Peter Harrell

Opinion | This Is No Way to Run a Trade War Trump is misusing a statute to impose tariffs on Canada and Mexico that hurt American interests.

In the WSJ, @petereharrell.bsky.social lays out the case for why a trade report due out in April constitutes an opportunity for course correction on the trade war.
www.wsj.com/opinion/this...

YouTube video by Security Economics C.J. Mahoney Joins Security Economics

Thrilled to host former Trump Term 1 Deputy U.S. Trade Rep. C.J. Mahoney on Security Economics to talk trade policy (as well as how to regulate AI). Whether you agree or disagree with Trump's policies, C.J. helps break them down. Full episode on YouTube, Spotify, etc. youtu.be/Pt97ZQ-h9JA?...

We keep reading that “the market” is a check on Trump economic policy. Interested to see if it is a check on Elon as well.

How to Stop a Trade War Trump, tariffs, and the coming transformation of global commerce.

U.S. tariffs have failed to contain China’s global economic ambitions, writes @petereharrell.bsky.social. The Trump administration will need to pivot—and start working with foreign countries to reduce their trade with Beijing.

YouTube video by Security Economics Brad Setser on Trump's Trade War

Last I checked, Brad Setser still hadn't made over here from the other platform. But I want to share the discussion I had with him yesterday (Sunday) about Trump's opening salvo in the Great American Trade War:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6WN...

Retaliation beyond tariffs: Canada is beginning to target Elon's companies directly, not just tariffing imports from the U.S. Will be watching to see if this spreads to financial services, oil & gas, tech, and other companies in Trump's orbit.

www.ft.com

Trump does care about equities, but I am unconvinced that a 1.5% fall in stocks--even if this materializes after markets open would materially make Trump reconsider the Great American Trade War.

The Case Against IEEPA Tariffs Forcing Trump to use trade statutes—or to go to Congress to seek new authorities—would be more consistent with IEEPA’s history and practice.

Trump can rely on plenty of laws to implement his tariff ambitions. (He could even ask Congress for new powers if he can sell his vision). But IEEPA--the 1977 law frequently used for sanctions--should not be one of those laws.

My take in @lawfare.bsky.social: www.lawfaremedia.org/article/the-...

The Case Against IEEPA Tariffs Forcing Trump to use trade statutes—or to go to Congress to seek new authorities—would be more consistent with IEEPA’s history and practice.

"Courts should find that allowing Trump to waive his magic sharpie to sign an IEEPA Executive Order imposing tariffs would upset the balance Congress has long sought to strike when it delegates its tariff authority to the president," writes @petereharrell.bsky.social.

Managing the Risks of China’s Access to U.S. Data and Control of Software and Connected Technology U.S. policymakers need to develop a more systematic and comprehensive framework for managing the data security and influence risks that come from cross-border data flows, Chinese software, and connect...

In a new Carnegie paper, I map the web of rules the US has created to regulate Chinese apps, software, and connected devices. It's not just TikTok: this will be a key pillar of US-China relations, alongside tariffs & export controls. Plus policy recs!

carnegieendowment.org/research/202...

Top questions for Lutnick confirmation today:

1. Details on tariff plans, including legal authorities?

2. Will he continue CHIPS?

3. Export control lessons from DeepSeek?

4. What Chinese ICTS devices/software should the Department's ICTS office focus on as potential security risks?

A 20% universal tariff and 25% tariffs on Mexico and Colombia aren't going to make coffee prices come back down....

Good question. Section 122 was not cited in Trump's Jan. 20 trade EO. My theory is that 150 day tariffs don't serve Trump's main objectives: Foreigners won't make concessions because they will just wait out 150 days. And 150 days isn't long-enough to drive on-shoring. Trump needs long-term tariffs.

This is good news. After years of abuse, it is past time to reign in the US government’s snooping on American citizens’ messages without a warrant.

Will be interesting to see next week if Trump’s Trade EO, which starts a deliberative process on tariffs that will play out over months and involve lots of analysis, or if Trump’s repeated remarks of “25% tariffs starting Feb. 1!!!” prevail. Definitely the “let’s see what happens” trade Presidency.

