The title of this post links to the economists' open letter to Donald Trump and Congress against protectionism. I am one of the signatories. Here is link to a Bloomberg article about the letter. 

Although I am opposed to tariffs and quotas, I think the US government should be more active in policies that influence international capital flows. Here are some relevant posts:

1. How Increasing Retirement Saving Could Give America More Balanced Trade
2. Establishing an International Capital Flow Framework
3. International Finance: A Primer
4. Border Adjustment vs. Dollar Depreciation
5. Economics Is Unemotional—And That's Why It Could Help Bridge America's Partisan Divide
6. Q&A: Evidence that Financial Flows Determine the Overall Balance of Trade, Not Tariffs
7. Presidential Q&A: Is a Strong Dollar or a Weak Dollar Good for the Economy?

Also see these logically related, but less relevant posts:

• The J Curve
• Why a Weaker Effect of Exchange Rates on Net Exports Doesn’t Weaken the Power of Monetary Policy
• Luke Kawa: How Central Banks Gained More Control Over the World's Major Currencies