Make Cars (and Everything Else) Cheap Again
Plus: Superfund is back, Biden signs a lot of laws, MAGA vs. tech Christmas, and more...
Free Trade
Nippon Steel-U.S. Steel Merger Poses No National Security Threat
The Committee on Foreign Investment doesn't recommend blocking the merger, and neither should President Joe Biden.
Trump's Tariffs Will Shrink the Economy and Reduce Investment, CBO Says
Bonus: They're unpopular too, according to a new poll.
Joe Biden Once Understood Why Tariffs Are Bad. Then He Got Trade Policy Amnesia.
Despite campaigning against Donald Trump's tariff hikes, Biden left many of them in place.
Trump's Plan To Fight Illegal Drugs With Punitive Tariffs Makes No Sense
If stopping drugs from entering the country is as straightforward as the president-elect implies, why didn't he do it during his first term?
Trump, the Self-Described 'Tariff Man,' Does Not Understand How Tariffs Work
Since the president-elect refuses to admit that levies on imports are taxes paid by Americans, he sees no downside to raising them.
Bye, Joe: Evaluating the Biden Presidency
From the war in Afghanistan to the war on drugs, Reason writers offer performance reviews of Joe Biden's single term as president.
Trump vs. Cleveland: A Tale of Two Tariff Strategies
Grover Cleveland fought high tariffs as a “communism of pelf.” Trump embraces them as an economic cornerstone.
Peter Navarro Should Not Have Power Over U.S. Trade Policy—or Anything
Navarro is a crank and a sycophant, so naturally he's going to be one of Donald Trump's top advisors.
China Goes Tit for Tat Over U.S. Chip Bans
Semiconductor protectionism is a downward spiral that makes both parties poorer.
Trump's Vow To Block U.S. Steel's Sale Sends Stock Tumbling
Trump doesn't care much about free market principles or the limits of government power. But he should pay attention to this signal from the stock market.
Trump's New Tariffs Could Create Higher Gas Prices
And higher gas prices will make it more expensive to move goods around the country.
Return of the 'Tariff Man'
Plus: Are tariffs inflationary, RIP to a giant of the free market movement, and more...
Betting on Bessent
Plus: Pregnant law student fights a holy war, NYC officials are trying to ruin your holidays, and more...
The Last Chance To Curtail Trump's Tariff Powers?
Sen. Rand Paul's bill to require congressional consent for tariffs is getting new attention in the final weeks before Trump's return to power.
Abolish the Commerce Department
Donald Trump has tabbed Howard Lutnick to be the next secretary of the Department of Commerce. He should also be the last.
Brazilian President Blames Markets for Inequality. He's Wrong.
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva blames neoliberalism for the very problems it solves.
After This Election, Is America Still the World's 'Indispensable' Nation?
The key reason America is so prosperous is because it has been the world's beacon of liberty, welcoming to immigrants and open to trade.
How Much Will Trump's Tariffs Cost?
Much of the detail remains to be worked out, but lawmakers and corporations are already preparing.
If Trump Wins, It's Because Neither Party Had the Guts To Stop Him
Donald Trump left the White House in January 2021 as a defeated, disgraced figure. He now seems likely to return to the presidency.
America's Unserious Presidential Policy Agendas
These two candidates can't even be trusted to explain their own ideas.
Countries With Economic Freedom Are Far Better Off
Even the poorest citizens of free countries fare better than the middle classes in economically repressive nations.
Increase in Tariffs Would Trigger Global Economic Decline, Study Finds
A new IMF study finds that a global increase in tariffs could decrease global GDP by nearly 1 percent by 2025 and over 1 percent by 2026.
Tariff Gambit
Plus: Elon Musk's purportedly illegal scheme, nicotine nation, and more...
Trump Floats Tax Break for Carmakers Hurt by His Own Trade Deal
After proposing a deduction for interest paid on car loans, the former president suggested it would apply only to vehicles made in America.
How To Avoid Paying Tariffs? Have a Friend in Washington.
A new report shows that politically connected companies were better able to navigate the exclusion process and avoid paying tariffs during the Trump administration.
The Feds' Chinese Investment Ban Will Harm America, Not China
The Treasury's sweeping rule curtailing dual-use technology transactions with Chinese firms will reduce domestic growth, innovation, and security.
Donald Trump and Kamala Harris Keep Making Economically Illiterate Promises
These policies may sound good on paper—but they would be disastrous in reality.
Biden's Top Trade Official Just Admitted Tariffs Haven't Changed China's Behavior
Katherine Tai said tariffs were "leverage" against China, but now she admits that China hasn't made "any changes to its fundamental systemic structural policies."
Trump's Proposed Tariffs Would Add Nearly $250 to the Price of New Gaming Consoles
Similar price hikes would hit smartphones, laptops, tablets, and televisions.
Perils of Broad Presidential Power Over Tariffs
Donald Trump's plan for massive tariff increases is particularly dangerous because the White House could likely implement it without any new congressional authorization.
Could Trump Impose More Tariffs Without Congressional Approval?
Yes. But there might be one more key opportunity to rein in presidential powers over trade.
I Did Business With China, and America Won
Everyone benefited when I manufactured my invention in China, but Americans benefited more.
New USDA Organic Rules Put Wine Importers in a Bind
Government incompetence strikes again, turning the wine industry upside down with red tape and confusion.
Federal 'Buy American' Rules Cost Over $100,000 Per Job Created
Eliminate the domestic content requirements of the Buy American Act, don't expand them.
Automate the Ports
The dockworkers' strike is over, but America's ports will be some of the least efficient in the world whether they are open or closed.
J.D. Vance Is Wrong About Toasters—and Global Manufacturing
Trump's protectionist running mate comes out against “cheap, knockoff toasters” and common sense.
J.D. Vance Actually Does Understand How Costs Get Passed Along the Supply Chain
Vance says higher energy prices make building houses more costly. What, then, do tariffs on steel and lumber do?
How Much Would an American-Made Toaster Actually Cost?
A lot more than Oren Cass and J.D. Vance want you to think, and Americans wouldn't like the tradeoffs necessary.
Don't Expect a Return to the Trump Economy
If the former president wins the 2024 race, the circumstances he would inherit are far more challenging, and several of his policy ideas are destructive.
Robert Reich Is Wrong About Billionaires—and Almost Everything Else
His ideas would leave us poorer and less free.
Immigration Is Better Than Industrial Policy
In demonizing the Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, J.D. Vance and Donald Trump have forgotten what makes an economy work.
No, Trump-Style Tariffs Do Not Grow the Economy
The America of the past grew in spite of tariffs, not because of them.
Trump and Harris Both Favor Tax Hikes That Would Hurt Ordinary Americans
The costs of steep tariffs and a higher corporate income tax extend far beyond the advertised targets.
The Feds Won't Let You Use These Cheap Chinese Cellphones
American cellphone service providers don’t carry Huawei. Blame Donald Trump and Joe Biden.
When Leftists Were Free Traders
In Pax Economica, historian Marc-William Palen chronicles the left-wing history of free trade.
Leave U.S. Steel Alone
Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, and J.D. Vance agree that U.S. Steel needs to be controlled from Washington. They are all wrong.
U.S. Officials Tried To Block Baby Formula Imports—During a Shortage
One official was concerned that lifting tariffs would lead to "lots of questions from domestic dairy producers."
