California’s Economy Will Benefit from President Trump’s Trade Policies

By Michael Stumo, CEO of the Coalition for a Prosperous America

While California isn’t Trump country, Californians may find a curious silver lining in the president’s recent actions on trade, particularly with China. In part, that’s because the trade issue doesn’t cut cleanly down party lines. Most of California’s Democratic delegation is ostensibly with the president on trade - and they share his opposition to free trade agreements. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer [D-New York] recently said that he supports President Trump’s trade policies more than he supported President Obama’s.

Trade matters because it profoundly impacts America’s manufacturing sector. California residents might be surprised to learn that their state is home to the nation’s largest manufacturing base, including a whopping 1.3 million manufacturing workers. These manufacturing jobs tend to pay good, middle-class wages - something that’s particularly important for Los Angeles, which is still the nation’s single largest manufacturing hub. [more...]