Two, travel and shipping are cheap and safe. It took about two months to cross the Atlantic in 1800. Today, it takes about five hours by plane and less than a week by ship. Three, governments have decreased tariffs and regulations on international trade, leading to what is sometimes called, euphemistically, free trade. To which I say, if this trade is so free, how come BBC America is in the premium tier of my cable package? To understand the role that governments play in international trade, let's look again at this t-shirt. This t-shirt, like most t-shirts made in the world, contains 100% American cotton.