I don't see their comment as hopeless, but more as a necessary shift of target. We can demand all we want, but as long as we can't survive without them, we have no leverage. Punish businesses for violations in their supply chain and make them move production back home. Only then can you start demanding.

Orange Man tried to skip the first step and you see how well that worked...

Why call it a shift of target?

If I have to get groceries, but to do that I have to put on my shoes first, is that then a shift of target?

We just have to make sure that in X years, the trade agreements have been updated. We can leave the rest to the politicians.

Because trade agreements are simply the wrong target. Even without a trade agreement with China, companies would still use Chinese parts if it were cheaper. Through things like blatant tax evasion, countless privacy violations and the like, companies have shown that they value money over absolutely everything, including the law.

We can put whatever we want in the trade agreements and it won't matter. But if the companies are held accountable for their supply chain through high fines and things like even license suspensions, they will work to solve the problem because it's in their interest.