Trump, trade and tariffs [What Think Tanks are thinking]

Glaustai 16-03-2018

US President, Donald Trump, has imposed tariffs on steel and aluminium imports, raising fears of a trade war with other countries. He has argued that the levies, of 25 % on steel and 10 % on aluminium, are needed to protect US national security. But many analysts and politicians believe that they are actually meant to protect domestic producers and meet Trump's pre-election promise to return manufacturing jobs to the US. The European Union is seeking an exemption from the tariffs, which has already been granted, in principle, to Canada and Mexico. If this does not happen, the EU could respond in several ways, including by imposing its own tariffs on US products. This note offers links to a series of recent commentaries and reports from major international think tanks and research institutes in reaction to Trump's decision. More reports on international trade can be found in a previous edition of 'What Think Tanks are thinking' published in June 2017.