July 20, 2017

America Doesn't Need Tariffs to Compete with China

Last week, President Donald Trump renewed his pledge to defend American steel producers against what he described as the unfair practices of overseas competitors. Singling out China in particular, the president declared that these competitors were “dumping steel and destroying our steel industry . . . and I’m stopping it.” He pledged to consider tariffs, quotas, or other similar restrictions on the steel trade to protect American manufacturers from China and other competitors.

Unfortunately, this initiative misidentifies the problem facing American workers, prescribes policy that would aid the comfortable and harm those actually in need, and omits those steps necessary to truly prepare the United States to compete in the economy of the future.

Read the full article in The National Interest.

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