The Trump Administration Is Still Fighting To Keep Billions in Illegal Tariff Revenue
The administration has paid $20 billion in refunds. Now, it is asking a federal appeals court to limit which businesses will get the rest.
Free Trade
Trump's Dubious New Section 301 Tariffs
They appear to be yet another illegal power grab, one that should be challenged in court.
Cutting Tariffs on Farm Equipment Is Another Admission That Trump's Trade Policies Are Increasing Prices
Even as the White House backs away from its foolish tariff plans, the Trump administration keeps revealing why it should never have had these powers in the first place.
Trump's Cotton Bailout Is Another Sign His Tariffs Aren't Working
The Great American Cotton Plan will shell out millions in taxpayer funds, continuing the Trump administration’s pattern of paying off industries harmed by the president’s economic policies.
How To Win a Trade War? Lose Less Than Your Opponents.
The only winning move is not to play. But if you must, a new book offers some suggestions.
Iran Is Turning America's Sanctions Playbook Against It
The U.S. Treasury is trying to fight the kind of trade embargo that it usually imposes on other countries.
Trump's Trade War Caused a $15 Billion Decline in U.S. Farm Sales to China
Though some of their products may have been redirected elsewhere, American farmers are likely eating most of the losses.
Video of my Bruno Leoni Institute (Milan) Talk on the Supreme Court Tariff Decision and its Implications
I gave the talk earlier this week.
Trump's Approval Rating Is Cratering. Tariffs Are a Big Reason Why.
They cost each American household roughly $1,000 in 2025, with more coming in 2026.
US Court of International Trade Refuses to Stay Injunction Against Trump's Section 122 Tariffs
The decision means the injunction blocking collection of the tariffs will not be blocked while litigation continues.
Why Populism Leads to Decline
Johan Norberg discusses what makes societies prosperous, why protectionism and nostalgia keep returning, and how populism feeds cultural decline.
A North Carolina Goodyear Plant Is the Latest Victim of Trump's Misguided Tariffs and Costly Iran War
Another example of the flawed logic behind the Trump administration's tariff policies: You can't make a tire without rubber, and the U.S. doesn't produce rubber.
Congress' Energy Crisis Solution: Bring Back an Office That Funded Women's Empowerment Initiatives Overseas
Instead of holding the president accountable, lawmakers are trying novel ways to reduce energy prices caused by Trump’s war in Iran.
Federal Court: Trump's Newest Tariffs Are Also Illegal
Trump's use of Section 122 ignored the plain language of the law and invoked a broad executive power where Congress clearly provided a narrow one.
Trump's New European Car Tariffs Demonstrate Why His 'Deals' Are Worthless
A trade deal that can be terminated by one person at any time and for any reason isn't really a trade deal at all.
China Blocks Tech Acquisitions To Weaken America. The U.S. Shouldn't Follow Suit.
China ordered Meta to roll back its acquisition of AI startup Manus on Monday.
Have Trump's Tariffs Brought Manufacturing Jobs Back to America? New Study Says No.
However, the tariffs did shift supply chains away from China and towards other countries with low-cost manufacturing, like Vietnam, Malaysia, and India.
Corn Belt Politicians Are Using High Gas Prices To Push Even More Carveouts for Ethanol
“The sale of E15 year-round would help the ethanol industry and no one else,” says one agricultural policy expert.
The Origins and Influence of Zero-Sum Thinking
A new study highlights the power of zero-sum thinking as a determinant of political views - and also should lead some to rethink immigration.
Long Before the Canal, Global Trade Built Panama City
The narrow geography of the 50-mile Central American isthmus made it an obvious choice for trade routes between the Atlantic and Pacific.
Trump's Illegal Tariffs Are Finally Being Refunded. Will You Get Any of the Money?
The burden of Trump's illegal tariffs was spread across the American economy. The refunds likely won't cover all those costs.
Globalization Made Howard Lutnick a Billionaire. Now He's Railing Against It as Trump's Commerce Chief.
Globalization helped make everyone else much richer, too.
The Trump Administration Is Worried About High Fertilizer Prices. Its Top Trade Official Lobbied for Them.
Before joining the Trump administration last year, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer lobbied for tariffs that limited fertilizer imports and drove up prices for American farmers.
Trump Ended Free Trade for Mexican Tomatoes. Prices Are Up 23 Percent in the Last Year.
