This week’s focus is upon the economics of international trade. What about this policy represents an overall benefit for the American economy? Why wouldn’t we want our people to have the opportunity to purchase extremely affordable vehicles?
The political motivation is obvious, but popularity is not a good test for successful economic policies. As a result of the politically driven attempt to appeal to voter’s economic insecurities, protectionism has become a bipartisan issue of late. My general view is that tariffs ought to be very selectively employed and that protecting American jobs alone is an insufficient rationale for imposing them. Moreover, bipartisanship, while typically both welcome and nearly impossible to find these days, can be concerning when both sides agree on a bad idea.
FWIW, for reasons personal to me, I have never bought a vehicle from a non-American company and have no intention of that ever changing. I also understand that there are a variety of reasons to treat China differently from other trading partners. What I don’t understand is the apparent selective nature of those choices with respect to China and the apparent lack of a consistent policy designed to use available levers to achieve a well-defined and sustainable goal.

Discuss.