The US is likely never going to be a manufacturing powerhouse again.

Americans love the idea of buying American made products, but not the cost and certainly not the labor that actually goes into making them at scale.

Certainly some things need to be produced domestically, and still are, either because it’s expensive or impractical to ship them, or because it’s a national security concern. But the vast majority of products your typical American buys will never be made here, because they would instantly become luxury items.

Tariffs are really meant to increase demand for domestic production, but that can only really happen if the production exists domestically to begin with.