Western US States might benefit from the reemergence of
Asia-Pacific as the center of global economic activities:
Economist Noah Smith notes:
“So it stands to
reason that increasing economic ties with Asia, relative to Europe, would
translate into a shift in population, investment and wealth from the East Coast
and Midwest to the West. How far that process goes depends on whether current
trends in Europe and East Asia continue. But with political paralysis in the
European Union, and with China and Southeast Asia still having lots of catch-up
growth to do, it seems like a good bet that California, Oregon and Washington
will enjoy healthy economic tailwinds for years to come. The East Coast,
meanwhile, will probably be nudged by geographic transitions to focus on
industries less sensitive to trade-- health care, for example.”