Patriotic or Ethical?

Apple was thrust into the news recently thanks to a post on X from President Donald Trump. The post stated that he will be slapping a 25% tariff on iPhones that are manufactured outside the United States. He specifically named India as a possibility for where the iPhones will possibly be manufactured instead of in the United States. The president's motives are likely economical, but could it be more than that? Is there an ethical argument to be made against using cheap labor in foreign countries to manufacture products at a cheaper price? Often these large companies such as Apple or Nike are the first ones to lecture others on equality and other social justice causes, while they are taking advantage of cheap or slave labor in foreign countries to have their products made cheaply.

Many of Nike's products are made in China, who has a horrendous civil rights record. China has a reputation for using slave labor in many of its manufacturing plants. Workers in India are likely not being paid a livable wage either. It seems hypocritical for companies to feign concern for human rights when their labor force is treated with subpar working conditions. Maybe that saves the American consumer money on the final price tag for some of these goods, but at what price? There are undoubtedly positives to providing more Americans with jobs here in our own country as opposed to outsourcing them.