No way to treat our allies

Protecting this country from unfair import practices doesn’t justify an all-out trade war. Yet the Trump administration is imposing hefty tariffs on foreign steel and aluminum, a move that’s drawing return fire from Washington’s closest global allies.

The White House has a fixation on China’s trading practices, which rightly need correcting. But the president’s fury is leading him into a wider war with Canada, Mexico and the European Union, which now face the same penalties on far less convincing grounds. Already these longtime trading and strategic partners are promising hefty duties on U.S.-made motorcycles, bourbon and even blueberries. A whirlwind of counter moves could quickly spread from steel and aluminum mills across the economic landscape.

There’s a slim chance the everwavering president will wake up to the damage he’s doing. National security, used to justify this bout of protectionism, can’t be achieved if financial markets and American exports are imperiled. Just like his long-promised border wall, this barrier will serve only to alienate other countries and isolate Washington from its leadership role.

U.S. metals manufacturers, who presumably would benefit from tariffs, aren’t sold on the president’s policy. That’s because their businesses are often linked to overseas operations that will be disrupted by the White House action. A trade fight in a global economy has unforeseen consequences lost on Trump strategists obsessed with foreign threats.

California could pay a bigger price than any state. Its ports could see less business, farms would have fewer markets for agricultural products and the tech industry wouldn’t be any closer to resolving overseas business disputes. Trump’s trade war will punish everyone and help no one.