Used to be (maybe it still is?) relatively popular on this forum for a country to want to maintain its ability to produce things, as opposed to depending on other countries.
There's protecting national interest/security/industry, and then there's protecting existing incumbents. If we tax imports, we should also be doing everything we can to help new players in the market we are trying to protect. After all, strong markets are all about competition.
Is the US not? $7,500 EV tax credit, 30% EV charger installation tax credit for lower income census tracts, pretty much every county pays at least a few hundred dollars towards EV charger installation.
What existing incumbent is being protected? The policy, even as passed when Democrats were in power, protects whoever manufactures in the US, regardless of where the shareholders are.
There is being able to produce things ... and then there is being forced subpar thing for more money. You know, there is being able to compete in a capitalist market and there is not being able to compete, but being protected while others pay for it.
I would think the US, due to its size and resources, should be able to produce most things. At least something like cars, which doesn’t depend on weather or other rare qualities, but rather just an educated and sufficient workforce.
Few nations in the world get to have that kind of luxury.
I'm no car manufacturer, nor do I work in the industry, but seems to me quite a bit of national resources are missing if the US wanted to be completely independent when making cars, resources like lithium, cobalt, natural rubber and even rare earth elements. Probably more I'm missing.
