One thing is perfectly clear - this issue is clear as mud. I'm still having a hard time finding last year's numbers for import export, so if you know of a link just post it to this thread.
As to the statement about import-export, I'll amend that to reflect rising import rather than majority sales for the time being, and weave in another caveat regarding the veracity of Dick Durbin's statement. That should bring the article up to speed before it "goes live". Please check the updated article on the website:
http://johnkerryquestionfairy.blogspot.com/
http://johnkerryquestionfairy.blogspot.com/2004/12/manufacturing-news-why-we-dont-have_09.html
I'm also going to put a link to this thread in an update. There's too many smart ideas on here, and this debate should open a lot of eyes. My daughter is in the military, (stateside) and I just want them to have the best equipment available. In the short term that means "get'em equipped NOW". In the long term, that means that we better find some better solutions than we have now, because this problem is only going to compound itself...
Try www.bea.gov