Trump is criticizing all bad trade deals as he should. After WWII the US industrial base was the strongest in the world while much of Europe and Asia had to rebuild after the war. Part of rebuilding was opening US markets to whatever products our new Cold War allies were producing. Then the US adopted policies that moved practically all electronics production from the US to Japan.
The US has allowed such deals to run too long - US markets far more open to imports than foreign markets were open to US exports - and has continued to allow new trade deals that predictably bring the same result.
But books have been written about all the various non-tariff trade barriers Japan has used to protect its home market from imports. And that has prevented US autos from ever becoming established for decades. If you read the link in #38 it mentions how the Ford Mustang was greatly desired in Japan at one time, but all sorts of methods were used to prevent it sale in Japan.
There is TPP to be considered soon and also a new agreement related to Europe. Both are probably bad deals for the US as most agreements since WWII have been. We need Trump or someone to negotiate better deals now and in the future.
” Part of rebuilding was opening US markets to whatever products our new Cold War allies were producing.”
Ha! I was born in ‘46. I remember turning over my Japanese built toy car. Underneath, It was a Budwiser can!