Does Donald Trump have a long record of exporting jobs?

On his first campaign trip to Wisconsin as Hillary Clinton’s running mate, Tim Kaine was introduced at a Milwaukee brewery by U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, who drew contrasts between the Democratic ticket and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.

"I know with Tim Kaine as vice president and Hillary Clinton in the White House, we will have partners bringing the focus back on good-paying jobs for all Americans," Baldwin said on Aug. 5, 2016, the same day Trump visited Green Bay.

"Now, while Donald trump has a long history of exporting jobs overseas, I know that Tim Kaine and Hillary Clinton will bring back good-paying jobs right here to Milwaukee. They will crack down on countries that cheat, like China. We need a vice president and a president who will go to bat for Wisconsin businesses, not look to send more jobs overseas."

Does Trump have a long record of exporting jobs overseas?

Creating jobs overseas rather than in the United States -- yes.

Moving existing U.S. jobs overseas -- no.

Made over there

Let’s begin by noting Trump has employed many people in the United States. (CNNMoney put the figure at 34,000.) He serves as an executive for more than 500 companies; his Trump Organization owns a portfolio of buildings, hotels and golf courses in the United States (and around the world).

But he also sells many Trump-label products that are made overseas, as shown by three previous fact checks by our partners, and by our own online browsing.

Trump cuff links, sport coats, shirts, eyeglasses, lamps, mirrors and neckties are made in China. Some of the ties are also made in Indonesia and Vietnam and some of the shirts in Bangladesh. Trump suits are made in Mexico, India and China.

Trump vodka, distilled in the Netherlands. Furniture, made in Turkey. And his crystal barware, made in Slovenia (the home country of his wife, Melania).

But when Clinton said Trump "doesn't make a thing in America," PolitiFact Pennsylvania’s rating was False. His campaign gear, some of his and other Trump-brand products, including bedding, cologne, Trump Natural Spring Water and Trump Wine are made in the United States.

And PunditFact in October 2015 rated as Pants on Fire a claim that Trump’s iconic campaign hats are made in China (they’re made in America).

The rest of the claim

Featured Fact-check

Eric Hovde

stated on October 3, 2024 in X, formerly Twitter

"FEMA is out of money and doesn't have money to transfer to those people affected by the hurricane ... they used the money to assist illegal immigrants."

As for the rest of Baldwin’s claim, Trump did decide to have some of his products manufactured overseas, rather than in America.

As the Washington Post reported, Trump in 2004 signed a deal with Phillips-Van Heusen, a manufacturer of affordable shirts. It was one of the first of many merchandise-licensing arrangements in which he attached his name to products made by foreign workers and sold in the United States. (PVH said in 2015 it was dropping the Trump line.)

But it’s misleading to say he exported jobs, in that it’s not as though he created those jobs in the United States and then moved them overseas.

Trump has complained that China manipulates its currency, making it more expensive to make products outside of China.

Our rating

Baldwin said Trump "has a long history of exporting jobs overseas."

For more than a decade, Trump-brand products such as his clothing have been made overseas, although those were jobs that were created overseas, not U.S. jobs that were moved.

We rate Baldwin’s statement Half True.