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The steel tariffs imposed by the Bush Administration have brought about the largest sanction in the history of trade.

From today's New York Times:

BRUSSELS, Aug. 30 - The World Trade Organization gave the go-ahead to the European Union today to impose sanctions on United States products worth just over $4 billion in retaliation for a tax break for United States exporters that the Europeans and the trade group has branded as illegal.

The $4 billion sanctions award is more than 10 times the size of any other such award ever offered by the W.T.O. If the union did impose the sanctions, which would take the form of 100 percent duties on imports from the United States, it would make a noticeable dent in trans-Atlantic trade flows.

The European Union is fighting the imposition of tariffs on imported steel of up to 30 percent imposed by the Bush Administration last March. It has set up a dispute panel at the W.T.O. to examine the tariffs, and is threatening to impose sanctions on United States products if the tariffs are not scrapped.

So, good for the steel industry and bad for everyone else (so bad that the Bush Administration is backing away from the tariffs). But why did they do it in the first place? Especially since Bush campaigned on a "free trade" (i.e., no tariff) platform? Could these numbers, from the Center for Responsive Politics have something to do with it?

Steel Production:

Long-Term Contribution Trends

Election Cycle 2002 (so far)

Total Contributions $1,277,271
Donations to Democrats $459,752
Donations to Republicans $816,609
% to Dems 36%
% to Repubs 64%

Election Cycle 2000

Total Contributions $2,786,587
Donations to Democrats $695,301
Donations to Republicans $2,083,922
% to Dems 25%
% to Repubs 75%

Election Cycle 1998

Total Contributions $1,555,293
Donations to Democrats $586,863
Donations to Republicans $967,001
% to Dems 38%
% to Repubs 62%

Oh, and by the way -- guess who was the #1 recipient of campaign donations during the campaign of 2000:

1 Bush, George W (R) Pres $152,768