Ill summarize the summary to make it quick. 1) This is a matter of Natl. security. Almost all of our steel and aluminum used in military grade production is sourced from outside the states, mostly from China. Since we have basically accpeted that us and China may eventually go to war, that is simply an unacceptable failure of national logistics. 2) Our current trade deficit with China is hundreds of billions of dollars. While cheap Chinese steel and other goods frees up money to be spent in other areas as you said, it also allows china to slowly own more and more of our country. We have to pay for those cheap goods with currency, debt, or physical assets (land, material, american companies). As time goes on, this ridiculous deficit will mean China will own more and more of America. Additionally, since they get paid in American Dollars, they stockpile those dollars to manipulate exchange rates at opportune moments. This means that their currency will always be devalued. Devalued currency means cheaper exports, which means we are paying them to keep the deficit massive. Additionally, Chinese exports give them access to billions in American debt. With the looming debt crisis becoming worse and worse, China is accelerating the debt crisis here in America and they know it.
