Why Raise My Costs?

Michael F. Cannon points to an economically illiterate article by Joe Stephens attacking Wal-Mart and other corporations for lobbying Congress to suspend tariffs on products they import.

Over time, the changes cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars in lost revenue, a Washington Post analysis of U.S. trade data found.

Like Tom Palmer, I thought it was odd that cutting a tax on consumers would turn out to cost taxpayers money. Also see a response at Palmer's blog post by Anita Dungey, the president of the company who profits at the expense of consumers. I'm tempted to mail her Bastiat's Petition of the candlestickmakers.