I really wish the Congress would come to terms with the consequences their feckless trade policies have wrought on so many Americans and recognize that some revision to the relationship between China and the United States is necessary. The vision of China as our manufacturing floor and moving everything dirty to China while keeping design, marketing, retail, and management in the U. S. simply is not going to work. For one thing the Chinese authorities aren’t satisfied with that role as the several year old “Made in China 2025” program clearly signals.
Congress should put some incentives in place for investing in additive manufacturing in carefully targeted industries. Electronics, clothing, and footwear would be good starts. Tariffs aren’t the greatest trade threat to the Chinese authorities’ plans. China’s low labor costs becoming irrelevant is.
I didn’t want to comment on this, because it would just be parroting agreement with the first paragraph. But people seem tongue tied. Congress has been on a shameful slide for quite awhile. Apparently better to just take in campaign money and or matriculate to K Street and abrogate all responsibility. Blame must be further assessed to the electorate who seem content to believe that electing a King every four years is the real governance.
I’m reflexively cautious of government picking winners. But I suppose you are advocating for productivity investment to reduce the Chinese advantage in labor. Perhaps.