US limitations on crude oil and liquefied natural gas exports are examples of resource nationalism, violate international trade commitments and have strained relations with key allies, particularly in Asia, according to a new report. The report, released Wednesday by the American Council for Capital Formation, an economic policy organization which has been pushing for an end to energy export restrictions, argues these policies hurt US credibility on global free trade and could set the US up for a challenge at the World Trade Organization. “It is hard to see how the United States would successfully defend its current resource nationalism policies, if a serious challenge were brought forth,” the report states. In two recent WTO cases, the US has fought against resource nationalism, the use of government policy to control the export of a commodity in order to seek a benefit which may not be available through free trade. […]

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