Is U.S. Manufacturing Still Viable?

Is American Manufacturing Still Viable?

Good morning machinists —

This week’s feature comes from a post that stirred up a lot of discussion in the MACHINIST community. The question was simple but heavy:

The original poster laid out concerns:

• U.S. wages trending down while jobs shrink

• Government policies that ban competitors instead of competing

• Quality differences between Haas and Chinese/Japanese machines

• Semiconductor projects in Arizona struggling

• And a fear that banning “better” products isn’t a long-term strategy

The comments rolled in — from doom-and-gloom to confident optimism. Here are some of the highlights:

💬 Top Community Reactions

🔧 On innovation:
“Americans have a unique ability to innovate. As soon as offshoring and green policies get reversed, the U.S. will resume its place as a manufacturing powerhouse.”

💰 On trade realities:
“It’s not a free market when your competition has slave labor and currency manipulation.”

🛠️ From experience:
“I retired last year after 49 years as a Tool & Die maker. You won’t get rich, but it’s a good living. Find your niche — whether it’s CNC, dies, or fixtures — there’s more to this trade than pushing buttons.”

🌍 On global competition:
“Our company manufactures in the U.S. and exports all over the world. It can be done, but don’t chase markets that governments already control. Machine tools are gone — I doubt they’ll come back.”

📜 Policy idea:
“Certify factories like Fairtrade. Non-certified imports get hit with tariffs that fund U.S. manufacturing incentives.”

⚖️ On regulation:
“We safety and EPA-regulated the stellar industry out of the country. Now we don’t even have the foundries to supply what we need. Meanwhile, China and India pollute and ship us steel.”

📚 On training:
“The U.S. needs to invest in schools, shop classes, and scholarships. Build the industrial base from the bottom up. It’s vital for national security.”

🤖 On AI and automation:
“AI isn’t replacing skilled machinists anytime soon. Robots still need humans. Skilled trades will stay strong — it’s the button pushers who should be worried.”

🇺🇸 On the future:
“What we aren’t going to do is lay down. The U.S. made mistakes by offshoring, but don’t count us out. We can still innovate and compete.”

📝 Editor’s Note

Manufacturing in America has always been a story of ups and downs — from Singer sewing machines to today’s semiconductor plants. The comments this week reminded us: some see decline, some see resilience, and some see opportunity.

The big takeaway? Don’t underestimate the machinists and makers in this community.

hirecnc

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