Working people

Trump is using tariffs to allow American companies to be more competitive and bring back manufacturing to the US. Despite being a leading driver of employment growth for decades, manufacturing has shed employment over the past 40 years as the U.S. economy has shifted to service-providing industries. In June 1979, manufacturing employment reached an all-time peak of 19.6 million. In June 2019, employment was at 12.8 million, down 6.7 million or 35 perce¬nt from the all-time peak Industries most affected are textiles, furniture, appliances, consumer electronics and machine tools. While the elected officials were saying they were on the side of the working people and unions they encouraged the off shoring of jobs to the benefit of the large corporations and Wall Street bankers. The wealth gap widened as good paying union jobs went overseas. Tariffs will raise the price of imports and make products produced here in America more competitive and this will re industrialize made in America. Many of these imports come from countries where child labor laws are not enforced, where the environment is being destroyed and working conditions are not safe. The irony is that many of the same people who oppose tariffs also demand safe working conditions and clean air and water.