America gets 90 percent of its fresh tomatoes from Mexico, and those imports were tariff-free until last year.
Federal Reserve: Without Tariffs, Inflation Would Have Dropped to Pre-Pandemic Levels During 2025
New study finds that tariffs were responsible for the "entirety of the excess inflation in the core goods category."
Trump Responds to Iranian Blockade of Strait of Hormuz By Blockading It
After walking out of peace talks in Pakistan, the U.S. and Iran are now playing a game of chicken.
Thoughts on Today's Oral Argument in the Section 122 Tariff Cases
The outcome is unclear. But the judges seemed skeptical of the Trump Administration's claims that Section 122 grants them sweeping tariff powers.
In New Tariff Cases, Trump Asserts 'Unreviewable' Power To Invent a Balance-of-Payments Deficit
The Court of International Trade is weighing the legality of the import taxes that the president wants to impose under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974.
The White House Ballroom's Imported Steel Shows How Tariffs Encourage Cronyism
Any time government has greater control over commerce, there is an increased incentive to buy off officials or lobby for special treatment.
What Does the New Right Believe?
From trade to migration to personal freedom, the conservatives of the global New Right hold a philosophy incompatible with individualism.
Our Amicus Brief in the Section 122 Tariff Case
I submitted the brief on behalf of the Cato Institute and myself.
The World Bank Used To Champion Markets. Now It's Surrendering to State-Led Industrialization.
The reversal wasn't because the economics changed. It is because their biggest shareholders turned toward industrial policy.
Infographic: Who Really Pays for Tariffs? These Scholars Tracked a Bottle of Wine To Find Out.
Consider it a boozy, tariff-themed version of "I, Pencil."
War and/or Peace
Plus: back to the moon, one year since "Liberation Day," birthright citizenship at the Supreme Court, Jonathan lives, and more...
A Year After 'Liberation Day,' Trump's Tariffs Will Never Be Legitimate Without a Vote in Congress
The Trump administration keeps trying to find legal loopholes, but the will of the people is the final judge of any major policy.
Trump's Mercurial, Constantly Changing Import Taxes Took American Businesses on a Wild Ride
There was little rhyme or reason to the president's "emergency" tariffs, which fluctuated wildly depending on his mood.
Trump Is Getting His Way in Latin America. But Bully Tactics Have a Cost—and the Bill Is Coming Due.
A brash bid to reassert U.S. dominance is delivering short-term wins. But a region tired of being pushed around may not stay compliant for long.
Why Democrats Should Talk About Trump's Tariffs as a 'Threat to the Rule of Law'
Rep. Jimmy Panetta says Democrats have "learned the hard way" that handing over so much tariff authority to the executive branch is a bad idea.
Donald Trump and Markwayne Mullin Insist That Politics Should Prevail Over Principle
The president and his new DHS secretary are enraged by jurists and legislators who refuse to toe the party line.
Blame U.S. Regulations for China's Dominance in Rare-Earth Minerals
America once dominated the rare-earth market, but permitting requirements are holding the industry back.
Trump's Temporary Waiver of the Jones Act Only Illustrates Why the Law Should Be Permanently Trashed
The Trump administration has issued a 60-day waiver of a federal law that limits the number of ships allowed to carry goods between American ports.
Peter Navarro Promised $700 Billion in Tariff Revenue. The Actual Amount Was About $240 Billion.
That’s roughly 12 whole days of government spending.
Iran War Leaves Helium Supply Chains Up in the Air
About 30 percent of the world's helium supply depends on the Strait of Hormuz. Its closure means higher prices for tech manufacturing and advanced medical care.
The Trump Administration Just Declared All Foreign Exports Unfair
By the administration's logic, Iowa is hurting Arizona by producing so much corn. This is a very silly way to think about economic policy.
Trump's New Tariff Plan Still Asserts a Crisis That Does Not Exist
The president’s invocation of Section 122 conflates a trade deficit with a balance-of-payments deficit.
Trump May Waive the Jones Act for Oil Shipments. Let's Repeal It Instead.
The century-old law makes energy more expensive even when there isn't a war raging in the Middle East.
Liberty Justice Center Files Lawsuit Challenging Trump's Section 122 Tariffs
LJC is the group with which I worked on the IEEPA tariff case decided by the Supreme Court.
