Trump calls for tariffs on metals

The Trump administration declared imports of steel and aluminum from China and other nations a threat to national security, laying the foundation for the president to impose the types of punitive tariffs he has long championed. Saying an influx of foreign metals threatened national security and the viability of U.S. makers of aircraft and other military products, the Commerce Department outlined an array of recommendations to help domestic manufacturers, including a tariff of 24 percent on steel imports from all countries. U.S. industries such as automakers and food packagers criticized the recommendations.

Gun sales dwindle

As the school shooting in Florida stokes debate over firearms, U.S. makers of AR-15-style semi-automatic rifles like the one used in the shooting are struggling. Earlier this week, Remington, the nation’s oldest manufacturer of rifles and shotguns, said it was nearing a bankruptcy filing. Colt completed its trip through bankruptcy last year, while sales and profits at Smith & Wesson’s parent company have plummeted. The problems show the paradoxical nature of the industry: It prospers when faced with tighter regulations and it slumps when the threat subsides, as it has during the Trump administration.