"Trump Cites Controversial Data on U.S. Manufacturing Losses Post-NAFTA"

President Donald Trump frequently cites the closure of “90,000 plants and factories” in the U.S. post-NAFTA. However, experts argue that automation plays a larger role in manufacturing job losses than trade agreements. The Census Bureau notes a decline of approximately 74,000 establishments from 1995 to 2022, with many being small operations, raising questions about the accuracy of Trump's claims. Critics, including Cato Institute's Colin Grabow, suggest that technological advancements, rather than NAFTA, are responsible for the job reductions.