--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think there's no such thing as free…" description: "\"I think there's no such thing as free trade. I think there has to be fair trade.\" — Kevin de Leon" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c0/kevin-de-leon-7780_fair_i-think-there-s-no-such-thing-as-free-tr_1022621.jpg" --- # I think there's no such thing as free trade. I think there… ![“I think there's no such thing as free trade. I think there has to be fair trade.” quote by Kevin de Leon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c0/kevin-de-leon-7780_fair_i-think-there-s-no-such-thing-as-free-tr_1022621.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c0/kevin-de-leon-7780_fair_i-think-there-s-no-such-thing-as-free-tr_1022621.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c0/kevin-de-leon-7780_fair_i-think-there-s-no-such-thing-as-free-tr_1022621.jpg) > “I think there's no such thing as free trade. I think there has to be fair trade.” [Kevin de Leon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-de-leon/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Free trade is unrealistic; trade should be equitable for all parties. **In simple terms:** Trade must be fair, not free. Key Takeaway Advocate for fair trade policies. Themes economics justice policy Mood critical thoughtful Type political analytical When to use this quote - international agreements - business - consumer rights Key Concepts globalization regulation Questions to Reflect On - How define fairness in trade? - What impacts on consumers? A Different Perspective Implementation may raise costs. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [China](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/china/) [Fair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fair/) [Fair trade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fair-trade/) [Free](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free/) [Free trade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free-trade/) [I think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-think/) [Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think/) [Think Fair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-fair-1336388/) [Trade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trade/) [Trade Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trade-think-1947840/) ## Related quotes > [I'm in favor of free trade, but I think if you had to make a choice between having technological progress versus free trade, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-thiel/i-m-in-favor-of-free-trade-but-i-think-if-you-had-to-make-a-choice/) [Peter Thiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-thiel/) > [We also exchange oil for software technology. Uruguay is one of the biggest producers of software. We are breaking with the neoliberal model. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugo-chavez/we-also-exchange-oil-for-software-technology-uruguay-is-one-of-the/) [Hugo Chavez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugo-chavez/) > [On issue after issue, the polls - and these are not snapshot polls; these are polls over a consistent period of time - show…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katrina-vanden-heuvel/on-issue-after-issue-the-polls-and-these-are-not-snapshot-polls-these/) [Katrina vanden Heuvel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katrina-vanden-heuvel/) > [I think that the important point is we've got to have a president who understands the benefits of free trade but also is going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-think-that-the-important-point-is-we-ve-got-to-have-a-president-who/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I believe that free but fair trade is an absolute imperative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-james/i-believe-that-free-but-fair-trade-is-an-absolute-imperative/) [John E. James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-james/) > [We've always believed in fair trade.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajeev-suri/we-ve-always-believed-in-fair-trade/) [Rajeev Suri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajeev-suri/) > [I think we need to have competitive tax rates in order to create jobs in this country. And I think it should be fair.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristi-noem/i-think-we-need-to-have-competitive-tax-rates-in-order-to-create-jobs/) [Kristi Noem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristi-noem/) > [My fellow economists and academics fail to understand the economics of trade in the real world. Traditional models of academia respect free trade without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-navarro/my-fellow-economists-and-academics-fail-to-understand-the-economics/) [Peter Navarro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-navarro/) > [Likewise, free trade does not, as evidenced in CAFTA, mean fair trade.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-f-lynch/likewise-free-trade-does-not-as-evidenced-in-cafta-mean-fair-trade/) [Stephen F. Lynch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-f-lynch/) > [I'm not opposed to free trade if it's fair trade. But I am opposed to bad trade deals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-o-malley/i-m-not-opposed-to-free-trade-if-it-s-fair-trade-but-i-am-opposed-to/) [Martin O'Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-o-malley/) > [NAFTA and GATT have about as much to do with free trade as the Patriot Act has to do with liberty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-badnarik/nafta-and-gatt-have-about-as-much-to-do-with-free-trade-as-the/) [Michael Badnarik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-badnarik/) > [“Free trade is meaningless unless there is also fair trade.