Leibowitz on Trade: Bringing manufacturing back to the US

In my last column, I explored whether tariffs would be likely to bring manufacturing back to the United States. I concluded that they wouldn’t because trade deficits are not caused significantly by “unfair” trade deals. Today, my column considers what can be done to “bring manufacturing back.”

First, let me stress that increased steel production alone won’t bring back huge numbers of jobs. Total manufacturing employment is down from the postwar peak of the 1975-79 period. Back then, the steel industry employed more than half a million workers. Today, it’s well under 100,000.

Lewis Leibowitz

Lewis Leibowitz, owner of the Law Office of Lewis E. Leibowitz, practices in the areas of international trade law, customs law, and international commercial transactions. He represents clients before all federal courts and agencies dealing with international trade matters. Mr. Leibowitz advises and assists clients in diverse matters including trade remedies, customs, foreign-trade zones and free trade agreements, trade negotiations, and related matters. He can be reached at lewis.leibowitz@lellawoffice.com.