Free Trade

Eric Boehm | 10.25.2024 12:00 PM

American businesses bore the brunt of the tariffs hiked by former President Donald Trump, but having the right friends allowed some to dodge those higher costs.

Politically connected firms—specifically, those that donated to Republican candidates, including Trump—were more likely to succeed when asking the government for an exemption on imports that would normally be subject to tariffs, a new report concludes. It's a finding that seems particularly relevant at the moment, as Trump is campaigning on a promise to hike more tariffs if he returns to the White House, while some conservatives see a potential second Trump term as a chance to reward friends and punish enemies.

In the study, four researchers reviewed 7,015 applications for exemptions that companies filed with the........

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