Why decades of protectionism have not helped U.S. steel

WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump is using tariffs on steel imports — especially Canadian steel — to bolster the U.S. industry. But protectionism in this sector is nothing new.

The CATO Institute, a libertarian think tank in Washington, D.C., recently examined decades of government efforts to protect steel and found that the industry remains sluggish. Clark Packard, a research fellow in CATO’s Herbert A. Stiefel Center for Trade Policy Studies, and Alfredo Carrillo Obregon, a research associate, published their findings in a report last week, prompting the National Post to seek their insights.

This Q&A has been edited for clarity and length.

Q: Your report covers 60-plus years of the U.S. steel industry’s product protection through tariffs and trade restrictions, yet the indust