[dev_dull]

Why wasn’t it until 2016 until we actually started hearing tough trade rhetoric against China? It seems like they know the game is up and are doubling down on the theft.

[ozmodiar]

Whatever you feel about it, the primary point of the TPP deal was China containment by isolating it from the rest of East Asia.

[redial]

What game? they already won. The US makes nothing and now it is isolating itself, great move.

[greatzebu]

I don't think this is borne out by the data on manufacturing output: https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/OUTMS

[WillPostForFood]

I agree, but the current situation in the US is more nuanced than the graph suggests. A lot of the growth is driven by the energy industry, like fracking, not building products like phones, computers, clothes, furniture, etc. We import 3 tons of steel for every ton we produce. Cars we manufacture in the US are dependent on imported components.