UNCONSTITUTIONAL

The Trump administration expanded its trademark steel and aluminum tariffs to cover certain imported nails, staples, electrical wires and some downstream parts that go into automobiles and tractors, among other products. While imports of aluminum and steel have declined since the Trump administration imposed levies, some derivative products “have significantly increased since the imposition of … Read More

As shown in a forthcoming EPI report to be released later this month, growing U.S. trade deficits with China eliminated 3.7 million U.S. jobs between 2001 and 2018 alone, including 2.8 million jobs in manufacturing (details will be provided in the forthcoming report). Read the article.

Here’s what we know about the US economy in the early days of 2020: there was a manufacturing boom in 2017 and 2018. This boom lifted manufacturing employment by 190,000 jobs in 2017 to 12.545 million and another 264,000 jobs in 2018 to 12.809 million. That 2018 increase was the largest in 20 years. The … Read More

After China labeled shipbuilding a strategic industry in 2006, the government funded several new shipyards with subsidies that saved the industry up to $4.5 billion over a six-year period. China quickly doubled its market share from roughly one-quarter of world ship orders to half. Trump last year imposed tariffs on steel after the U.S. share … Read More

Even with the phase one deal in effect, Trump will have increased the average US tariff on imports from China to 19.3 percent from 3.0 percent in January 2018. The deal means the average US tariff will be reduced only slightly from its current level of 21.0 percent. This will reduce China’s average tariff on … Read More

Production of motor vehicles and parts jumped 12.4%, the most in a decade; excluding that category, factory output rose 0.3%, the first gain in three months. Total industrial production, which also includes mines and utilities, rose 1.1% after a 0.9% decrease. Read the article.

The claim: GM has struggled in China as a result of President Trump’s trade policies with China. The reality: GM’s eight-year reign as the top foreign automaker in China ended in 2013 as Volkswagen took on that distinction. Part of the problem has been stale models. Read the article.

The tariffs encouraged American steel companies to increase investment beyond simply increasing capacity. The steelmakers argue they needed to make the investment to be competitive for the future. “We’re among the lowest-cost producers. We’re extremely competitive if we’re operating on a level playing field. But there is massive overcapacity of steel from China…and it’s heavily … Read More

Former USTR Charlene Barshefsky says, “The United States imposed protectionist tariffs that…failed to invest in domestic infrastructure…” The reality: Nucor will spend more than $2 billion to add over 2.6 million tons of capacity. US Steel announced it is spending $1.2 billion on a new kind of steel mill that turns molten steel directly into … Read More