I can't claim to know much about how to solve a geo-financial inequality that definitely damages American product but also seems to benefit many American businesses and American consumers. The truth is I'm honestly not smart enough to know how it will play out. I'll leave that to you quicker minds to figure out. I will share something related that I think is ironic/hilarious/depressing.

I visited Hong Kong 5 years ago and loved it but I confess the smog rolling down from China was absolutely stunning. I live in Utah and the inversion here is nothing like the air pollution out of that country. From what I have heard it is much worse if you actually enter China near any of their large cities. I confess that I am not a very big proponent of all the global warming hype but if it has any validity at all China is a terrorist with a smoking gun and suicide release trigger. I even briefly googled the research on the countries contributing to global warming and they blow us out of the water. Having seen it in person and knowing the size of the population I'm betting the estimates are actually quite low. I also think Science in this area is heavily influenced by a desire to curb American practices because they know we will actually do something if we think it is a problem. China reminds me of reading about US factories/refineries/manufacturing plants of the late 1800s early 1900s that were basically pouring their waste into the air, rivers, and land however they wanted to. Do anything so that you can make things cheaper and earn more.

To think about all the $ and effort we put into trying to go green in this country and know its entirely undermined overseas is no surprise to me at all. Politics will always be politics and why would we spend time on changes that will have a true impact when we can play like the entire fault lies with us. If we only will showed a better example, China and all other offenders will eventually fall in line. Sounds likely. Personally, it kind of seems like American manufacturing moved over seas because it was cheaper. Sound obvious to anyone else? Is it possible that it is partially cheaper because the standards, including environmental ones, are lower? These American companies aren't stupid. I'm betting some "green conscious" American companies are very happy to not ask questions or hold Chinese manufacturers accountable even though the same care on our American soil would socially burn a company to the ground. It works for the bottom line. Not surprisingly the Democratic party is not clambering to sanction or tariff China for the same reasons even though raising costs for consumer Americans with overseas trade has got to be somewhat similar to raising those costs in America by heavy environmental restrictions. Too hard to explain the difference to your average middle class American.

I would think any global warming protection enthusiasts would be ecstatic that tariffs might slow the Chinese economy and decrease the largest carbon emissions offender in the world.

Obviously this is an oversimplification but anyone who is honest has to see plenty irony in the situation. No doubt there are experts who will explain that tariffs will do the opposite and cause more pollution because the Chinese who were just trying to change their habits can no longer afford to do so and may even regress.