Echm..no. It's a tax on everything any business imports. Every component that goes into anything made in U.S. and all capital goods purchased from abroad when starting or running a business. It's increased input costs and directly makes the U.S. economy less competitive. Planning complete DIY?

That would be part of the analysis. Some components have been offshored for things like pure labor arbitrage, but other things because there is natural comparative advantage. Sadly, much corporate offshoring is done for labor, environmental and tax arbitrage. No bueno. Again, not just math.

Not disagreeing with you things can improve but tariffs are not the tool. It's like chemo only worse.

They tried to put better reciprocal labor/environmental regs in NAFTA a few times. China, Asia…forget about it. Not sure regs work. Subsidies have more graft and government involvement in things they shouldn’t be involved with than tariffs. What other great tools in toolbox?

First government has to want to solve the problem then it can find a way. Conversely it can misapply any tool in a convoluted way and feign surprise or act denial when it doesn't work or rather works for its benefactors. I've said myself subsidies aren't much better - but are better than tariffs. /2