Editorial Board
‘Buy American’ Won’t Make the Country Stronger
Instead of rejecting global commerce, the U.S. should focus on resilience.
Strategic goods.
Photographer: Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images
The coronavirus pandemic has shaken America’s faith in global commerce. After witnessing sometimes life-threatening shortages of goods ranging from medical supplies to parts for household appliances, politicians have been leaning toward a blunt solution: compel companies to produce what’s needed on U.S. soil.
The problem is real, but this approach — supposing that domestic production of all necessities were even possible — would be enormously costly. A judicious shift from “just in time” to “just in case” is required, but it needs to be done intelligently. Maximum resilience doesn’t mean maximum isolation.