The Dilemma of U.S. Manufacturing Recovery and Its Enlightenments: An Analysis of the Failure of Protectionist Policies

The U. S. manufacturing policy is a hybrid system that encourages innovation, strengthens key industry chains, and improves worker skills and public procurement. The Trump administration has accelerated it to protectionism. Due to the one-sided emphasis of protectionist policies on the development of domestic manufacturing and weakening the ability of domestic companies to participate in the international division, the United States has not become a more attractive country in the global manufacturing industry as it hopes. No structural improvement has occurred, and the difficulties and problems the manufacturing industry faces have not been resolved. The lessons of the Trump administration's integration of protectionist measures into manufacturing policies are worth alertness, but its efforts from both supply and demand sides, especially supports to technological innovation, attaching importance to key industrial chains, and strengthening STEM education are worth learning. China should respond to the historical trend of economic globalization, further improve the manufacturing element supply conditions and market demand environment, and form a synergistic joint force in more deeply integrating the international division system, supporting the construction of innovation systems, and ensuring the supply of high-quality labor.