Did you mean "not greater" because otherwise I don't know what you're trying to say here...
Maybe inarticulately stated...
We can produce all the stuff we'd demand... the products we'd demand and the services, etc... But, we'd still have to import to meet the volume we'd demand. We'd have to be careful about Alternative consumption demands where imports have a comparative advantage over some group of alternatives cuz we'd then see a move away from our stuff to their stuff or thing. I don't think we have an advantage currently over a China or Mexican entity nor will we in the near term... We need to not only get manufacturing up but also get the marginal cost in line with imported goods... to do this currently we'd need to tariff to that number...
I don't know about today, but, a few years ago I did an exhaustive analysis considering the up and coming economic 'threats' we'd face given NAFTA and all the other Trade treaties... I saw what I thought was the Plan. Considering only China, that plan considered there'd be quite a few relative efficiencies favoring the US while China had many Comparative Advantages. My thinking was that should produce a rather small trade surplus to China. It ought to also allow them to move into other markets where the US also competes but that it should take a while and we'd be able to sustain that IF we didn't start or participate in a global recession... that would shift the advantage across the board to China and any other entity who could manage their cost structure while playing with their currency.
I felt it was NOT a risk worth taking... the downside had no hand holes to climb back up fast enough and the upside seemed to benefit everyone else but the US... The old equilibrium of the World equation... Peace among the Economic participants... everyone...
Clinton and the idiots in Congress pushed for it... and Me and Perot and maybe twenty other people said... Don thee now our gay life jackets... this boat is about to sink.... The first major bubble to burst was the Info Tech... but everyone got into that bubble ... lots of air in there... and what happened before and during our heyday... China and the rest of the Asian community started to make our stuff cheaper given they 'stole' our invested technology and much lower cost structure. A massive Comparative Advantage. Then boom and we have hardly anyone producing in the US what became their economies of scale and our unemployed tech makers... Not all but many. And that is only one sector.
I'll Tell you a funny story...
As I spouted off about what I saw about to happen I was met with all manner of negative comments to the point where I was thought to be the village idiot... (rightly or wrongly) but, I was challenged to sit for this CMA exam thingi... But, I had to do it cold... no prep.. That exam was touted to be the most difficult testing of Financial and Economic knowledge... Assuming one could not regurgitate from an MBA and DBA experience...
So I sat for this test and did quite well... My peers and students who were involved then decided that the test MUST have gotten much easier... but I got Certificate # 018226 for my trouble at least...
And WE got years and years of Trade deficits... I may not have been completely right on every element but right enough I'd think... And here we are today... Bursting bubbles with folks on one side yelling for less regulation to enable the greed motive to sink folks and folks on the other side yelling at the janitor's mop that spilled a bit of water on the shinny brass door that they just shined.
So... In conclusion, I just simply don't care to see Americans starve or enjoy a significant reduction to their standard of living to ensure a Peaceful world... We can ensure Peace a few ways. But, in my opinion, and in the short term (50 years) I see not other way but to move toward isolation both financially and otherwise. The roll of government is to provide the means for all citizens to enjoy those Rights and this current way ain't handling it.