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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Camille Grand on why Ukraine’s future turns on security guarantees
A 20,000-strong European force would be a lot more potent with an American backstop, says the former NATO official
Alex Wang on why China can’t be allowed to dominate AI-based warfare
As the “agentic” age begins, democracies can take inspiration from the past, writes the tech boss
It’s time to treat sexual violence in war as torture, writes a UN rapporteur
Alice Edwards argues that such crimes are increasingly part of military strategy
Rishi Sunak on why Ukraine should get Russia’s frozen assets, not just the interest on them
Worries that it could rock allies’ financial systems are overdone, says Britain’s former leader
Donald Trump should not replace us with his stooges, warns a fired inspector-general
Mark Greenblatt on the dangers America will face if oversight officials lose their independence
The transatlantic relationship is crumbling, says an ex-head of NATO
Anders Fogh Rasmussen argues that Europe must accept it may be alone—and spend accordingly