Free Trade

The Trump Administration Just Declared All Foreign Exports Unfair

By the administration's logic, Iowa is hurting Arizona by producing so much corn. This is a very silly way to think about economic policy.

Eric Boehm | 3.12.2026 3:05 PM

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(Ian L. Sitren/ZUMAPRESS/Newscom)

During his first term in the White House, President Donald Trump reportedly scribbled the phrase TRADE IS BAD into the margins of a speech he was preparing to give to other world leaders.

That remains the most concise illustration of Trump's economic views when it comes to the free exchange of goods. And if you wanted to see what that phrase would look like when translated into an official government policy, look no further than the announcement made by U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on Wednesday, as he outlined the administration's plans for more tariffs targeting imports from 16 of America's largest trading partners.

"Across numerous sectors, many U.S. trading partners are producing more goods than they can consume domestically," Greer said in a statement. "This........

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