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-crichton/free-trade-is-meaningless-unless-there-is-also-fair-trade/) [Michael Crichton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-crichton/) > [When you ask people, do they believe that we ought to have trade, I think people understand it's important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kasich/when-you-ask-people-do-they-believe-that-we-ought-to-have-trade-i/) [John Kasich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kasich/) > [I don't think that our problem, our jobs problem, is fundamentally a problem of trade. I think it has much more to do with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reich/i-don-t-think-that-our-problem-our-jobs-problem-is-fundamentally-a/) [Robert Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reich/) > [I think that when it comes to issues of trade, I think it is important for us to be in favor of trade, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-think-that-when-it-comes-to-issues-of-trade-i-think-it-is-important/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## More by Kevin de Leon > [The D.C. playbook is obsolete. It's time for the people of California to bring the agenda to Washington, not the other way around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-de-leon/the-d-c-playbook-is-obsolete-it-s-time-for-the-people-of-california/) [Kevin de Leon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-de-leon/) > [We can't cross our fingers and hope that President Donald Trump can 'learn and change.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-de-leon/we-can-t-cross-our-fingers-and-hope-that-president-donald-trump-can/) [Kevin de Leon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-de-leon/) > [I'm not into political gamesmanship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-de-leon/i-m-not-into-political-gamesmanship/) [Kevin de Leon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-de-leon/) > [California Democrats - we fight on the front lines - we don't equivocate on the sidelines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-de-leon/california-democrats-we-fight-on-the-front-lines-we-don-t-equivocate/) [Kevin de Leon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-de-leon/) > [We will not lift a single finger or spend a single cent to be a cog in the Trump deportation machine, and we won't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-de-leon/we-will-not-lift-a-single-finger-or-spend-a-single-cent-to-be-a-cog/) [Kevin de Leon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-de-leon/) > [While we need to provide leadership and stability to the world, we should do that through diplomacy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-de-leon/while-we-need-to-provide-leadership-and-stability-to-the-world-we/) [Kevin de Leon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-de-leon/) > [Unlike Washington, the California legislature has proved that cooperation is both possible and essential to successful policymaking, while stubborn absolutism will have you trailing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-de-leon/unlike-washington-the-california-legislature-has-proved-that/) [Kevin de Leon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-de-leon/) > [My mother passed away young - she died from ovarian cancer at just 54 years old. 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It's a lesson that's hard to learn from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-de-leon/i-know-firsthand-that-california-works-best-when-everyone-has-the/) [Kevin de Leon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-de-leon/) > [It is erroneous and profoundly irresponsible to suggest that up to three million undocumented immigrants living in America are dangerous criminals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-de-leon/it-is-erroneous-and-profoundly-irresponsible-to-suggest-that-up-to/) [Kevin de Leon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-de-leon/) > [I don't believe that all folks who supported Donald Trump are racist. I think that there was a lot of economic anxiety, there was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-de-leon/i-don-t-believe-that-all-folks-who-supported-donald-trump-are-racist/) [Kevin de Leon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-de-leon/) > [In California, we celebrate our diversity. We celebrate who we are because we're proud of who we are; we're proud of where our families…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-de-leon/in-california-we-celebrate-our-diversity-we-celebrate-who-we-are/) [Kevin de Leon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-de-leon/) > [What we have done dramatically in California is lead the entire nation. For example, we have created more jobs in clean energy in California…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-de-leon/what-we-have-done-dramatically-in-california-is-lead-the-entire/) [Kevin de Leon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-de-leon/) > [Yes, we absolutely need to eliminate the single-use plastic bag, but we don't have to eliminate the jobs of hardworking Californians to accomplish this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-de-leon/yes-we-absolutely-need-to-eliminate-the-single-use-plastic-bag-but-we/) [Kevin de Leon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-de-leon/) [Explore all 87 Kevin de Leon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-de-leon/) ## More China quotes > [I don't want to go into space because of war. I think we would if it was triggered. 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I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winfried-vahland/in-china-people-are-moving-from-bigger-cars-to-small-hatches-and/) [Winfried Vahland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winfried-vahland/) > [Broken china lasts longer than unbroken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-renard/broken-china-lasts-longer-than-unbroken/) [Jules Renard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-renard/) > [Language is so specific to art, all the way to the past in China. Previously, people were not allowed to include various regional dialects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jia-zhangke/language-is-so-specific-to-art-all-the-way-to-the-past-in-china/) [Jia Zhangke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jia-zhangke/) > [I don't see why we and the Chinese should have to be enemies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/i-don-t-see-why-we-and-the-chinese-should-have-to-be-enemies/) [Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/) > [India may be overtaking China as the world's most polluted country. 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Sanger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-e-sanger/) [Browse all 3,827 China quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/china/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think there's no such thing as free trade. 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