Editors note: It is significant that Larry Kudlow said this rather than trade hawks like Peter Navarro. Also, citing national interests as more important than the globalist WTO is reminiscent of an important book by Gomory and Baumol called “Global Trade and Conflicting National Interests.
National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow on Wednesday signaled that the Trump administration does not believe it would be bound by a World Trade Organization ruling against its Section 232 national security tariffs on steel and aluminum.
[June 8, 2018 | Inside US Trade]
Kudlow, at a press briefing Wednesday, also accused China of breaking WTO rules and said the U.S. would hold Beijing accountable in Geneva.
“You know, the United States – the president has said this many times: We are bound by the national interests here more than anything else,” he said when asked if the Trump administration would “respect” a WTO decision on the Section 232 tariffs. “We’re always interested in the World Trade Organization. [U.S. Trade Representative Robert] Lighthizer, in fact, has filed complaints in the WTO with respect to Chinese practices and the practices of other nations. So we’re still working through the WTO.
However, he added, “international multilateral organizations are not going to determine American policy. I think the president has made that very clear.”
