Trump Bets on Trade Reciprocity to Make American Manufacturing Great Again

Donald Trump has staked his presidency on the proposition that the United States must once again be a manufacturing superpower, both for its economic and national security. Yesterday, he compellingly laid out the case for doing so and what it will entail in terms of reversing decades of trade policies that have imperiled both.

Specifically, the President is ending the practice whereby trading partners around the world impose tariffs and many other restrictions on American exports that have, heretofore, gone unreciprocated. He enumerated many of the most egregious examples of such unfair trade, and assigned U.S. tariffs that would “kindly” only partially level the field.

It remains to be seen how many countries will opt to close their markets further, rather than open them. My guess is that Donald Trump’s bet will substantially pay off, and help make American manufacturing great again.

This is Frank Gaffney.