Manufacturing

A study of 15 manufacturing industries across 18 European nations from 2011 to 2019 found that a 10 percent increase in robot density resulted in a 0.07 percent reduction in fatalities and a 1.96 percent decrease in injuries.

A new study finds the U.S. share of global manufacturing will fall to 11 percent by 2030, while China’s will increase to 45 percent.

Yes, U.S. manufacturing grew over the last four years, but as a share of GDP it got smaller, not larger. But the real issue is what happens to advanced, dual-use sectors like semiconductors and computing, machinery and equipment, biopharmaceuticals, aerospace and motor vehicles—industries China is now running away with at America’s expense.

The growth of business R&D spending from 2018 to 2022 was quite uneven, with nonmanufacturing industries’ growth rate far exceeding that of manufacturing industries. For the United States to successfully compete with China, most industries need to be strong in innovation, which requires robust R&D increases. Congress must pass pro-innovation tax reforms.

Reviving U.S. semiconductor manufacturing requires targeted solutions—not broad tariffs that raise costs and hinder global competitiveness.

The UK government needs to make a choice: competitiveness and growth or heavy-handed regulation in the service of social policy. It can have one but not both.

U.S. manufacturing productivity has been in decline for more than a decade. If policymakers don’t do more to turn that around, real wages will stagnate and U.S. manufacturers will increasingly find themselves at a competitive disadvantage.

Watch now for a conversation detailing the effect and importance of Manufacturing USA, and emphasizing the importance of sustained investment in the program to policymakers.

China accounted for 35 percent of global manufacturing as of 2023. The United States and Western allies should launch a global competition to establish competing manufacturing hubs in countries that commit to reforming restrictive regulations, reducing corruption, boosting skill development, and ensuring adequate financial incentives and infrastructure.

Congress and the administration should establish a joint global manufacturing hub competition for the United States and allies to find alternatives to manufacturing in China.