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Department of Commerce

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Biden Administration

Biden's Pick To Run the Commerce Department Is No Progressive

Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo seems unlikely to double down on the past four years of economic foolishness at the Commerce Department.

Eric Boehm | 1.13.2021 3:00 PM

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Free Trade

Trump's 'National Security' Steel Tariffs Are Just Old Fashioned Protectionism. Here's the Data To Prove It.

The department has granted just 1 percent of the tariff exemption requests that were challenged by domestic steel producers.

Eric Boehm | 4.30.2020 1:40 PM

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Free Trade

Steel Company CEO Says Everyone Else Should Have To Pay for Trump's Tariffs, but Not Him

Robert Wetherbee says steel tariffs might force his business to shutter. But instead of asking for the tariffs to be lifted, he wants special treatment.

Eric Boehm | 1.8.2020 5:40 PM

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Free Trade

The Trade War Is Still Inflating the Trade Deficit

Trump's trade war is failing to achieve its primary policy goals, but the really bad news is elsewhere.

Eric Boehm | 11.5.2019 4:00 PM

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Protectionism

This Steelmaker Looked Like a Winner in the Trade War. Now It's Suing the Commerce Department Over Tariffs.

Protectionism fails, even for those who were supposed to benefit.

Eric Boehm | 8.5.2019 4:15 PM

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Department of Commerce

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross Can't Stay Awake During Meetings. Does That Mean It's Time to Put His Whole Crony Capitalist Department to Rest?

The Commerce Department is a major dispenser of corporate welfare.

Christian Britschgi | 7.22.2019 3:15 PM

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Free Trade

At Least 80 Workers Are Losing Their Jobs at This Pennsylvania Steel Plant. Tariffs Are To Blame.

Trump's steel protectionism seems to have failed. Again.

Eric Boehm | 7.12.2019 5:10 PM

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Census

Trump's Census Surrender Hints at the Real Reason He Tried to Add a Citizenship Question

Even if the president's motives were partisan, a more plausible cover story would have been enough to pass judicial muster.

Jacob Sullum | 7.12.2019 12:00 PM

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Trump Administration

No Citizenship Question on 2020 Census as Trump Backs Down

Instead, the president signed an executive order directing government agencies to sift through documents and databases to determine Americans' citizenship status.

Eric Boehm | 7.11.2019 7:32 PM

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Census

The Trump Administration's Double Reversal on the Census Highlights the Difficulties of Dealing With a Mercurial President Who Rules by Tweet

Did Trump change his mind about the citizenship question twice, or did his underlings ignore him? Which is worse?

Jacob Sullum | 7.5.2019 12:15 PM

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Census

SCOTUS Ruling on Adding a Citizenship Question to the Census Shows Wilbur Ross Was Defeated by His Own Lies

The Court concludes that the commerce secretary's "contrived" explanation frustrated "meaningful judicial review."

Jacob Sullum | 6.27.2019 2:40 PM

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Census

Wilbur Ross Says He Did Not 'Intentionally' Mislead Congress About the Census

The commerce secretary falsely portrayed the decision to include a citizenship question as a response to a Justice Department request.

Jacob Sullum | 3.15.2019 3:45 PM

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Census

Why Wilbur Ross's Census Lies Matter

The commerce secretary's phony rationale for adding a citizenship question is inconsistent with the rule of law.

Jacob Sullum | 1.23.2019 12:01 AM

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Census

Federal Judge: Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross 'Violated the Public Trust' with Census Citizenship Question

The Trump administration can't ask about citizenship on the 2020 census, Judge Jesse Furman ruled.

Joe Setyon | 1.15.2019 11:45 AM

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Free Trade

Wilbur Ross Says Consumers Won't Notice the New Tariffs. Then Why Impose Them?

The only goal of tariffs is to change consumer behavior. If consumers won't notice the costs, the tariffs have already failed. Or maybe Ross is lying.

Eric Boehm | 9.18.2018 11:25 AM

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Automobiles

Imported Cars Are Not a National Security Threat

Representatives of the auto industry are in Washington to deliver an obvious message to the oblivious Commerce Department.

Eric Boehm | 7.19.2018 4:30 PM

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Donald Trump

Is President Trump a 'Climate Menace'?

None of his cabinet picks seem to think that man-made climate change is hoax.

Ronald Bailey | 1.20.2017 1:30 PM

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Donald Trump

Trump's First Week

Four federal departments and one agency that could be shut down first.

John Stossel | 1.18.2017 12:01 AM

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Department of Commerce

Wilbur Ross, Crony Capitalist

Donald Trump's pick to run the Commerce Department loves it when the government picks winners and losers.

Jesse Walker | 1.12.2017 1:30 PM

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Government employees

Senior Commerce Official Saw Nothing Wrong With Bringing Home Seven Government Computers for Her Kids to Watch Porn On

She's still working for the federal agency, obviously.

Elizabeth Nolan Brown | 9.2.2015 8:30 PM

Department of Commerce

Read Reason's Complete May 2014 Issue

Reason Staff | 5.3.2014 12:00 PM

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Department of Commerce

Department of Cronyism

The Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration is a favor-dispensing machine.

Veronique de Rugy | 4.16.2014 8:30 AM

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Department of Commerce

Stifling Commerce

How the Department of Commerce smothers what it's supposed to promote

Sonny Bunch | 4.15.2014 7:00 AM

Internet

Does It Actually Matter if U.S. 'Gives Up Control' of the Internet?

Worries about growing influence by oppressive countries and operational issues

Scott Shackford | 3.19.2014 2:11 PM

Department of Commerce

Senate Confirms Prtizker as Commerce Secretary

Billionaire Chicago businesswoman

Reason Staff | 6.25.2013 6:10 PM

Obama Administration

Commerce Nominee Tainted by Subprime Mortgage Losses

Whoops!

Reason Staff | 5.22.2013 4:20 PM

Department of Commerce

Obama to Nominate Longtime Chicago Supporter, Major Fundraiser, as Next Commerce Secretary

Penny Pritzker would be third Commerce Secretary under Obama. Acting Secretary has been in place since last June

Reason Staff | 5.2.2013 7:32 AM

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Government Spending

Feds Spent Millions of Dollars to Find Data That Was Publicly Available and Free

Matthew Feeney | 4.9.2013 6:30 PM

Department of Commerce

Penny Pritzker Leading Candidate for Commerce Secretary

Hyatt Hotels heiress and friend of the president

Reason Staff | 2.8.2013 7:56 AM

China

Commerce Department Moves to Destroy Green Jobs

Nick Sibilla | 2.2.2012 1:08 PM

Department of Energy

45 Percent of Americans Say Abolish and Consolidate HUD, 46 Percent Say Keep It As Is

Emily Ekins | 12.21.2011 2:35 PM

Ron Paul

45 Percent of Americans Say Abolish and Consolidate HUD, 46 Percent Say Keep It As Is

Emily Ekins | 12.21.2011 8:30 AM

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