A take on Manufacturing in the US.

[rasmasyean]

Reports of U.S. manufacturing’s death are greatly exaggerated, workers say
"But manufacturing in the United States isn’t dead or even dying. It’s moving upscale, following the biggest profits, and becoming more efficient, just like Henry Ford did when he created the assembly line to make the Model T.

The United States by far remains the world’s leading manufacturer by value of goods produced. It hit a record $1.6 trillion in 2007 — nearly double the $811 billion in 1987. For every $1 of value produced in China’s factories, America generates $2.50."

http://www.finance-commerce.com/article.cfm/2009/02/18/Reports-of-US-manufacturings-death-are-greatly-exaggerated-workers-say

[Desertrat]

Index it for inflation, and it doesn't look all that good, unfortunately.

A real problem is that it's but a tad over 11% of the economy. Not enough of it goes to export, is another problem--which is part of why our balance of payments is so negative.

Further, a major export item is plastics, which derive from oil and natural gas...

[FX120]

Reports of U.S. manufacturing’s death are greatly exaggerated, workers say
"But manufacturing in the United States isn’t dead or even dying. It’s moving upscale, following the biggest profits, and becoming more efficient, just like Henry Ford did when he created the assembly line to make the Model T.

The United States by far remains the world’s leading manufacturer by value of goods produced. It hit a record $1.6 trillion in 2007 — nearly double the $811 billion in 1987. For every $1 of value produced in China’s factories, America generates $2.50."

http://www.finance-commerce.com/article.cfm/2009/02/18/Reports-of-US-manufacturings-death-are-greatly-exaggerated-workers-say

So? There is still a huge trade deficit with our current economy, to the tune of 1 trillion dollars last year.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/26/USTrade1991-2005.png

[Dont Hurt Me]

Macs are made where? end of story. They use to be made in the good old U.S. of A. Today like everything else stamped with Communist China.

[sysiphus]

Macs are made where? end of story. They use to be made in the good old U.S. of A. Today like everything else stamped with Communist China.

I've still got a Powerbook that was made in the USA :) I did my part keeping my $$ in the Americas, at least...just bought a new Arcteryx climbing harness...:)

[mikeyredk]

Heck my company is looking to move 30% of our procurement into mexico for some strange reason… Our plants are in the eastern US coast. There is talk that they might move both factories we have in the US into mexico by 2015. But we will be the last ones in our industry to move out of the US and go into Mexico

[Counterfit]

Macs are made where? end of story. They use to be made in the good old U.S. of A. Today like everything else stamped with Communist China.

Actually, I think most of the computers are made in Taiwan.

[Desertrat]

We priced ourelves out of the world markets, insofar as smokestack-industry products. We've imposed various restrictions on other production such that the profit margins aren't as high as equivalent manufacturers in other countries. Why is it any mystery that we have a balance of payments problem?

We're in debt; China has a surplus. The relative size of the dollar value of manufacturing is irrelevant to our financial situation, as we have created debt much faster than we've sold products.

[Cave Man]

Actually, I think most of the computers are made in Taiwan.

My MBP was made (and shipped by UPS) in Shanghai. I do feel good about my desktop "Mac", it was made in the USA (well, assembled there, anyway :)). Glad to do my part.

We're in debt; China has a surplus. The relative size of the dollar value of manufacturing is irrelevant to our financial situation, as we have created debt much faster than we've sold products.

Let's just hope they don't decide to cash in all those notes they hold.

[rasmasyean]

We priced ourelves out of the world markets, insofar as smokestack-industry products. We've imposed various restrictions on other production such that the profit margins aren't as high as equivalent manufacturers in other countries. Why is it any mystery that we have a balance of payments problem?

We're in debt; China has a surplus. The relative size of the dollar value of manufacturing is irrelevant to our financial situation, as we have created debt much faster than we've sold products.

I think it’s because the US has a large gap between work skills. There’s the really smart people. And the really dumb people. The really smart people make the advanced stuff that most other countries can’t. The really dumb people service the really smart people because you can’t ship these jobs off-shore since geography counts. Everything else the average people CAN do…can be shipped off-shore where they do it for cheaper than the US average people. But US people are lazy so they don’t want to devote the energy to become part of the really smart people even though there is ample opportunity to do so in the US. As a matter of fact, many off-shore really smart people who have more ambition make it to the US and work there (because no one wants US average people to do smart jobs)…and send money back home in many cases too.

So if you only can sell advanced products but not everything else (where most of the market is) what’s going to happen?