This article continues the discussion of “why would anyone want to impose tariffs” that was started in this article. The first article discussed a non-standard justification: tariffs as a source of revenue.
The only other kind of narrow reason to protect domestic industries (regardless of their "infancy") is to retain capacity in industrial sectors deemed critical to relative strategic autonomy. Of course, figuring out which industries so qualify is a constantly moving target and there will always be political entrepreneurs eager to game the gatekeepers.
As for Ricardo his argument is persuasive as far as it goes -- which isn't terribly far (especially in development economics) given the large number of caveats required, most of which are conveniently "forgotten" by the usual suspects among the free trade evangelists in the metropole for whom the arguments are convenient to retain exploitative arrangements with the periphery ...
The only other kind of narrow reason to protect domestic industries (regardless of their "infancy") is to retain capacity in industrial sectors deemed critical to relative strategic autonomy. Of course, figuring out which industries so qualify is a constantly moving target and there will always be political entrepreneurs eager to game the gatekeepers.
As for Ricardo his argument is persuasive as far as it goes -- which isn't terribly far (especially in development economics) given the large number of caveats required, most of which are conveniently "forgotten" by the usual suspects among the free trade evangelists in the metropole for whom the arguments are convenient to retain exploitative arrangements with the periphery ...