Re:America Is Losing the Shoe Race with China
by JumpCrisscross on Saturday June 15, 2024 @01:08PM
(#40691025)
> how come US can make mass market commodity tooth brushes and plastic coffee makers locally considering the high wages but we pretend it's not possible?
America’s advantages are deep, risk-taking capital markets and cheap energy. Our hurdles are high labour costs and stricter-than-China environmental rules.
Our advantage against China is in energy and scale-intensive production that can be automated and done cleanly. This applies to most extrusion methods, which make cheap goods. It also applies to heavy machinery, which is why we make lots of big engines and electric motors.
America’s advantages are deep, risk-taking capital markets and cheap energy. Our hurdles are high labour costs and stricter-than-China environmental rules.
Our advantage against China is in energy and scale-intensive production that can be automated and done cleanly. This applies to most extrusion methods, which make cheap goods. It also applies to heavy machinery, which is why we make lots of big engines and electric motors.