Reshoring Must Be Our Top Priority

Quality pros are key to helping U.S. workers earn high wages while maintaining lower prices, higher profits

The current national controversy over the need for a mandatory high minimum wage is but a symptom of a much larger underlying problem: the offshoring of American manufacturing capability.

Offshoring ruined Spain and Portugal during the 16th century, and it is similarly a clear and present danger not only to the American worker’s standard of living but also to the national security of the United States. The good news is, however, that the quality and manufacturing professions are ideally positioned to help the United States reshore its manufacturing capability, using simple principles that predate the quality profession and industrial statistics.

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Comments

Bring manufacturing back to the USA

Very interesting, expansive article. Thank you. I agree that the USA should do everything possible to bring manufacturing back to the USA as soon as possible. It's frightening to think of the "buying up America" actions by China and other countries - to which there is little push back. In addition, the control China has over our country's medical supplies, medicine, etc. is truly disturbing. The direction that our country is leaning politically may be a deterrent to bringing manufacturing back to the USA as we look over the brink at socialism. We need strong leadership again for the USA to regain its footing internationally. Your concern, research, and thoughts are appreciated. Hopefully, it reaches the people who can take the necessary actions.

Bringing back to OnSHore

The concept of bring int back home is interesting, but assuming all the nations start following it? Then where would be the market for the produce? When we talk of a nation, compare it with an industry - to how far should one go with its vertical integration? All the way to ore extraction? Since every step could choke its inputs. What an Induatry, and nation, does it find reliable partners and create w win-win situation for both so that the supply-chain partner can't afford to ditch us, nor can we afford to ditch them. Overnationalism only harms on long term, as the market for produces dry up.

We have reliable trading partners

We have plenty of reliable trading partners, and Canada and the EU come to mind along with Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, and India that have not made overt threats to cripple our supply chains and have not condoned the sale to us of counterfeit and substandard semiconductors and active pharmaceutical ingredients. (Counterfeit and substandard parts are admittedly sold by businesses in some of these countries and also our own, but legal remedies are readily at hand. The PRC, on the other hand, seems to condone it.) While the PRC has large reserves of rare earths, we have our own deposits as well.

Also, I do not think the PRC is buying much from us in the way of manufactured goods. They want to buy raw materials and sell us manufactured goods, often of poor quality, which is exactly the relationship between a colonial master and its colonies, e.g. the UK and the Thirteen Colonies long ago. As matters stand, we are running a trade deficit with them. https://ustr.gov/countries-regions/china-mongolia-taiwan/peoples-republ… That is not the kind of relationship we need.