Alden Abbott

Contributor at Forbes

Senior Research Fellow at Mercatus Center

Senior Research Fellow, Mercatus Center and former General Counsel, Federal Trade Commission

Featured in: Favicon

forbes.com Favicon

mercatus.org Favicon

msn.com

wsj.com

substack.com Favicon

thehill.com Favicon

nationalreview.com Favicon

miamiherald.com Favicon

barrons.com Favicon

orlandosentinel.com + 45 more

Articles

Cloudy Legal And Policy Outlook For Trump Tariffs

1 week ago | forbes.com | Alden Abbott

On May 28 the specialized U.S. Court of International Trade (CIT) struck down major new tariffs imposed by President Trump over the last few months. The U.S. Federal Circuit Court of Appeals temporarily reinstated those tariffs the next day, pending its review of a Trump Administration appeal. Various other challenges to the Trump tariffs are before other courts. The Supreme Court likely will have to step in to resolve the tariff issue, possibly on an expedited basis.
Google Antitrust Remedies Could Harm the US Economy and Consumers

1 week ago | truthonthemarket.com | Alden Abbott

Google and the U.S. Justice Department (DOJ) will make their closing arguments tomorrow in the Google Search remedies trial. Judicial adoption of the DOJ’s recommendations to “break up” Google, stemming from this and another DOJ lawsuit, could seriously undermine American innovation and competitiveness and harm, not help, American consumers.
New U.S.-China Trade Negotiations Can Be A Win-Win

2 weeks ago | forbes.com | Alden Abbott

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent indicated today that the United States Government “expects the U.S. and China to continue in-person trade negotiations soon.” This will give the U.S. the opportunity to push for the roll-back of Chinese anticompetitive market distortions that skew markets and harm the competitiveness of America’s innovative industries. The successful dismantling of distortions could be a “win-win” for both the American and Chinese economies.
Regulatory Reform And AI Could Help Lower Drug Prices

2 weeks ago | forbes.com | Alden Abbott

A recent presidential executive order seeks to reduce high prescription pharmaceutical prices charged to Americans by raising artificially low prices paid by foreigners for those drugs. A price realignment to benefit American consumer drug purchasers by ending “foreign freeloading” appears attractive, but it raises various legal and practical challenges.
Google Antitrust Remedies Could Harm U.S. Economy and Consumers

2 weeks ago | forbes.com | Alden Abbott

On May 29 Google and the U.S. Department of Justice will make their closing arguments in the “Google Search” remedies trial. Judicial adoption of DOJ recommendations to “break up” Google, stemming from this and another DOJ lawsuit, could seriously undermine American innovation and competitiveness and harm, not help, American consumers.
New US Trade Agreements Could Grow the Economy

3 weeks ago | truthonthemarket.com | Alden Abbott

The Trump administration earlier this month announced a new trade agreement between the United States and the United Kingdom. This initial pact should be a harbinger of additional “win-win” American trade deals with the UK and other countries. Such agreements, besides reducing tariffs, could emphasize the mutual elimination of anticompetitive market distortions (ACMDs). Eliminating ACMDs would provide a far greater spur to economic growth than mere tariff reductions.
New U.S. Trade Agreements Could Grow The Economy

4 weeks ago | forbes.com | Alden Abbott

On May 8, 2025, the Trump Administration announced a new trade agreement between the United States and the United Kingdom. This initial pact should be a harbinger of additional “win-win” American trade deals with the UK and other countries. Such agreements, besides reducing tariffs, could emphasize the mutual elimination of anticompetitive market distortions. Eliminating ACMDs would provide a far greater spur to economic growth than mere tariff reductions.
Justice Department Introduces ‘America First Antitrust’ Policy

4 weeks ago | truthonthemarket.com | Alden Abbott

Assistant U.S. Attorney General for Antitrust Gail Slater introduced what she called “America First Antitrust” in her first formal address as the U.S. Justice Department’s (DOJ) chief antitrust enforcer. Her remarks, delivered April 28 at Notre Dame Law School, argued that this policy centers on protecting individual liberty from both government and corporate tyranny. While details will be filled in later, Slater’s speech explained that “America First Antitrust” is law enforcement, not regulation.
Antitrust Applies to Unions as Well as to Employers

1 month ago | truthonthemarket.com | Alden Abbott

The Trump administration has signaled its interest in applying antitrust law to protect workers from harm. Business conduct that distorts competition in labor markets is, indeed, covered by the antitrust laws, and various labor-related antitrust-enforcement initiatives have been undertaken in recent years.
Trump Fisheries Order May Be a First Step Toward Global Reforms

1 month ago | truthonthemarket.com | Alden Abbott

The U.S. fisheries sector is the beneficiary of an April 17 executive order from President Donald Trump. The order’s implementation could result in reduced regulatory burdens and a procompetitive, economically efficient expansions of U.S. fisheries output. It might also inspire U.S. consideration of additional efforts to improve global fisheries management. The Fisheries Executive OrderOverregulation is a serious problem afflicting U.S. fisheries.