Editorial Board

Trump's Trade-Bashing Hurts the U.S.

Slapping a giant tariff on a Canadian plane would leave American travelers -- and workers -- poorer.

September 28, 2017 at 5:15 PM UTC

By The Editorial Board

The Editorial Board publishes the views of the editors across a range of national and global affairs.

Soon available with a 220 percent tariff.
Photographer: Clement Sabourin/AFP/Getty Images

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Until now, the defining feature of the Trump administration's trade policy has been a worrisome yet vague recklessness. The U.S. Commerce Department's new ruling on Boeing's dispute with Bombardier, a Canadian aircraft maker, shows the harm that comes when the administration gets specific.

The rules that regulate trade can't work without restraint and a commitment to a liberal economic order. President Donald Trump's administration lacks both.