Donald Trump has been saying he will get Mexico to pay for the wall.
Here are some facts to support his claim.
In 1963, the US Government, under President Lyndon B. Johnson instituted a tariff of 25% (called the chicken tax) on potato starch, dextrin, brandy, and light trucks in response to a tax imposed on the importation of US chickens. Many considered this an act of protectionism, but sales of light trucks have soared and many of the foreign manufactures such as Toyota, Nissan have built plants in the USA creating thousands of great paying jobs and generating billions of dollars in sales for the US economy.
More info on the chicken tax
Here is a chart of US light truck sales since 1967. They have soared.
Under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), Mexico does not have to participate in this tariff and many auto manufactures are looking to relocate operations to Mexico to take advantage of cheap labor at the expense of the American worker.
Could it be the unintended consequence of protectionism means more American Jobs?
Here are the US manufacturing numbers for the US since 1961. They have collapsed.
Super Sector: Manufacturing
Industry: Manufacturing
NAICS Code: –
Data Type: ALL EMPLOYEES, THOUSANDS
Years: 1961 to 2015
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
1961 14863 14801 14802 14825 14932 14981 15029 15093 15080 15143 15259 15309
1962 15322 15411 15451 15524 15513 15518 15522 15517 15568 15569 15530 15520
1963 15545 15542 15564 15602 15641 15624 15646 15644 15674 15714 15675 15712
1964 15715 15742 15770 15785 15812 15839 15887 15948 16073 15821 16096 16176
1965 16245 16291 16353 16418 16477 16554 16669 16732 16802 16864 16962 17051
1966 17143 17288 17400 17517 17625 17733 17760 17882 17886 17956 17981 17998
1967 18033 17978 17940 17878 17832 17812 17784 17905 17794 17800 17985 18025
1968 18040 18054 18067 18131 18190 18228 18265 18254 18252 18293 18346 18410
1969 18432 18502 18558 18554 18588 18640 18642 18767 18620 18613 18467 18485
1970 18424 18361 18360 18207 18029 17930 17877 17779 17692 17173 17024 17309
1971 17280 17216 17154 17149 17225 17139 17126 17115 17154 17126 17166 17202
1972 17283 17361 17447 17508 17602 17641 17556 17741 17774 17893 18005 18158
1973 18276 18410 18493 18530 18564 18606 18598 18629 18609 18702 18773 18820
1974 18788 18727 18700 18702 18688 18690 18656 18570 18492 18364 18077 17693
1975 17344 17004 16853 16759 16746 16690 16678 16824 16904 16984 17025 17140
1976 17287 17384 17470 17541 17513 17521 17524 17596 17665 17548 17682 17719
1977 17803 17843 17941 18024 18107 18192 18259 18276 18334 18356 18419 18531
1978 18593 18639 18699 18772 18848 18919 18951 19006 19068 19142 19257 19334
1979 19388 19409 19453 19450 19509 19553 19531 19406 19442 19390 19299 19301
1980 19282 19219 19217 18973 18726 18490 18276 18414 18445 18506 18601 18640
1981 18639 18613 18647 18711 18766 18789 18785 18748 18712 18566 18409 18223
1982 18047 17981 17857 17683 17588 17430 17278 17160 17074 16853 16722 16690
1983 16705 16706 16711 16794 16885 16960 17059 17118 17255 17367 17479 17551
1984 17630 17728 17806 17872 17916 17967 18013 18034 18019 18024 18016 18023
1985 18009 17966 17939 17886 17855 17819 17776 17756 17718 17708 17697 17693
1986 17686 17663 17624 17616 17593 17530 17497 17489 17498 17477 17472 17478
1987 17465 17499 17507 17525 17542 17537 17593 17630 17691 17729 17775 17809
1988 17790 17823 17844 17874 17892 17916 17926 17891 17914 17966 18003 18025
1989 18057 18055 18060 18055 18040 18013 17980 17964 17922 17895 17886 17881
1990 17797 17893 17868 17845 17797 17776 17704 17649 17609 17577 17428 17395
1991 17330 17211 17140 17093 17070 17044 17015 17025 17010 16999 16961 16916
1992 16839 16829 16805 16831 16835 16826 16819 16783 16761 16751 16758 16769
1993 16791 16805 16795 16772 16766 16742 16739 16741 16769 16778 16800 16815
1994 16855 16862 16897 16933 16962 17010 17026 17081 17115 17144 17186 17217
1995 17262 17265 17263 17278 17259 17247 17218 17240 17247 17216 17209 17231
1996 17208 17229 17193 17204 17222 17226 17223 17255 17252 17268 17277 17284
1997 17297 17316 17340 17349 17362 17387 17389 17452 17465 17513 17556 17588
1998 17619 17627 17637 17637 17624 17608 17422 17563 17557 17512 17465 17449
1999 17427 17395 17368 17344 17333 17295 17308 17287 17281 17272 17282 17280
2000 17284 17285 17302 17298 17279 17296 17322 17287 17230 17217 17202 17181
2001 17104 17028 16938 16802 16661 16515 16382 16232 16117 15972 15825 15711
2002 15587 15515 15443 15392 15337 15298 15256 15171 15119 15060 14992 14912
2003 14866 14781 14721 14609 14557 14493 14402 14376 14347 14334 14316 14300
2004 14290 14279 14287 14315 14342 14332 14330 14345 14331 14332 14307 14287
2005 14257 14273 14269 14250 14256 14227 14226 14203 14175 14192 14187 14193
2006 14210 14209 14214 14226 14203 14213 14188 14159 14125 14075 14041 14015
2007 14008 13997 13970 13945 13929 13911 13889 13828 13790 13764 13757 13746
2008 13725 13696 13659 13599 13564 13504 13430 13358 13275 13147 13034 12850
2009 12561 12380 12208 12030 11862 11726 11668 11626 11591 11538 11509 11475
2010 11460 11453 11453 11489 11525 11545 11561 11553 11563 11562 11585 11595
2011 11618 11653 11670 11700 11712 11724 11742 11766 11771 11776 11774 11799
2012 11834 11857 11899 11916 11930 11941 11965 11961 11948 11951 11947 11961
2013 11980 12002 12006 12006 12007 12005 11983 12011 12022 12040 12072 12086
2014 12102 12122 12131 12142 12154 12177 12191 12205 12214 12237 12282 12301
2015 12318 12321 12327 12327 12333 12334 12346 12329
