Trade Cases
August 5, 2018
Pearson: What’s Different in 2018 vs. 2001? Leadership
Written by Tim Triplett
Are imports of semifinished steel a threat to U.S. national security? Apparently, that depends on the political environment at the time. The controversy over the Trump administration’s Section 232 tariffs is not a new debate. Restrictions on steel imports were on the table in 2001 during the Bush administration. Contrary to today, the Commerce Department at that time determined that steel slabs were not vital to national security.
What has changed in the past 17 years? The views of senior trade officials, said Daniel Pearson, a past chairman of the U.S. International Trade Commission and a former member of the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank. Pearson has strong opinions on the subject and offered some historical perspective.
