system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: Why do we not tariff companies who outsource their manufacturing overseas?

The United States has had a long standing problem with losing jobs from American companies sending their manufacturing overseas. Why do we not charge those same companies tariffs equal to the difference in cost of labor?

I'm under the belief that if we did, most likely, these companies would increase the costs of their products to cover the tariffs received by outsourcing labor, however by increasing costs, consumers in America would no longer purchase the products with these new prices over a comparable product made here in the United States; thus losing the business of the American Consumer, and in turn be more motivated to return manufacturing to the United States.
gpt
Under this proposal, foreign companies who manufacture their products abroad and sell within the USA would then quickly become the cheapest option. This would mean many American companies would lose their competitive edge against foreign companies, and most of them would go bankrupt, leading to a lot of job losses. Some might be able to switch to a 'local manufacturing, high standards!' sort of appeal/niche, but that won't work for everybody. 

You could start blocking foreign companies, but then you are really starting to step on toes when it comes to the whole world wide free trading thing, and you might start getting backlash across the world with American products then getting high tariffs when they want to export to foreign countries.

Meanwhile most consumers will just see the cheaper prices and be 'fuck it, we want those'. A lot of people are quick to yell about 'omg our jerbs' but when push comes to shove, they do not back up that yelling with their wallet. So it wouldn't necessarily be a popular measure either.