Securing America’s Economic Future: A Conversation with EXIM Chair Reta Jo Lewis | CSIS Events Join CSIS EST for a conversation with EXIM Chair Reta Jo Lewis on the new Supply Chain Resiliency Initiative (SCRI), fostering U.S. economic security through resilient supply chains, plus insights on ...

Tomorrow at 10:30 am, the CSIS Economic Security and Technology Department welcomes Reta Jo Lewis, Chair of the Export-Import Bank of the United States, to discuss how the newly introduced Supply Chain Resiliency Initiative can bolster U.S. economic security.

Register: www.csis.org/events/secur...

Reps. Moolenaar and Krishnamoorthi joint statement and letter out in support of the planned AI chips partner deployment rule is an interesting counterpoint to some of the (at times colorful) opposition out from industry over the past several weeks.

Today's Department of Commerce action starting the process to ban Chinese-made drones illustrates a point I've been making for the last year: bans on devices and software due to perceived security risks will be as important an element of U.S.-China decoupling as are tariffs and export controls.

Meta envisages social media filled with AI-generated users US tech group is rolling out a range of artificial intelligence tools to drive engagement

who asked for this? there are already too many bots www.ft.com/content/9118...

Mexico Hikes Tariffs as Much as 35% to Support Jobs in Textiles Mexico has increased tariffs by as much as 35% on products that could impact its domestic textile industry, the Economy Minister said.

Today’s exhibit of the rest of the world getting tired of Chinese overcapacity: Mexico’s 35% textile tariffs. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Lawfare Daily: Frictionless Government and Foreign Relations, with Ashley Deeks and Kristen Eichensehr What is frictionless government?

On Lawfare Daily, @sranderson.bsky.social spoke to Ashley Deeks and @keichensehr.bsky.social about their law review article “Frictionless Government and Foreign Relations,” the dangers that can arise when there is broad consensus on policies and strategies policymakers can embrace for managing them.

I’ve been pretty pessimistic about a Trump Presidency, but even I never predicted that he would shut down the federal government in the -1st month of his term.

AirTags for high-end semiconductors! Multi-GPU units cots a few hundred grand each. There has to be a way to actually track that stuff....

Waymo still doing better than humans at preventing injuries and property damage Insurance claims back up safety claims.

Waymo still doing better than humans at preventing injuries and property damage

CISA officially recommending use of encrypted messaging apps "such as Signal." Amazing how massive Chinese hacking has gotten the USG to suggest Americans take communications security seriously (compared to the prior position of opposing encryption...) www.cisa.gov/sites/defaul...

How to Stop a Trade War Trump, tariffs, and the coming transformation of global commerce.

The incoming Trump team has an opportunity to undertake the most important re-write of the global trading order in more than 30 years--or to stumble into costly tariff wars. My advice, as a former official, to the new team, in
@foreignaffairs.com. www.foreignaffairs.com/united-state...

IEEPA, a statute originally passed in 1977 to deal with time limited emergencies, is now used for everything from sanctions to cloud services KYC to Chinese investment restrictions. I agree with many of the specific uses, but it is past time for Congress to examine the statute and look at reforms.

Interesting that Commerce is considering banning Chinese WiFi routers, citing security risks and using the same “ICTS” authority used for Chinese connected cars. My take: “connected device restrictions” will become a 3rd pillar of US-China economic statecraft, alongside tariffs & export controls.

Toward a Cleaner, Smarter USMCA Renewal negotiations offer the best—maybe the only—path to strengthening North America's clean energy supply chain.

Pleased to co-author with CJ Mahoney a new Carnegie Endowment piece on how the Trump Administration can use the 2026 USMCA renegotiation to strengthen U.S. industry, build supply chain resilience, and promote secure supplies for clean energy materials: carnegieendowment.org/research/202...

There is sort of a pyramid of jobs in Washington, and the higher you get, the fewer the jobs. And also, people come to see that they can also be influential from the outside.