The Herbert A. Stiefel Center for Trade Policy Studies at the @CatoInstitute | #CatoTrade, #EndTheJonesAct, and #CatoGlobalization
Washington, D.C.
Joined August 2013
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Cato Trade retweeted
High tariffs aren't just bad economics but bad politics, too, says Cato’s @AlfredCObregon.
Americans consistently disapprove of Trump's tariffs in polls, and Democratic candidates are targeting them in their campaign messaging.
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Cato Trade retweeted
In less than 8 months, foreign vessels operating under the Jones Act waiver have delivered more petroleum and crude oil to the West Coast/AK/HI than the Jones Act fleet moved to the region in the last 18 years combined (19.1m barrels versus 18.7m from 2008-25). – at Washington, DC
Protectionism, specifically through high, sweeping tariffs, is not just failing to attract support among voters but has become a political liability for the president’s party.
@alfredcobregon writes: cato.org/blog/high-tariffs-a…
Cato Trade retweeted
Alaska relies on maritime shipping, yet the Jones Act restricts it to costly US-built vessels. In a Wall Street Journal letter, Cato’s @cpgrabow argues that Mary Peltola and Dan Sullivan put shipping interests ahead of Alaskans.
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Counting factory jobs reveals only how many Americans work in factories. It says nothing about whether these workers, or the nation overall, are actually better off. America’s politics should adjust accordingly.
@scottlincicome writes: cato.org/commentary/theres-n…
Cato Trade retweeted
20.7 million barrels have moved to the West Coast, Alaska, and Hawaii under the Jones Act waiver, setting an all-time record.
The numbers hint at what lasting access to foreign shipping could make possible. Cato's @cpgrabow provides the full breakdown.
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Cato Trade retweeted
The Jones Act waiver shifted Puerto Rico's propane supply from almost entirely foreign to mostly US sources: over one million barrels in seven months versus an annual average of 16,500 barrels under the Jones Act. Cato's @cpgrabow has the data.
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Cato Trade retweeted
Tariffs are on the ballot. 3 in 4 voters say tariffs will shape their vote this November, a new Cato poll finds. Learn more from Cato's @Rowebotz.
Cato Trade retweeted
The Jones Act waiver has delivered 10.1 million barrels of petroleum to Puerto Rico, which is about four times the 2004–2025 annual average, in less than 7 months.
The benefits of Jones Act relief are clear. Learn more from Cato’s @cpgrabow.
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Cato Trade retweeted
Tariffs are hidden taxes that fall hardest on families with lower incomes. Now they are driving up the price of musical instruments and putting music education out of reach for more children, writes Cato’s James Bacchus.
cato.org/blog/president-trum…
Cato Trade retweeted
The US trade deficit isn’t necessarily a “bad” thing and is usually a sign of growing US economy, say Cato’s @scottlincicome and Chad Smitson. The latest data also support this view, which contradicts the White House’s pro-tariff, anti-deficit narratives.
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WATCH: @ScottLincicome discusses the Trump tariffs and high prices on @FoxNews Digital
cato.org/multimedia/media-hi…
Congress should preserve the waiver’s gains and build on them. If access to foreign shipping can spur this much domestic energy trade, how much more commerce could Americans conduct if the same freedom extended to all products?
@cpgrabow writes: cato.org/blog/jones-act-waiv…
Cato Trade retweeted
New research finds Trump's tariffs raised prices of both imported and American-made goods. "As long as tariffs remain, it's unlikely we'll see price declines," Cato's @scottlincicome tells @FoxNews.
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Reduced access to instruments that enable America’s children to learn how to make music – and how to cooperate to produce harmony – is another example of how far-reaching the impacts of the avalanche of Trump’s tariffs have become.
James Bacchus writes: cato.org/blog/president-trum…
Cato Trade retweeted
President Trump announced a $15 billion steel plant in Iowa as proof his tariffs are working.
No land purchased. No permits. $1.4 billion in state subsidies. It looks more like a cautionary tale than a celebratory one, says Cato's @scottlincicome.
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Cato Trade retweeted
Tariffs can cut imports, but they also tend to cut exports. As long as savings and investment patterns don’t change, the trade balance won’t either, explain Cato’s @scottlincicome and Chad Smitson.
It’s a simple lesson—one we’re relearning in real time.
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Trump and other tariff fans are right that the Mesabi announcement is what their favored policy produces. And that’s very much the problem.
@scottlincicome writes: cato.org/commentary/trumps-s…
Cato Trade retweeted
High US tariffs haven't closed the gap between goods imports and exports.
The real merchandise trade deficit hit $114.7 billion in August — larger than any month in the 2022–2024 pre-tariff period. Cato's @scottlincicome and Chad Smitson explain why.
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