Blockchain technologies will play an increasing role in international trade. Using blockchain to track the origins of raw materials and follow domestic and international supply chains can help meet the increasing demand for consumer information about globally produced goods, providing more transparency and accuracy about a product’s long journey to the store.
Just hours after signing the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement in December last year, President Trump said, “Congress will have a choice of the USMCA or pre-NAFTA, which worked very well.” On the tariff side at least, while a no-USMCA scenario is bad, no NAFTA is most definitely worse.
U.S. energy infrastructure company Kinder Morgan, Inc. (KM) started construction on the Gulf Coast Express Pipeline Project in May 2018. Estimated to cost $1.75 billion, the pipeline will span 514 miles in Texas and aims to increase the United States’ ability to export liquefied natural gas to Mexico. The administration’s steep tariffs on imported steel could throw a major wrench into the pipeline project.
Studying the rise and fall of “company towns,” the lessons are clear. Place-based policies meant to resurrect declining areas are futile. Instead, leaders must not only invest in the people in their communities — they must recognize that policies to promote mobility will pay off.
The few domestic companies that may (or may not) benefit from special treatment shouldn’t outweigh the costs for the rest of the economy.
When it comes to steel tariffs, we could be in a trade war — with ourselves.
“In a typical year, I’d be looking at maybe buying more equipment or investing in the business. And now I don’t know what things are going to look like six months from now.”
-Mike Schmitt, CEO
“Our U.S. manufacturing jobs and our 179-year history should not be considered acceptable collateral damage.”
-Jane Hardy, CEO
“I’m fighting for our 500 jobs and myself.”
-Chris Pratt, General Manager
“There’s only so much that a customer is willing to pay to buy an American-made keg.”
-Paul Czachor, CEO