The strength of Germany’s manufacturing sector isn’t accidental.
The president of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, is in Washington, DC today to meet with President Trump in an attempt to calm the burgeoning trade dispute between the United States and the European Union. Looks like they’re having a nice time! Lots of elbows are being held.
.@JunckerEU with @realDonaldTrump @WhiteHouse Oval Office: “The US and the #EU are allies, not enemies. We have to work together. We should work to reduce #tariffs, not increase them.” pic.twitter.com/l7lR4e471X
— Mina Andreeva (@Mina_Andreeva) July 25, 2018
President Trump last night floated the idea that both parties should “drop all Tariffs, Barriers and Subsidies,” which is, uh, one idea to open markets and improve the lot of American manufacturing (ostensibly among his ultimate goals). But there are other ideas, too, that could make our manufacturing sector more robust: we could put a significant public investment into apprenticeship programs, build out an accessible R&D network for manufacturers, and give workers a say in corporate governance.
Germany, a member of the EU, does all of these things, and they’re part of the reason Germany's manufacturing sector is remarkably strong.
President Trump and President Juncker's meeting will most likely result in a tweet disparaging Trump's former attorney, so instead of waiting around for that nonsense, watch this informative video: