[baybal2]

Very much yes. One thing is just having to buy goods at 25% higher price, another is not being able to buy even basic houseware and "dollar goods" at all.

When even rich people start feeling powerlessness at not being able to get basic material necessities, things do happen.

At some point, people stop looking at Beijing, and start looking at Trump

[belltaco]

Nah, it's tempting for China but they are smarter than that. Other countries would quickly ramp up, and will also think twice about relying on critical imports from China, as China would have shown their willingness to cut their nose to spite the face. It would unite Americans behind Trump as China would be viewed as a bad actor acting to hurt Americans. The response is not proportional and it would hurt local jobs while helping competition from other countries to ramp up.

[baybal2]

Do you understand that industrial output of all "China alternatives" combined would only equal that of one well industrialised province in China despite not so insignificant investments coming for more than a decade?

So US will be stuck, and will have to live with understanding that even a plain plastic bucket costs $20.