The Herbert A. Stiefel Center for Trade Policy Studies at the @CatoInstitute | #CatoTrade, #EndTheJonesAct, and #CatoGlobalization

Washington, D.C.
Joined August 2013
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…
4
1
5
1,975
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. ow.ly/Ubj45100gEA
1
6
14
3,966
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. ow.ly/Cz1e5100gbr
2
4
14
1,871
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.
6
11
1
21
2,751
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. ow.ly/LHEO5100fXN
1
8
1
23
1,983
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…
2
7
1
20
2,098
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. ow.ly/kZkC50ZWtBx
5
11
29
4,453
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…
1
2
233
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. ow.ly/OXww50ZY2Bz
4
8
15
1,706
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…
145
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. ow.ly/ug0l50ZXlVh
12
57
5
186
6,261
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. ow.ly/J7gF50ZWtN7
3
16
2
31
5,103
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…
2
5
1,854
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. ow.ly/b6fS50ZWtwp
2
22
29
5,635
The Jones Act defenders argue that the law keeps American shipbuilding “robust,” but last year the US accounted for 0.03% of global shipbuilding output. The law is delivering high costs but not its claimed benefits. Learn more from Cato's @cpgrabow. ow.ly/uQCn50ZVvfl
2
15
1
52
4,798
WATCH: @cpgrabow's presentation is featured in the event, “Is the Jones Act Hurting America’s Energy Industry?,” hosted by the Southern New England Energy Conference cato.org/multimedia/media-hi…
1
2
262
The tariff experiment has been an unfortunate demonstration that tariffs will not change a country’s trade balance because they don’t change the underlying savings and investment patterns that drive it. @scottlincicome and Chad Smitson write: cato.org/blog/surprising-alm…
6
1
10
2,027