Free trade, as a intellectual exercise, is - like socialism - a nice notion.
However, pure socialism is not possible, due to human nature, and the people in charge will always seek their own best advantage.
Free trade is another similar notion. It is impossible to trade fairly “freely”, when your trading partner has such a vast gulf between you and them in worker pay, working conditions, and monetary worth.
It is not free trade worthy when say... Mexico can produce and sell something here for $1.00, when it costs us $5.00 to produce it - due to their lower wages and working conditions.
“Free trade, as a intellectual exercise, is - like socialism - a nice notion.”
From the view point of economic theory socialism fails. Volumes have been written on this. I would simply point out that good centralized decision making would require that the decision makers (Federal bureau of ...) have the time and information to make the almost limitless number of decisions that are actually made daily in the US. It’s not possible.
From the view point of economic theory free trade, like trade in general, makes us more prosperous.