Michigan Has Opportunities for Growth-Political Protectionism?

I'm reading an article by Scott Lincicome entitled by "Tariffs, Michigan and the Perils of 'Political Protectionism" from Cato at Liberty. I must say I like what he did here in terms of putting together data on a scatter plot and showing how tariffs have an impact in 2018 and 2019. I think that most of us would expect these short term adjustments in the import and export market. There can be no change without adjustment and we should expect to see that within the data. 

Where the "proof in the pudding" will be is in the 2021 and 2022 years where the risks of COVID decline, new factors like online transition, and where organizations have adjusted to new import/export adjustments, and then in turn develop stronger strategies to meet market demand (assuming they have the capacity to do so). 

I guess that is the point of challenging China now versus a decade down the road when our manufacturing has been further hampered and we are not in the same place. There are risks to every strategy but typically it is best to challenge when a long-term risk is recognized and you still have the capacity to take a dominant position in the market. That doesn't mean it will be easy. 

Any strategy we take is going to have some risks. If we don't do anything we have long-term generational risks but if we go after the global supply chain now before they fully shift we might have a better chance.  Perhaps we lose everything but I serious doubt that will happen. If anything we might get a shift back to the U.S. and its central place in the supply chain (Let us wait and see what happens..I'm curious myself).

I agree with the author that those states that are more exposed to the import and export market are going to have the biggest changes that in turn create more adjustments in economic markets that hint at certain outcomes. Markets exposed to the global economy are also subject to that market. Thus far many of these states seem to have been impacted more by import changes than export changes (I would like to see the regression on the scatterplot). 

Here is an article that discusses how China has been matching us U.S. China Comes Close to Passing the U.S. in Doctors, Patents and Scientific Discoveries. We are at a cross roads to act or to not act at this time....so there is lots of room for debate. 

I suspect we will take a hit for a short time as companies in the U.S. begin to bring back operations, supply chains, etc... in order to manufacture more at home. That all takes time. One complex factor that has come into the mix is COVID-19 that changed some of the fundamentals but in turn disrupted existing supply chains and habits in a way that could be a long-term strategic advantage if we learn to adapt to new digital GDP models and advanced manufacturing. I wrote something here about the risk and benefits of a trade war with China...Trade War...Good or Bad?