cuidad juarez mexico u.s. presidential candidates routinely criticize free-trade deal blame loss american job tweak north american free trade agreement nafta hillary clinton pledge rip donald trump demand may nothing help company like element electronics corp own america last television factory winnsboro south carolina-based element television industry broadly offer window complexity industrial supply chain illustrate push manufacture job back unite state difficult element plant south carolina nearly identical rival factory operate taiwanese conglomerate tatung company sit dusty back street mexican border town import nearly components asia part often flow southern california port 's big costly difference mexican plant sit border el paso texas n't pay duty part even finish televisions sell unite state element 's factory foot tariff bill make televisions expensive graphic trade loophole click tmsnrt.rs/2ep5qmy pretty crazy disadvantage use u.s. labor say michael shaughnessy element president sentiment trump republican nominee forcefully tap make case radically revamp trade deal would level play field bring job back many trade experts though say would costly disaster try unravel production network essentially treat mexico 51st state peterson institute international economics washington think tank favor free trade release study last month predict impose stiff tariff mexico china would disrupt north american producers create global supply chain push unite state recession tv industry characterize particularly dense web cross-border supply chain mexico china say marcus noland economist direct study chaos trade war even many oppose nafta acknowledge would disruptive suddenly erect barriers give way company shift supply chain integrate mexico nafta implement 1994 forge common market unite state mexico canada response many industries include television manufacture transform create supply chain crisscross border televisions produce unite state elsewhere hundreds part often tuck elaborate wooden case modern flat screen contrast relatively part 70 percent value pack glass electronics integrate directly panel heart industry include core glass technology production base asia half tvs import u.s. come mexico say paul gagnon expert industry supply chain ihs markit economic research firm main reason producers respond quickly fluctuations demand say tv sales highly seasonal spike late year mexico factories double workforce months respond gagnon doubt job would come back unite state margins tvs low major cost increase mexico probably see shift asia production rather see production happen u.s. mexican plant mold plastic case task assembly process many case include element tatung plant assembly plant mostly finish touch like insert print circuit board tune units create relatively job compare kind television manufacture do u.s. industry heyday 1950s 150 domestic television manufacturers unite state employment peak 100,000 1960s mexico cost advantage unite state formidable shaughnessy say pay 200 workers operate convert shirt factory 15 hour pay juarez plant 2.50 hour even edge get hard work mexico say chan-hsing diao manager tatung plant tatung sell televisions name rather pay manufacturers assemble name-brand products industry consolidate cost pressure enormous say note last six years amount pay assemble 32-inch television fall half unit unit profit say hold two finger almost touch tatung plant juarez occupy cavernous space windshield factory feature long assembly line televisions produce 15 million tvs last seven years diao say 13 million sell unite state january company lose main customer chinese tv manufacturer diao decline identify tatung scramble find new manufacturer want build tvs unite state meantime continue assemble tvs mexico latin american market diao warn would trade war new u.s. administration tear nafta agreement profit already tight mexico many chinese producers might find easy ship finish goods directly asia rather move production job unite state say shaughnessy part say want get break import duties mexico get nafta decision build unite state say drive entirely customer u.s. plant wal-mart use element centerpiece campaign promote domestic manufacture south carolina tvs ship box emblazon american flag bear word assemble usa shaughnessy appeal tariff exemption local congressman rep. mick mulvaney republican mulvaney say sympathetic unable win many fellow lawmakers consider special exemptions form earmark special interest many oppose principle element make clear real world implications trade deal sign say mulvaney add time review nafta iron loopholes back juarez annual ramp-up hire way tatung plant supply surge televisions buy holiday employment tatung go low 280 year instance way 600 diao say could never america least easily say refer cycle hire fire large number must see tv gutting nafta unlikely create u.s. job