The Forgotten Lesson Of The McKinley Tariff

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America’s tinplate tariffs in the 1890s are a clear example of effective industrial policy, and a reminder that tariffs work best when they match production realities.

President Donald Trump’s steel tariffs have likewise reoriented the trade debate — from lower prices toward economic security, manufacturing capacity, and supply chain resilience. But if history is any guide, the next step is making sure tariff policy strengthens every industry it is meant to protect, not just steel mills but the manufacturers who depend on them.

Before 1890, the United States depended almost entirely on imported tinplate from South Wales. Tinplate was indispensable for food cans, industrial packaging and roofing, yet American producers couldn’t compete against lower-cost British imports. By the 1880s, domestic production had nearly disappeared. (RELATED: The Answer To America’s Food Security Woes)

Congress responded with the McKinley Tariff of 1890, sharply increasing duties while setting a clear benchmark for success: if American production reached one-third of imports within seven years, the tariff would remain. If not, tinplate returned to the free list. As then-U.S. Congressman William McKinley explained, the goal was “to make the duty on foreign tinplate high enough to insure its manufacture in this country.” Tariffs were intended to build domestic capacity, not simply raise prices. (RELATED: The Government Nobody Voted For)

The policy was immediately controversial. Can........

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