I'll break down the industries I singled out there and why they won't be coming back.
Textile milling will not return to the US because it was (and remains) one of the most dangerous industries after deep sea fishing and subsurface mining. Textile mills operate in countries where life is cheap, because fingers and lungs will be lost and there is nothing that can be done automation wise to fix it. That's why it was one of the first industries to LEAVE the US in the post-WW2 world reconstruction.
Consumer electronics assembly happens typically where the injection molding is done. For this, both in the molding and integration, you need CHEAP laborers who are basically dexterous robots. We don't use robots because frankly products change designs often enough that automation isn't worth the effort. The same factory with people can produce multiple devices for multiple brands, with outwardly different shells but the same internals. The people can adapt faster than the machines can be reconfigured.
And in particular, LCD assembly will not come back to the US because it remains hideously toxic and only really feasible in countries with no water pollution standards.
Textiles is here and is growing, the biggest issue is that most of the raw materials are shipped to garment mills in South America for the cheap labor. Increased shipping cost and people willing to stop buying single use underwear and it'll come back full steam.
I'll break down the industries I singled out there and why they won't be coming back.
Textile milling will not return to the US because it was (and remains) one of the most dangerous industries after deep sea fishing and subsurface mining. Textile mills operate in countries where life is cheap, because fingers and lungs will be lost and there is nothing that can be done automation wise to fix it. That's why it was one of the first industries to LEAVE the US in the post-WW2 world reconstruction.
Consumer electronics assembly happens typically where the injection molding is done. For this, both in the molding and integration, you need CHEAP laborers who are basically dexterous robots. We don't use robots because frankly products change designs often enough that automation isn't worth the effort. The same factory with people can produce multiple devices for multiple brands, with outwardly different shells but the same internals. The people can adapt faster than the machines can be reconfigured.
And in particular, LCD assembly will not come back to the US because it remains hideously toxic and only really feasible in countries with no water pollution standards.
Textiles is here and is growing, the biggest issue is that most of the raw materials are shipped to garment mills in South America for the cheap labor. Increased shipping cost and people willing to stop buying single use underwear and it'll come back full steam.