CONTRIBUTOR'S VIEW - Thomas Knapp: Freer Trade Makes Us Richer. Protectionism Makes Us Poorer. - LaGrange Daily News

CONTRIBUTOR'S VIEW - Thomas Knapp: Freer Trade Makes Us Richer. Protectionism Makes Us Poorer. - LaGrange Daily News

Many of my friends and acquaintances disagree with Donald Trump’s “trade war” antics. His constant, inexplicable flip-flops and 180-degree turns make them nervous, and they can see that his unconstitutional tariff policy (the US Constitution gives only Congress the power to tax) is already costing them money. But many of my friends, including those on the putative “left,” also support tariffs and “protectionism” in general. They dislike the cons…

Lessons from Early America’s Tariff Wars – John C. Pinheiro

President Donald J. Trump claims that “tariffs are going to make our country rich.” Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer counters that “Trump’s tariffs are going to raise prices on American families by as much as $1,200 a year.” Debate rages on amid American tariff measures and other nations’ counter-measures. This debate over who wins and who loses from tariffs is not new. It’s not even particularly populist. As it turns out, arguing about ta…

The false promise of tariffs

LONDON: In this era of growing protectionism, defending globalization can feel like a losing proposition. But rather than retreat from the debate, it is more urgent than ever to spell out the costs of a trade war, which threatens to accelerate the fragmentation of the global economy because it is really a war on trade itself. To challenge the logic behind the US administration’s protectionist agenda effectively, we must first understand it in cl…