Trump suits and ties are made in China
Donald Trump criticizes companies like Ford and Apple for manufacturing products outside the United States. He even threatened to stop eating Oreo cookies after he learned that part of the production would move to Mexico.
But Trump does not do the same. Many of his products are made outside the United States. Most Donald J. Trump ties are made in China, while some suits are also made in China.
Donald J. Trump brand shirts are made in China, Bangladesh or "imported", which means they were made abroad.
And it's not just Donald Trump's products. Robert Lawrence, a Harvard professor and trade expert, analyzed more than 800 products from Ivanka Trump's fashion line. There are shoes, dresses, bags and scarves. Everything is "imported".
The top five countries from which the United States imports clothing are China (by far the leader), India, Vietnam, Pakistan, and Mexico.
"In a recent debate Marco Rubio mentioned ties. But ties made in China are just the tip of the iceberg," says Lawrence, who was chairman of Bill Clinton's Council of Financial Advisers.
Lawrence found that none of Ivanka Trump's clothing line appeared to be made exclusively in the United States and that 345 items are listed as "made in China."
Trump does not dispute this.
"I talk about my ties in speeches. I'm outspoken. I say my ties are often made in China," Trump told CNN's Jake Tapper in July.
"It's very difficult to have clothing made in this country," Trump said.
The issue is receiving renewed scrutiny as Trump becomes the undisputed leader of the Republican race for the presidential nomination, and because trade is a key issue in the 2016 campaign.
"I want to see the day in the not-too-distant future when Apple builds its phones in this country," Trump said at a recent campaign event in Portland, Maine.
Trump said he will "do the biggest business deals ever made in our country."
He wants to put tariffs on Chinese and Mexican goods like clothing that come to the United States to level the playing field and return jobs to the middle class. He says the tax could be between 35% and 45%.
Economists warn that this could start a trade war and that this could cause a recession. China and Mexico and other potential nations could respond by taxing US products and services. He would also make the products more expensive for Americans themselves.
Even a 25% tariff would cause a Trump two-piece suit to jump in price from $ 150 to $ 188.
