EP5.3: Globalism’s Dirty Little Secret

Does America need to make Dodges AND di***s? Trump thinks so. He’s not just targeting strategic industries but ALL industries with tariffs. Why?? I used to think that was dumb. For years, I wrote that the US can’t rely on China for critical technologies (routers, computers, phones), medicines, or food. The pandemic was a dry run for how dangerous that dependency can be. Then I walked by a manhole cover made in India and the the myth of "strategic industries" became clear.

How could it make sense to ship something so heavy and simple to make, all the way from India?

Turns out, India’s steel industry is the second-largest globally, producing 140.0 million tons of crude steel in 2023, but still a fraction of China’s 1,019 tons and more than our 81.4. So comparatively, India is swimming in iron ore and low-cost labor. No wonder it’s still cheaper to import their sewer covers, especially when tariffs are low.

The US doesn't manufacture enough products that use steel to make its cost per unit cheaper than India's, even after shipping costs and delays.