Joel L. Naroff

Our trading partners will protect themselves by becoming less dependent on American products. China has incentive to restrict the export of rare earth metals, find alternative suppliers or develop industries to replace those that the U.S. dominates.

Instead of the tariffs being used to correct unfair trade practices, they are being implemented to foster non-trade policy concerns. And that takes us into uncharted and dangerous places.

Despite claiming that the economy is great, the president, vice president and the administration’s economic staff are all clamoring for the Federal Reserve to cut rates sharply. Should the Fed do that?

What is a tariff? It is a tax on imported goods and as such raises the cost of those products. It is typically implemented to protect a domestic producer, equalize a subsidy foreign companies may receive or punish a foreign country for actions they have taken.

Well, Super Tuesday has come and gone, and the likely presidential candidates for each party look even more likely. No matter who wins the nominations, we need to start thinking about how to evaluate the candidates' economic strategies.

As an economist, it is assumed I am an astute investor. The economy does determine the direction of the markets, right?

The world is awash in oil, and Congress has decided to do something about it. With the Saudis pumping like crazy, the Iranians returning to the market, and U.S. production near record highs, oil prices are the lowest in more than a decade, and gasoline prices are back to their Great Recession...

Once again, we are coming face to face with a simple reality: Wall Street and Main Street sometimes operate in parallel universes.

This holiday season, Congress decided, once again, that it is really important to give. The budget agreement passed in mid-December was an example of the good old-fashioned pork-trading typical of past Congresses - at least until political purity and party warfare became the preferred form of...

This holiday season, Congress decided, once again, that it is really important to give. The budget agreement passed in mid-December was an example of the good old-fashioned pork-trading typical of past Congresses - at least until political purity and party warfare became the preferred form of...