Sometimes it isn't just foreign suppliers underbidding U.S. manufacturers.

I once had an off-the-record discussion with a fairly high official of a class I railroad, in which the official related the following story:

The railroad wanted to buy rail made in the U.S., but for some applications, the railroad had very specific high-tolerance requirements. The railroad approached several U.S. manufacturers of rail and basically got this response: You buy the rail that we make. We don't do custom work.

Of course, this order would have been worth many millions of dollars, as this railroad is a major consumer of rail. But, the order went to a manufacturer outside the U.S. who was willing to work with the exact metallurgical specifications of the railroad.

This official said it was not a matter of pricing. The railroad would have been willing to pay more for domestic rail made to its specifications, as this would have meant a simpler supply line.

Just one example of how some global trade issues are not always as simple as they look.

-- Ernest