Made in USA is hypocritical political correctness

US President Donald Trump won the 2016 election partly by cashing in on people’s anger over excessive political correctness. Yet his words and deeds are cultivating a newpolitical correctness in his country.

It is about keeping manufacturing jobs in theUnited States and bringing them back from overseas, as he said in his inaugural address that his rules are “buy American and hire American.”

Walmart, the largest US company, has been running a TV ad about its commitment to purchasing $250 billion in the US and create 1 million jobs at home.

It is nothing newforUS businesses to promote themselves by tapping into the public’s patriotism, but more of them are under pressurenow to do so after Trump threatened to punish those outsourcing their jobs abroad.

Under such pressure, Carrier decided in lateNovember to keep several hundreds of jobs in its Indiana plant instead of moving them to Mexico as previously planned. Last month, Ford Motors cancelled its $1.6 billion plant inMexico and said it would instead invest $700 million in an existing plant in Michigan to make electric and autonomous cars.

Trump also warned GeneralMotors last month by tweeting “GeneralMotors is sendingMexican made model of Chevy Cruze to US car dealers-tax free across border. Make in U.S.A. or pay big border tax!”

He has pressured Apple CEO Tim Cook to make iPhones in the US, instead of China, where the devices are assembled by a massive army of Chinese workers.

Such a bid to bring manufacturing jobs back to theUS may sound great to some voters. But it is against the free market principle, does not make any economic sense and won’t helpUS consumers.

TheWalmart commercial features a factory scene where workers are hammering and welding, with sparks flying like fireworks. It does not look remotely like a factory with state-of-the-art facility or high automation, which should be the case for an advanced economy.

Walmart’s campaign has already been called into question when some products with “Made in America” labels are accused of not meeting the government criteria, as many parts are made abroad.

In a globalized world, it is increasingly hard to find a product, especially a hightech

TheMade-inthemania now seen in the US is not only against the basic economic law of comparative advantage, it is also going to hurt the most vulnerable US consumers ...

one, that is made totally by one country. Apple’s iPhones are assembled in China but really designed in California. Its parts come from more than 700 suppliers from all over the world, and the assembly cost is less than $10, not big value.

US consumers, however, will have to pay $30-40 more if they want an iPhone assembled in theUS and $100 more if more of the components are made in theUS.

TheMade-in-the-USA mania now seen in the US is not only against the basic economic lawof comparative advantage, it is also going to hurt the most vulnerable US consumers and turn the US into a “Third World” economy.

Infact, the factory scene depicted in theWalmart adis probably hard to findnowin China’sdeveloped coastal region. Those factorieshave long been relocated to the lowcost hinterland ofWestChina or else to other countries which have lower labor costs.

As a shrewdbusinessman, Trumpshouldknowall this well. TheUnitedKingdom’s DailyMirror reported last weekthatTrumpInternational Hotel, opened inWashington lastOctober, containsrooms wherealmost everything in themwasmadeoutside the US.

It is sad to see such hypocritical political correctness ofMade in USA permeating the world’s most advanced nation in the 21st century.