[Svartalfiar]

Yes, totally unrestricted free trade is more efficient than trade with barriers, BUT you have to maintain a manufacturing base for strategic products, AND trade with bilateral barriers is still more beneficial than trade with asymmetric barriers.

Unrestricted free trade only works when both entities have a fairly even playing field. Corporate subsidies, heavy/lack of regulations, varied cost of living, all of these can make that free trade very one-sided, and not really 'free'.

[Eric Pode of Croydon]

Then we need to deregulate American companies so they can better compete.