[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by jimhoward

Getting back to the main topic.......

I don't think we necessarily do want low more paying jobs manufacturing commodity products. We just want to reduce the trade deficit. That means we want to export as much or more stuff than we import. It really hard to reduce the trade deficit selling tee shirts.

I think reducing imports by making more things for internal consumption that you aren't all that good at making is another hard way to reduce the trade deficit. I think the best way to reduce the trade deficit is to make and sell more things we are good at, ideally high ticket items. That means we should sell more Aircraft, Machinery, Drugs, Medical equipment, Construction equipment. Power Plants, Semiconductor processing equipment, software. I don't know the whole list of markets we can compete well in right now, but its long. Protectionist policies aren't the answer. They just trigger reciprocal tariffs that prevent us from selling what we are good at.

I agree with this post. Especially the last summary sentence.