I didn’t realize we’re still importing 50%. I thought I’d heard it was much less now.
At any rate, I agree with your thought that we do need to manufacture more here.
I’ve never bought into the idea that wages causes an exponential rise in the cost of items.
If a company is putting out 200 widgets an hour, how much is cost adding per widget? I know there are a number of variables in that equation, so I don’t expect an answer.
If I can, I try to buy American. It’s seldom you can these days, but I see it once in a while.
Stopped by the Ford dealership to get my Mercury Mariner service last week. Each new car had a list of where the parts came from the percentages, and the assembly site of their cars on the window.
I liked that.
I agree that Trump’s instincts are 180 degrees from Obama’s.
His instincts are why I supported him at every step of the process last year.
His were 90 to 180 degrees from the other GOPe candidates too.
Currently about 32%.
“I didn’t realize we’re still importing 50%.”
US refineries buy oil from the source that is the least expensive delivered to their location. Oil is a commodity. It trades sells in price/ barrel. Much of that delivered price is a function of freight(shipping costs) to its location around the world.
It was explained to me once upon a time that some refineries are set up to process heavy crude oil. This is what countries like Venezuela export or the tar sands out of Alberta.
That is why the Keystone pipeline was so important to build. It lowered the cost/barrel to ship heavy crude to the refineries in LA & TX that are the most efficient in turning that oil into finished product. With Keystone completed the Canadian oil producer in Alberta can deliver their oil cheaper to TX than other sources in the world.
The Canadians are also building a pipeline from Alberta to the Pacific Ocean. Much of that oil will ship to refineries in California, OR & WA. These refineries currently get most of their oil from Alaska. However, these refineries are competing with what China, South Korea, Japan, etc. will pay for the same product.
JD Irving owns a refinery in St. Johns New Brunswick located on the Atlantic Ocean. It was built in that location so it could receive super tankers. However, when oil production from North Dakota increased due to fracking improvements they started shipping oil all the way to New Brunswick by train because it was cheaper than what could be delivered by boat.
So, Trump knows that if we increase supply overall, price will go down.