How would South Carolina’s foreign-based industries fare under Trump?

WASHINGTON -- Donald Trump’s tough talk on trade – vowing to rip up international trade deals and stand up against foreign cheating to bring jobs back to Americans – has played a large part in propelling him toward the Republican nomination.

It clearly has resonated in South Carolina as well, where he won 32.5 percent of the vote and all 50 delegates in the February primary. But in a state that has heavily leveraged globalization and foreign investment into jobs, many are saying that if economically distressed voters look backward, it could harm the state’s economy.

22% Share of South Carolina jobs supported by international trade

“I think there’s a bit of a nostalgia sometimes for the jobs the state used to rely on,” said University of South Carolina economics professor William Hauk, explaining how the state “was hammered” a few decades ago by losses to the textile industry.

“But many haven’t noticed that lots of new jobs are benefiting the state,” he said.

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