National Export Initiative

President Obama says he wants to double U.S. exports in five years as part of his plan to generate new jobs. It is an admirable and ambitious goal, but, to put it mildly, many trade experts are not buying it.

The last time the United States doubled its trade it took three times as long. From 1994 to 2009, according to Department of Commerce data, the value of U.S. exports of goods and services increased 97 percent.