"As usual it all depends on who's ox is being gored. Free trade is free trade, in this case sink or swim. As I recall the shrimpers in Louisiana used to bitch about the Reverend Moon's shrimping company being unfair competition.
If you protect an industry from foreign competition the industry has no incentive to improve and try and become more competitive. The US government has been in the subsidy business forever when it comes to farm products and the rest of the world yells foul. On a level playing field we will usually find a better way to win the trade war."
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When you boil it down to it's essence, the heart of the matter with those moronic steel tariffs was that far more jobs (unionized and otherwise) in manufacturing were threatened by the higher steel prices than were "protected" in the steel-producing industries. From what I managed to glean the steel industry has about forty years worth of lobbying experience, "K" street connections, "wrap-onself-in-the-flag" propaganda (and assorted heart-plucking pop songs and movies) that they exploit to their particular advantage.
Furthermore, Dubya's catchword during '02 when this was being shoved through was that steel was of "strategic importance" and domestic supplies had to be guaranteed. This led to several weeks worth of hilarious antics and capitol hill scurrying regarding just which widgets and doohickeys were also of "strategic importance" and had to be "protected." Just keep in mind all this patriotic protectionism comes out of OUR pockets.
I would sure hate the prospect of a bruising trade war over Gulf Coast shrimp. If history is any guide I get the distinct impression that there are only losers in these things