Op-ed: Why foundational rail policy pays dividends today

The role of trade agreements in fostering economic growth is an issue again in this presidential election and much of the nuance is getting lost. Most Texans know trade is important to our economy and our border with Mexico greatly affects our state, but few understand just how interconnected the global economy is.

When we started the North American Strategy for Competitiveness, we were a group of local elected officials and private industry partners concerned about how a newly ratified NAFTA would…