I was talking to my dad about tariffs, and he said that tariffs are important because they keep other countries from specializing in the production of resources. I said that if other countries can make resources for cheaper than we can, shouldn't we make other products. My dad said that the reason we need resources, like steel, to be made in the U.S. is that if China made all of the steel we use and we went to war with China, there would be huge problems. I feel like my dad has a point, but is there something we're missing? Is there a better way to keep industry in the United States than tariffs?
When goods don't cross borders, armies do. Perhaps the best way to combat a potential war with China is to ensure they become so symbiotic with us that they would not want to go to war. More to your point, there are ways to get around this, primarily stock piling.