On-shoring-Manufacturing Jobs moving back to US

http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/2 ... 4_CV_N.htm

This is some good news for a change. The reason: Higher Chinese labor and shipping costs, and quality.

"A small but growing band of U.S. manufacturers — including giants such as General Electric (GE), NCR (NCR) and Caterpillar (CAT)— are turning the seemingly inexorable offshoring movement on its head, bringing some production to the U.S. from far-flung locations such as China. Others that were buying components overseas are switching to U.S. suppliers."

Joe wrote: www.usatoday.com/money/economy/2010-08-0...facturing04_CV_N.htm

This is some good news for a change. The reason: Higher Chinese labor and shipping costs, and quality.

"A small but growing band of U.S. manufacturers — including giants such as General Electric (GE), NCR (NCR) and Caterpillar (CAT)— are turning the seemingly inexorable offshoring movement on its head, bringing some production to the U.S. from far-flung locations such as China. Others that were buying components overseas are switching to U.S. suppliers."

I wouldn't assume this is all good news. My brother is a senior exec with one of those companies and according to him the reason they are moving some operations back onshore has more to do with weak demand and concern about a possibly protracted economic downturn and disruptions or shortages in fuel supplies than it does with America becoming better able to "compete" in the global market.

I have always felt that we needed to regain some of our manufacturing jobs. I for one never bought into the 'this is good for the country to offshore manufacturing' BS.

Someday Americans will realize mfg jobs have moved around the global for a long time in search of better wages. Recall our textile industry? Do you think it just happened to boom in the US 200 years ago? At this time we were the low cost and high production part of the world.

Our economy has been moving away from mfg to a service based economy for at least 2 decades.

Love it or hate it, in 50 years the US won't be the top dog and we will be 2nd chair to India and China.

I happen to think you're quite right, Billy. India and China both have up-and-growing automotive manufacturing, along with IT, and the US seems to keep providing them (and other countries) with the Higher Education necessary to return and compete against us. For the short-term, it's good to hear some jobs are moving back to the US. I, for one, continue to be highly dissatisfied with Qwest, in particular, for outsourcing so much of their IT work to New Delhi and Manila.

I hope this holds, but I worry cap n' trade will screw over the big energy consumers like autmotive and durable goods builders.

China is losing jobs both to the US and to lower wage states like Vietnam. Plus their population has peaked and they are rapidly aging. I do wonder if the Chinese Politburo will end the draconian one-child rules. Already coastal factories are having to raise wages to prevent strikes and labor shortages.

And don't forget that China can control their currency valuation to their advantage when needed. If the laborers get out of line too much, the military will crack down.

Just a note - new TV show will be premiering called "OUTSOURCING" - the humorous side of millions of Americans losing their jobs.