Bringing back U.S. manufacturing jobs would take 'years, if not decades'

The U.S. produces domestic clothing on a smaller
scale. (Hybrid Storytellers photo, Unsplash)

Part of the driving force behind President Donald Trump's far-reaching tariffs is to push American businesses and consumers to make and purchase U.S.-manufactured goods. While American production and purchasing appeals to many Americans, the question remains: Is America up to the task?

"In many industries, the undertaking would take years, if not decades. The United States lacks nearly every part of the manufacturing ecosystem — the workers, the training, the technology and the government support," reports Alexandra Stevenson of The New York Times.

Trump's made in America push opens up a bigger trade discussion about where products are made vs. where they are sold. The logistical and financial effort required to re-shore all the moving parts, which are often produced across the globe, would present a challenge.

Sailex, a fabric and clothing manufacturer, is an example. The company has a jean-making facility in Los Angeles that produces roughly 70,000 pairs of pants per month. But that comes with a tradeoff. Stevenson explains, "The operation works only because Saitex runs a much bigger factory and fabric mill in southern Vietnam where thousands of workers churn out 500,000 pairs of jeans a month."

Sailex owner Sanjeev Bahl believes the U.S. "can make stuff again . . . . But his experience highlights how hard it would be," Stevenson reports. "There are no mills in America on the scale of what the industry needs, nor major zipper and button suppliers. The cost of running a factory is high. Then there is the labor problem: There just aren’t enough workers."

If the U.S. wants to revive its manufacturing powerhouse status, that goal "would have to include immigrants seeking that same opportunity in the United States," Stevenson explains. "At Saitex’s Los Angeles factory, most of the workers come from countries like Mexico, Guatemala and El Salvador."

Even if the U.S. could find enough workers, the cost of labor is a barrier. Stevenson reports, "It is hard to make things in great volume in America. . . .For Bahl, it boils down to the cost of a sewing machine operator. In Los Angeles, that person gets paid around $4,000 a month. In Vietnam, it is $500."