Mad About Trade

Why President Trump is Wrong to Claim the Wall will Reduce Crime

In a tweet yesterday, President Trump unveiled a new slogan to back his demand that Congress approve $5.7 billion for an expanded border barrier: “BUILD A WALL & CRIME WILL FALL!” As he has stated many times in the…

Our freedom to trade declined in 2018

As those of us who care about U.S. trade policy look back on the year just ended, it should be clear that the freedom of Americans to trade took a big step backwards in 2018.

Further Thoughts on Dani Rodrik’s Critique of “Hyperglobalization”

Harvard economist Dani Rodrik is one of the more heterodox voices in today’s debate on trade and globalization. He’s not a Trumpian protectionist, nor is he a Milton-Friedman-style “globalist” (like me) who…

Expand the G7, but not with a misfitting Russia

Although it was half-a-dozen busy news cycles ago, President Trump’s provocative proposal to the G7 leaders to readmit Russia is bound to come up again. When it does, his counterparts should diplomatically but firmly reject the idea. There’s an…

Trump team inflicting its bad trade medicine on a healthy patient

Today’s strong jobs report comes against a backdrop of rising imports and an expanding trade deficit

A car tariff would hurt consumers, the auto industry, and the nation

President Trump is rattling his tariff sabre again, this time threatening to impose a 25 percent tariff on imported cars in the name of national security.