The Wall Street Journal Quotes Clete Willems on Trump’s Use of Tariffs and Sanctions
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The Wall Street Journal has quoted Akin Gump public law and policy partner Clete Willems in the article “Trump Wields U.S. Economic Might in Struggles With Allies and Adversaries Alike.” The article reports on President Trump’s propensity for using tariffs or sanctions as a geopolitical weapon against other countries.
According to the Journal, the strategy has reaped some short-term gains, though there are some risks, including a possible loss of global influence in the longer term.
Willems said the administration has been justified in using tariffs to address inequities in the global trading system, but it needs to avoid becoming the unfair player it accuses others of being.
“There is a limit to how many tariffs we should put in place,” Willems said. “It is in the U.S. long-term interest to have a rules-based international trading system.”