Policymakers in Washington have rediscovered the importance of making things. But what should we make?

A second, more formidable, hurdle will be the dramatic U.S.-Japan trade imbalance in the auto sector. In 2010, Detroit exported 14,000 cars and light trucks to Japan, while Japanese automakers shipped 1.5 million units to the United States. Japan imposes no tariffs on imported cars. So elimination of duties in a TPP agreement would be of no help to American automakers hoping to sell more vehicles there.

Chrysler Group LLC today reported U.S. sales of 127,334, a 27 percent increase compared with sales in September 2010 (100,077 units), and the best September sales since 2007.