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Peter F Rose's avatar

This is a good example, thank you; it illustrates well on that specific industry. There are others.

My business is men's and women's apparel, an independent, family owned business that began in 1943 with my grandfather. In the 70s and 80s, American companies made a conscious decision to move their production to China and other countries where labor costs were fractional, and whose employee would not report to them, but to positions in those foreign countries. In so doing, they also rid themselves of the financial burden of benefits, including health care. Thousands of well paying jobs were jettisoned in favor of those jobs going overseas. Again, American capitalism abandoned American workers so as to make MUCH more money by manufacturing elsewhere. They closed factories and moved equipment; America lost the capacity to make clothing here, in large part. In the HBO documentary Schmattata: Rags to Riches to Rags, this was reported: In 1965, 95% of all the clothing BOUGHT in America was MADE in America. By 2005, just 40 years later, America produced 5% of the clothing. Shoes, too, same process, resulting in a fraction of the capacity to make shoes here.

Today, Trump endeavors to whip up nationalism by blaming ALL of the countries that make the clothing we buy, declaring that they are taking advantage of us. He establishes a policy and economic plan based on LIES, and those who support him parrot his proclamations with righteous indignation. The truth is that Capitalism decided to do this, and Republican and Democratic administrations during that period of time did NOTHING to protect the lost jobs and industries. Tariffs could have been deployed THEN, even before the process started, warning that it would actually make those imports MORE expensive. Other punitive measures could have been implemented SO AS TO CONTROL CAPITALISM, but our leadership chose to allow it to happen.

I sell moderate to upper moderate branded products in each store, most all of them manufactured overseas. Trump's declared tariff income is indeed absurd when it comes to my industry, because the imports will screech to a halt. I have to make price/value decisions for every brand I consider. If Chinese-make product is suddenly double the cost, then the retail applied will have to be double the current price, and my decision will be to NOT BUY THE PRODUCT because consumers will not pay those inflated prices. The net result of this tariff, therefore, is 1.) a crash at the wholesale level of these American brands, 2.) stores that have nothing to sell because we cannot make it here, so we crash and burn as well, and therefore 3.) ZERO TARIFFS COLLECTED in the process of destroying our economy, not to mention the lives of American citizens employed in this industry.

The recklessness of this is apocalyptic for the American independent retail industry. It also urges the countries of origin to find customers elsewhere that have integrity and honor. This is all impeachable behavior. The damage will be irreparable, yet NO ONE will stop it. I am the only voice I am aware of even SAYING this. The apparel industry as a whole is in real and present and immediate danger, and NOT just a the Walmart level (which is all I ever hear anyone refer to).

Anyone that refers to such a calamitous scenario as "part of the process" is an enemy of the state.

We COULD bring manufacturing of ALL types back here. We won't, because capitalism will not abide it, and government is not willing to subsidize such a massive shift. So ALL of this is an exercise of an attempt to wield power and control by an idiot that no one will imprison.

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