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.
Imports
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.
Trump's New Tariffs Could Create Higher Gas Prices
And higher gas prices will make it more expensive to move goods around the country.
Javier Milei's Economic Reforms Are Already Paying Off in Argentina
But local free market economists think further currency and labor reforms will get the Argentine economy recovering faster
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.
The Cruises Will Be Spared
Plus: Israeli troops cross into Lebanon, prayer illiteracy on full display, veeps joust, and more...
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."
Survey: 63 Percent of Americans Support Free Trade. Why Don't Our Politicians?
Seventy-five percent of respondents are concerned that tariffs will raise the cost of the things they buy, yet neither Trump nor Harris has suggested lowering them.
Both Trump and Biden Are Promising More Tariffs
Yes, trade tariffs cause higher prices. Trump never understood that, and now Biden apparently has forgotten it.
Biden and Trump Are Both Disastrously Wrong About Tariffs
Yes, cheap imports hurt some American companies. But protectionist trade policy harms many more Americans than it helps.
American Manufacturers Need Tax and Regulatory Reform, Not Tariffs
Despite both presidential candidates touting protectionist trade policy, tariffs do little to address the underlying factors that make it difficult for U.S. manufacturers to compete in the global marketplace.
Trump and Biden Both Get Globalization Wrong
Free trade brings us more stuff at lower prices.
Report: Trump's Proposed Tariff Would Cost Families $1,500 Annually
A 10 percent tariff on all imports would trigger more inflation at the grocery store, particularly for products such as fresh fruit and coffee.
Could Another Baby Formula Shortage Be on the Horizon?
Removing high tariffs from foreign imports of baby formula would ease the supply shock of possible factory closures.
Trump Floats Tariff Plan That Will Make Everything More Expensive
The "Tariff Man" promises to strike again.
Season 1, Episode 2 Free Trade
Why We Can't Have Nice Things: The Ghosts of Protectionism Past
The U.S. tariff code is "quite regressive and somewhat misogynist" because the most powerful lobbyist in Washington is muscle memory.
Season 1, Episode 1 Podcasts
Why We Can't Have Nice Things: The Great Baby Formula Shortage of 2022
A combination of "absurdly high" federal tariffs and excessive FDA regulations created the conditions for a crisis.
Josh Hawley Wants the Debt Ceiling Deal To Include a Massive Tax Hike on Americans
Hawley might call them "tariffs on China," but that's obvious nonsense: Tariffs are paid by Americans.
Conservatives Pushing 'Common Good Capitalism' Sound a Lot Like Progressives
The ideology champions the same tired policies that big government types predictably propose whenever they see something they don't like.
Banning Chinese Products in the Name of 'National Security' Could Have Disastrous Consequences
It would result in shortages, decreases in productivity, and higher production costs affecting millions of American workers and nearly every consumer.
U.S. Trade Commission Admits Tariffs Raised Prices for American Consumers
American companies and consumers "bore nearly the full cost of these tariffs because import prices increased at the same rate as the tariffs."
The Government Hasn't Learned a Thing From the Baby Formula Shortage
With the FORMULA Act soon to expire, the U.S. baby formula market is about to return to the conditions that left it so vulnerable to a shortage in the first place.
FDA Finally Admits It Caused the Baby Formula Shortage
The agency is now taking small steps to allow foreign formula manufacturers to import their goods into the U.S.
Why Are You Boycotting American Vodka To Punish Russia?
Only 1.2 percent of U.S. vodka imports come from Russia.
How Drug Cartels and Federal Import Restrictions May Cancel Your Guacamole Plans
Almost all of America’s avocados come from a single Mexican state. A threatening message threw it into disarray.
America's Ports Need More Robots, but the $1 Trillion Infrastructure Bill Won't Fund Automation
The one thing that would most help increase efficiency at America's lagging ports is also the one thing that Biden's union allies dislike the most.
Restrictive Zoning Laws Worsened the Supply Chain Crisis
Plus: America's crackdown on Big Tech gives cover to Russia's crackdown on Big Tech, high inflation likely to continue into next year, and more...
No, Joe Biden Can't Save Christmas
We've turned the presidency into an omnipotent office, and we expect that our gifts and government checks will be delivered on time.
Americans Paid $7.6 Billion in Tariffs During August, a New Monthly Record
The trade deficit is now the widest on record too.
COVID-19 Industrial Policy Fails Again
A Connecticut company got a $138 million government contract in order to break America's supposed "dependence" on foreign-made syringes. It has yet to produce even a single one.
The FDA Stole Your Bucatini
Instead of blocking food imports during a pandemic in which supply chains are strained, the FDA should allow consumers to choose food that will fill them up.
Trump's New Tariffs on Canadian Aluminum Are Indefensible
One month after signing a signature trade deal with Canada (and Mexico), Trump just launched an unnecessary and counterproductive new trade war against America's northern neighbor.
China Is Not Coming Close To Meeting Its Import Goals Under the 'Phase One' Trade Deal
That's probably because those goals were always completely unrealistic. Less than six months after the deal was signed, it's already coming apart.
Restricting Exports Makes It Harder To Fight Coronavirus
Export restrictions only make sense if you're unable to understand the obvious consequences of that policy.
Why You Shouldn't Trust Anyone Who Claims 80 Percent of America's Drugs Come From China
A misleading statistic has made the rounds. But it’s based on a misreading of a government report that says no such thing.
Trump's Tariffs Weakened America's Hospitals. Then Coronavirus Hit.
Some of Trump's tariffs hit medical equipment and supplies from China. We need more trade, not less, to be prepared for pandemics.
Will 'Winning' the Trade War Be Worth the Loss of More Than 300,000 Jobs?
A new analysis from Moody's says 300,000 jobs have been lost already, with another 600,000 hanging in the balance. Meanwhile, Trump is trying to reopen channels with China.
Peter Navarro Says the 'Data' Show Americans Aren't Paying Trump's Tariffs. In Fact, They Show the Opposite.
Tariffs are taxes on imports that translate into higher prices for American businesses and consumers.
Trump's Claim That Mexico Will Buy More American Agricultural Goods Is Fake News
And it reveals the major blind spot in Trump's view of how international trade works.
Trump's Trade War Turns 1. Here's What We've Lost.
Even if Trump's tariffs go away, the debilitating economic effects are likely to linger for years.
Trump Trade Advisor Peter Navarro Says Trade Deficits Hurt Jobs and Growth. Here's Why He's Wrong.
Navarro's Wall Street Journal op-ed looks more like a deliberately deceptive attempt to argue that limiting imports will boost economic growth. It won't.
Trump's Trade Snake Oil
How exactly will high import taxes help "make America great" again?
