We are looking at the same thing from two different angles.
If big unions and business are in cahoots, what does it benefit the unions to offshore US jobs? The unions have been bitterly complaining about NAFTA, GATT, the TPP, etc., which have all be strongly backed by business.
Add to this that the big unions have had their teeth kicked in recently, as state after state creates right to work laws.
Granted, government regulation has become obscene, and that does markedly drive up costs, but president Trump is working hard to slash such regulations and make them harder to pass.
As far as exports go, how could exporting more goods possibly raise prices here? It would be self defeating for foreign countries to both subsidize their own businesses for export to the US *and* to have tariffs on US imports, which would cost them a fortune while hurting their importers.
Within the US, however, the increase in production by our exporters will provide lots of new jobs for Americans, and since foreign countries have limits to how much of our exports they can afford, the increased production in the US will cause prices of these things to fall.
I’m in favor of all states going right to work.
We need to reduce regulations even more than President Trump will likely be able to — about 95 percent or so. The lighter the regulatory touch, the more dynamic the market and the loser the regulatory costs. That means lower prices — especially when combined with lower taxes. You could, if you wanted, even raise salaries and still cut prices.
If we impose tariff or “border adjustment” taxes, other countries will impose higher taxes (in one form or another) on our exports. They will make it harder for us to do business.