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Steel Confusion
On May 19, the U.S. Department of Justice announced the indictment of four Chinese manufacturers of steel shipping containers and six of their executives for violations of antitrust law. Between…
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Declinists at an Impasse
President Trump’s much-heralded visit to Beijing appears to have gone less than swimmingly. One reason seems to be that China believes the United States is in decline. It shows no…
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The Cost of Discouraging Visitors
A couple of weeks ago, I was in London for the annual meeting of the Business History Conference, a professional group I’ve been involved with for many years. Nothing out…
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The Lasting Impact of Trump’s Tariffs
The U.S. attack on Iran has diverted attention from the tariffs the United States has applied liberally since Donald Trump took office in January 2025. While tariffs based on the…
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Who’ll Pay for Maritime Dominance?
The Trump Administration’s Maritime Action Plan, released on February 13, proposes to channel potentially enormous amounts of money into the flaccid U.S. shipbuilding industry. While the plan is far from…
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China Plus Two or Three
The point of trade agreements, above all, is to establish clear rules for cross-border commerce, so businesses can make sensible decisions about importing, exporting, and investing. One year into Donald…