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How come this doesn't match my experience as a customer? When I buy an iPhone, a vacuum (robotic or handheld), a drone, a camera, a KitchenAid kettle, a silico

How come this doesn't match my experience as a customer? When I buy an iPhone, a vacuum (robotic or handheld), a drone, a camera, a KitchenAid kettle, a silicone brush, an electric fan, a battery-electric drill, just about anything really -- the expensive models might say "designed in USA" but they'll still say "made in China". The US used to be the go-to place to make all of these categories of products. So I don't believe the only thing that's happened is that American factories set up robots, laid off the workers, and got more productive than ever.

nostrademons 1y ago
If you are a customer, it is almost by definition "low-value manufacturing", because you have only one household's worth of money to spend, and not a Fortune 500 company's or nation-state's budget to spend. If you're buying jet engines or nuclear reactors or jet fighters, they are probably made in the U.S. (I probably erred in choosing "consumer electronics" as an example, because most of those are made abroad. Even so, there are some surprises: I just bought a brand-new Toyota Sienna manufactured in Indiana, and a System76 Thelio workstation manufactured in Colorado.)
- mitthrowaway2 1y ago
  Are jet engines and nuclear reactors really being made in lights-out automated production lines? I struggle to believe that the production quantities are anywhere near high enough to justify that. (Automobiles probably could be, except for their powerful labour unions; automobile production has been highly automated since the 30s.)
  - phil21 1y ago
    It's a nonsensical argument as you've discovered. It's due to the dollar value of things. And yes, jet engines are about as bespoke as you can get - incredibly man-hours intensive and it reflects in the price. As some point folks will discover that dollars do not actually equal physical goods. Exporting 100 F35s at $100m/ea is not the same value to a country under duress as the capability to manufacture $10B of random consumer goods. Nevermind the supply chain of that F35 is not remotely contained to domestic manufacturing. It's hand-wavy financialization of America speak.
- cameldrv 1y ago
  Guess what. China is making nuclear reactors and jet engines now. It’s the absolute classic Clayton Christensen situation with countries instead of companies. The incumbent retreats upmarket until they have ceded the entire thing.
inferiorhuman 1y ago
You'd have to check specific models but for most of the existence of DSLRs China's been a bit player. High end bodies and lenses are typically still made in Japan, low end stuff got moved to Thailand and Taiwan. If you're buying jet engines Less efficient stuff is absolutely made in China and Russia. But high end engines for e.g. airliners are pretty much only made in the US and UK/France.
csomar 1y ago
Our consumption has massively increased since the 2000s. Production output has remained constant. Someone else was pumping these goods.

nostrademons 1y ago

If you are a customer, it is almost by definition "low-value manufacturing", because you have only one household's worth of money to spend, and not a Fortune 500 company's or nation-state's budget to spend. If you're buying jet engines or nuclear reactors or jet fighters, they are probably made in the U.S. (I probably erred in choosing "consumer electronics" as an example, because most of those are made abroad. Even so, there are some surprises: I just bought a brand-new Toyota Sienna manufactured in Indiana, and a System76 Thelio workstation manufactured in Colorado.)

mitthrowaway2 1y ago
Are jet engines and nuclear reactors really being made in lights-out automated production lines? I struggle to believe that the production quantities are anywhere near high enough to justify that. (Automobiles probably could be, except for their powerful labour unions; automobile production has been highly automated since the 30s.)
- phil21 1y ago
  It's a nonsensical argument as you've discovered. It's due to the dollar value of things. And yes, jet engines are about as bespoke as you can get - incredibly man-hours intensive and it reflects in the price. As some point folks will discover that dollars do not actually equal physical goods. Exporting 100 F35s at $100m/ea is not the same value to a country under duress as the capability to manufacture $10B of random consumer goods. Nevermind the supply chain of that F35 is not remotely contained to domestic manufacturing. It's hand-wavy financialization of America speak.
cameldrv 1y ago
Guess what. China is making nuclear reactors and jet engines now. It’s the absolute classic Clayton Christensen situation with countries instead of companies. The incumbent retreats upmarket until they have ceded the entire thing.

inferiorhuman 1y ago

You'd have to check specific models but for most of the existence of DSLRs China's been a bit player. High end bodies and lenses are typically still made in Japan, low end stuff got moved to Thailand and Taiwan. If you're buying jet engines Less efficient stuff is absolutely made in China and Russia. But high end engines for e.g. airliners are pretty much only made in the US and UK/France.

csomar 1y ago

Our consumption has massively increased since the 2000s. Production output has remained constant. Someone else was pumping these goods.