If one thing became clear in the weeks following the presidential election, it was that President Trump is serious about growing U.S. manufacturing. But what should that effort look like in practice, and what strategic considerations should guide it? Should federal policy focus narrowly on manufacturing or on traded industries more broadly? Do all manufacturing activities deserve equal treatment, or should the government target its efforts? Should the primary goal be job creation or value creation? Is it realistic to expect manufacturing to “come back” to U.S. shores, or should the focus be on expanding exports?
ITIF hosted a panel to accompany the launch of a new report addressing these questions. Urging the federal government to support manufacturing with a policy scalpel instead of a sledgehammer, the report lays out ten principles to guide