Summary
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick admitted on CBS’s Face the Nation that US workers won’t reclaim traditional manufacturing jobs under Trump’s tariff-heavy strategy.
While promising “trillions” in new investment, he confirmed that new factories would be automated. Lutnick touted support roles like mechanics and HVAC technicians instead.
Critics cite the tariff policy inconsistency and rising consumer costs.
Market reactions have been severe, with steep losses and fears of trade wars as China and others prepare retaliatory tariffs.
The funny thing about these automated factories is the question, how long it will take to build them and who will build them? How long until the product is done as quickly as cheaply as overseas, without these work robots constantly malfunctioning or needing repairs? There is a reason only certain industries are almost fully automated, it’s simply not efficient to use (fairly expensive) robots for everything. You need a product that sells for a lot of money (like cars) for it to create a profit. But what do I know I’m not a billionaire.