Ikenomic Insights

(Originally published on Forbes.com ) In March 2018, then-President Donald Trump  invoked his powers  under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 to restrict most imports of steel and aluminum on dubious national security grounds. Last month, citing Russia’s “unjustified, unprovoked, unyielding, and unconscionable war against Ukraine” and the Russian aluminum industry’s alleged role in the war effort, President Biden amended Trump’s five-year old order with  an official proclamation  increasing tariffs to 200% on aluminum and derivative aluminum products from Russia, which just went into effect on Friday. As with most of the many sanctions imposed on Russia since its invasion of Ukraine, the expectation is that the tariff increase will help deprive Moscow of the wherewithal to continue its aggressions. That’s a worthy objective, indeed. But inching toward that outcome by restricting trade in aluminum is a path certain to generate far greater economic costs, foment discord with