nice entry from radley balko on ridiculous shrimp subsidies. domestic shrimp producers have convinced the administration to impose a tariff on vietnamese shrimp based on claims that they're dumping cheap subsidized shrimp on us. the shrimp growers' case to the government was financed by -- hold on to your hat -- domestic shrimp subsidies. the tariff means shrimp will cost about 40% more to consumers, with all the profits going to -- hold on to your hat -- domestic shrimp producers. this is typical of what a protectionist trade policy accomplishes: it takes money out of the pockets of consumers and puts it in the pockets of certain domestic producers, for no particular reason except that those producers asked for and got a handout. you can't blame the producers -- who's going to turn down free money? -- but there's no reason for the government to be doing this. it's bad for consumers (i.e. the other 99.99% of people who live in this country).
as a footnote, balko remarks that clinton was clearly much more of a free trader than bush, and links to this op-ed arguing that (fiscal) conservatives should rethink their clinton hatred.
July 8, 2004 10:36 AMCategories: politics
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