Why the weak business leadership on free trade?

Business leadership has been missing on free trade issues. 

Aaditya Mattoo and Arvind Subramanian thought this helped explain the slow progress in the Doha negotiations: "Why Prospects for Trade Talks are Not Bright" (March 2005 issue of the IMF magazine, Finance & Development; Why is it so hard to reduce trade barriers?, Ben Muse, May 11, 2005). 

Francesco Guerrera and Chrystia Freeland learn that Neville Isdell, Coca-Cola's CEO, has also noticed the relatively weak business effort, and has an additional explanation: Coke chief attacks protectionism (Financial Times, Sept. 14)

Isdell

has criticised corporate leaders for not speaking out against protectionism, warning that the failure of big business  to convince politicians and public opinion of the benefits of free trade will harm global growth and companies’ profits.

In a video interview with the Financial Times... Mr Isdell said recent regulatory scandals had prompted chief executives to steer clear of controversial topics such as free trade.

Asked whether business leaders were doing enough to make a public case against rising protectionist sentiment in the US, Mr Isdell said: “No, I don’t think so. I think that, [after] what happened around Enron and the like, a lot of us put our heads below the parapet.

“I think we’re now learning to bring our heads up above the parapet again but I think, certainly on free trade, we need to be more outspoken