Discussion about this post

User's avatar
Antowan Batts's avatar

Great article.

Another thing people forget are the massive amounts of services we export as a country. From Auditors to translators we receive money for these not to exclude the funds received for our military presence in some nations.

Expand full comment
Stephen Day's avatar

Thanks for the helpful data and insights. A couple points:

1) The US is the #2 manufacturing nation in the world. People tend to forget this when we emphasize our comparative advantage in services. We export an enormous amount of chemicals, machines, technology, etc. I think this is an important point since so many people think "we don't make anything here anymore."

2) The administration's goal is *not* clear, contrary to what you wrote in the piece. Are they trying the reduce the tariffs of trading partners, reduce the overall trade deficit, reduce all bi-lateral trade deficits, reshore manufacturing, or cut the budget deficit? None of these are the same thing, the strategies for achieving them are often at odds, but the administration has said each of them at one time or another as the reasons for their trade policy.

Expand full comment
10 more comments...

No posts