan coalition for trade.

Every time the United States has become projectionist [...] we could pay at a very heavy price. The Smoot-Hawley Tariff Acts in the 1930s were direct contributors to World War II. It sounds like a lot of fun to bash Chinese and others, but free trade has been the engine of our economy in the last half of this year; it will continue to be. ... Free trade should be the continuing principle that guides this nation's economy.

...what we have agreed -- again, as strong, long-term supporters of free trade around the world as one of the best drivers of global economic growth -- is to work very closely together in the months ahead to try and get a good, positive outcome for Doha -- good for our economy, good for the American economy, good for the global economy.

Free trade in goods, services and capital has improved our standards of living. It has provided competition to drive innovation and productivity. It has increased real wages. Free trade has given more choice to Australians, more freedom to Australians and more job opportunities to Australians. And allowing financial capital to flow freely across borders is just free trade by another name.