Dec 8, 2003 2 min read

President Bush wisely waited until after he collected $800,000 during a campaign stop in Pittsburgh this week before announcing he was scrapping steel tariffs. Bush had little choice. He was trapped in a morass of his own making. Despite his free trade stance, Bush 20 months ago bowed to the beleaguered steel industry that claimed dumping of cheap foreign steel was killing the industry. The president wanted Pennsylvania, considered a keystone state in the presidential election, in his corner.

What he didn’t foresee is that for every job supposedly saved as the steel industry benefited from the tariffs another dozen American jobs were lost in shipping and industries that were more competitive because of the cheaper foreign steel. Nor did the president foresee the worldwide repercussions of his action. The World Trade Organization cried foul and issued an ultimatum: either lift the tariffs or a trade war would ensue.

This trade war would pose hardships on nearly every American industry and farmer and potentially spell the demise of what remains of the textile industry.

The president had no choice but to lift tariffs that should never have been enacted. The steel industry is stronger now. It has benefited from nearly two years of special treatment, in which some streamlining has occurred as it worked to reorganize a dinosauric culture.

The economy is tipping in American steel’s favor and dumping shouldn’t be the problem that it was, although Bush promised to monitor the situation.

The move undoubtedly will cost Bush votes in the Steel City and its surrounding communities. But it is a small price for the president to pay, given the pending doom of losing more jobs throughout the country.