Meet the Street: Is Freer Trade the Answer to U.S. Economic Woes?

With unemployment reaching a six-year high of 5.8% in December and massive layoffs continuing at major U.S. corporations, it's no surprise that President Bush has been advocating freer world trade as a way of stimulating the U.S. economy and creating more jobs.

Christoph Bianchet, U.S. Economist, Credit Suisse Asset Management

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Christoph Bianchet, U.S. economist for Credit Suisse Asset Management, believes the president's push for greater trade will have positive long-term benefits for the U.S. economy, even if the trade deficit remains at $300 billion or more. But Bianchet explains here why it probably won't be the short-term solution that Bush is seeking. ...