In this past decade an increasing number of Americans are discussing whether or not we rely on too much foreign manufacturing and what we should focus on instead. Americans are split between the opinions of either focusing on American-based manufacturing and leaving out foreign products or using foreign goods and relying on innovation and technology.

As a country we should not rely on foreign manufacturing and instead should focus on American manufacturing to create a steadier economy and to help in creating more jobs.

When America relies on foreign products we allow our economy to be in the hands of others. When we supply our own economy it protects us from international economic downfalls and political disruptions. As America is supported by foreign manufacturing it further makes it harder to become self-sufficient, which creates the risk of weak manufacturing capability. It weakens America by making us vulnerable to everything from stock market changes to trade blocs and natural disasters. Currently,  America relies on China for many products such as medicines and face masks. Recently China has threatened the U.S. with withholding products such as medicine which can become a big concern in the long run. Overall this risks the safety of the economy which also risks the safety of the nation.

Instead of focusing on technology and allowing foreign countries to control our manufacturing we should rely on American manufacturing and the benefits it brings. One of the first things that American manufacturing does is it allows for jobs to become more readily available, specifically in the manufacturing sector, which are good middle-class jobs for millions of Americans. This increase in jobs broadens and strengthens the middle class which further benefits the entire economy. U.S. manufacturing also covers a broad range of jobs that are quite different from the usual image of manufacturing. These are much higher skilled service jobs such as accountants, bankers and lawyers. All of these jobs are critical to America’s development and growth and without these jobs America could lag behind other countries’ technology. The problem today is that with most of the basic manufacturing in other countries breaks the chain of command from low to high, worker to CEO. To maintain this connection, companies need to move higher-skill jobs to where they do their manufacturing and with those jobs goes American leadership in technology and innovation. This is why it is critical to have manufacturing be based in America.

The opposing view believes that we do not rely on foreign products and instead should focus on technology and research instead. Research and technology do not have to be separated from American manufacturing, and I even believe that both are connected. With manufacturing in America it allows for more of the higher skilled jobs to stay in America working with manufacturers, which leads up to more innovation and technology, compared to if we stopped focusing on American manufacturing the people that research and improve our country would all be moved to get closer to where their company is manufacturing. This inevitably leads to a brain drain of the country.

Whether it is for the safety of the nation or for the well-being of Americans we should rely more on America manufacturing and less on foreign  goods.