Originally Posted by Koyote

Don, this is all exactly correct. The manufacturing that is leaving China is mainly relocating in other countries (mostly Southeast Asia) that are not subject to such large tariffs; they are not relocating to the US.

But I can't emphasize this strongly enough: for a variety of reasons, the tariffs are actually reducing employment in the US. One simple mechanism, which demonstrates the "flailing" you referred to, is up near me in NW Pennsylvania: a steel mill that was still in operation (though below historic capacity) had to lay off 100 employees, because Trump's tariffs applied to imported steel - and this mill was importing slabs of steel from Ukraine and hot rolling it right here in PA. They were paying $2 million per week in tariffs, but couldn't afford it, and hence the layoffs. And no, there is not a domestic source for the steel they need. So, that's a hundred jobs lost in an area that desperately needs them.

I would love to read Metieval 's response.