Donald Trump’s former trade chief makes the case for more tariffs
There are economic, geopolitical and moral reasons to increase protectionism, says Robert Lighthizer
WHEN AMERICA grew in the 19th century from a modest agricultural country into the world’s largest economy, tariffs were critical to its success. In recent decades, however, the T word has become toxic to some. Free-trade purists argue that tariff increases destroy capitalism. When tariffs rose during the Trump administration, and that didn’t happen, the purists claimed that we should ignore the facts and rely on their antiquated economic models.
From the March 16th 2024 edition
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