Karl W. Smith, Columnist

Biden Needs to Do More Than Just Lift Tariffs

The return of inflation means that US trade policy should focus on the welfare of the consumer.

June 21, 2022 at 11:00 AM UTC

Karl W. Smith is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. Previously, he was vice president for federal policy at the Tax Foundation and assistant professor of economics at the University of North Carolina.

In search of a better trade policy.
Photographer: NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP

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President Joe Biden finally plans to ease some of the tariffs on Chinese goods put in place by his predecessor — which is the right policy. But the president will have to do more if he wants to keep inflation low in the post-Covid economy.

The administration needs a complete reversal of its trade policy: Stop promoting demand for US-made products, and start seeking out the lowest-priced goods from around the world.