Automation is similar to outsourcing, in that you have a black box that you put in $.20 of resources and get out an item with no US labor. Even if you can solve the issues with outsourcing that probably doesn't help the majority of the problem.
The other thing with tariffs is if you put tariffs on steel that hurts automakers (since foreign ones have cheaper steel). You can then put tariffs on cars, everything, but then everybody puts tariffs on you. Also things like computers are more expensive which might hurt productivity. Most economists don't seem to think the whole thing is worth it, and there's countries like Brazil that do big tariffs and it doesn't seem to help them any.
Without tariffs, you can pick between work not being done here, or a race to the bottom against dictatorships and oligarchies that have no concern for the welfare of their citizens.
We're currently pursuing option #1, but neither one sounds fantastic to me.
It can happen here, if you break with neo-liberal economic dogma, and institute equalization tariffs on imports.