Editor’s Note: Michael Stumo is CEO of the Coalition for a Prosperous America (CPA). Follow him at @michael_stumo
As the toll from the COVID-19 pandemic mounts, more and more Americans are saying the same thing: “We need to bring manufacturing back from China.”
[Michael Stumo | May 1, 2020 | News-Press]
This makes sense, given the tremendous disruption caused by the coronavirus. Medical supplies are on hold, since China is keeping face masks and other equipment for their own use. Medications are delayed, because America’s drug compounds are sourced from China. And we have a shortage of hospital ventilators. The list goes on.
The United States has become incredibly reliant on overseas producers for everything from antibiotics, vitamins, and auto parts to computers, steel, and military equipment. And our health is at risk because we don’t even produce face masks, face shields, and hospital gowns. The transferring of our factories overseas has eliminated roughly 5 million good-paying manufacturing jobs over the past 20 years. And now we’re seeing the end result — an over-dependence on imports to sustain a safe standard of living.
Americans are right to be troubled by this dependence — since China’s strategy to dominate global manufacturing is now harming our national security, healthcare, and economic well being. And we’re justifiably angry with Beijing’s deceitful behavior at the onset of the pandemic. All of this paints a picture of an aggressive competitor intent on eroding America’s prosperity and global leadership.
What’s encouraging, however, is that the United States holds the power to rebuild industries that once made our nation prosperous and self-reliant. And the key to restoring our economy is bringing back the critical manufacturing needed in the 21st Century — everything from steel and renewable energy systems to medical supplies, pharmaceuticals, and wireless technologies.
