Some American scholars say the US's industrial base is eroding. Such claims however, which have long weighted heavily on ties between China and the US, are not true.
US manufacturing is not decreasing. On the contrary, it has been increasing steadily for decades, even after the financial crisis of 2008.
Domestic manufacturing in the US has been growing since 1947. Although there was a rapid rise in China's manufacturing in the 1990s, US manufacturing also grew quickly at that time. That US manufacturing jobs have been declining since 2000 has less to do with the growth of other countries' manufacturing sectors than with advances in factory automation.
Yet, "progressive" politicians continue to blame China for stealing the US factory and assembly jobs, although they always avoid mentioning automation.
The US is the third largest exporter in the world, exporting mostly high value-added, high profit items; while China exports T-shirts and shoes.
