Harris vs. Trump: Competing on America First policies

Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate and current vice president, announced on Wednesday (local time) that she plans to implement the "America Forward" strategy, offering $100 billion in tax credits over the next decade to revive manufacturing sectors such as steel and semiconductors. Donald Trump, the Republican candidate and former president, also presented a "New American Industrialism" aimed at bringing back manufacturing jobs that have moved overseas, through corporate tax cuts and higher tariffs on imports. Regardless of the outcome of the November 5 election, industrial policies prioritizing America are expected to accelerate.

Speaking in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, one of the most critical battlegrounds of the election, Harris stated, "From our earliest days, America's economic strength has been tied to our industrial strength," and promised tax credits to expand quality jobs in the steel and manufacturing sectors. She added, "I will never sell out America to our competitors or adversaries. Never. Never." Pittsburgh, home to U.S. Steel, which is currently the target of a potential takeover by Japan's Nippon Steel, is a symbolic city for the U.S. steel industry. Analysts suggest Harris's choice to announce her policies in Pittsburgh reflects her commitment to revitalizing the manufacturing sector. Harris has also expressed opposition to Nippon Steel’s acquisition of U.S. Steel.

On the same day, Trump held a rally in Charlotte, North Carolina, another key battleground state, where he pledged to restore manufacturing jobs by providing tax cuts to U.S. companies and imposing tariffs on foreign products, which he claimed would generate hundreds of millions of dollars. In a previous rally in Savannah, Georgia, Trump emphasized, "If you vote for me, you will witness a mass exodus of manufacturing from countries like Korea to North Carolina, China to Pennsylvania, and Germany to Georgia."


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