[PFRobinson]

There are a WHOLE LOT of ships anchored offshore, waiting to dock in China, due to that country’s lunatic Zero-Covid policy. The supply chain problems are probably going to get a whole lot worse before they get better.

​

My thought is that this will ultimately be another self-inflicted injury, spurring a new renaissance in U.S. manufacturing industries. It will take time to spin up, but I’ll bet you a lot of U.S.-based entrepreneurial types are already putting domestic manufacturing plans together. Local regulations encouraging manufacturing and transportation would be very helpful right about now. For example, red counties should be passing ordinances expediting permits for new manufacturing operations.
If you want to do something to help locally, lobby your county commission to pass new rules encouraging manufacturing and transportation industries.

 

[travwill]

There are a WHOLE LOT of ships anchored offshore, waiting to dock in China, due to that country’s lunatic Zero-Covid policy. The supply chain problems are probably going to get a whole lot worse before they get better.

​

My thought is that this will ultimately be another self-inflicted injury, spurring a new renaissance in U.S. manufacturing industries. It will take time to spin up, but I’ll bet you a lot of U.S.-based entrepreneurial types are already putting domestic manufacturing plans together. Local regulations encouraging manufacturing and transportation would be very helpful right about now. For example, red counties should be passing ordinances expediting permits for new manufacturing operations.
If you want to do something to help locally, lobby your county commission to pass new rules encouraging manufacturing and transportation industries.

China's testing its economic warfare. The Shanghai lockdowns make no sense in an environment where they don't acknowledge their vaccine, etc.

We should see an American resurgence of manufacturing if Dems don't make business too expensive in the US due to tax rates they want, increased regulations/penalties, etc. That will always override where things are done it seems.

 

[Tom E-Tron]

China's testing its economic warfare. The Shanghai lockdowns make no sense in an environment where they don't acknowledge their vaccine, etc.

We should see an American resurgence of manufacturing if Dems don't make business too expensive in the US due to tax rates they want, increased regulations/penalties, etc. That will always override where things are done it seems.

There are a WHOLE LOT of ships anchored offshore, waiting to dock in China, due to that country’s lunatic Zero-Covid policy. The supply chain problems are probably going to get a whole lot worse before they get better.

​

My thought is that this will ultimately be another self-inflicted injury, spurring a new renaissance in U.S. manufacturing industries. It will take time to spin up, but I’ll bet you a lot of U.S.-based entrepreneurial types are already putting domestic manufacturing plans together. Local regulations encouraging manufacturing and transportation would be very helpful right about now. For example, red counties should be passing ordinances expediting permits for new manufacturing operations.
If you want to do something to help locally, lobby your county commission to pass new rules encouraging manufacturing and transportation industries.

HAHA, who's going to do the work? Every major manufacture in the USA is short handed right now, Having a business plan to build a company is different than building an actual functional business. Right now the industry greats cannot get enough workers to function efficiently, and you think there are skilled workers to support more start up manufactures just standing by? Nope!

I would say the prior administration dealings with China were a complete failure, and not only created higher cost for American families (tariffs), but also pissed China off, so now China is going to push and pull where they can to make things harder on the USA, and American business. Meanwhile Tesla just announced yesterday they are going to double the size of their Shanghai giga factory and make it "the worlds largest export hub", here is an American business that does over half of their manufacturing in China currently, going to expand their China operations.

 

[Calvin2518]

HAHA, who's going to do the work? Every major manufacture in the USA is short handed right now, Having a business plan to build a company is different than building an actual functional business. Right now the industry greats cannot get enough workers to function efficiently, and you think there are skilled workers to support more start up manufactures just standing by? Nope!

I would say the prior administration dealings with China were a complete failure, and not only created higher cost for American families (tariffs), but also pissed China off, so now China is going to push and pull where they can to make things harder on the USA, and American business. Meanwhile Tesla just announced yesterday they are going to double the size of their Shanghai giga factory and make it "the worlds largest export hub", here is an American business that does over half of their manufacturing in China currently, going to expand their China operations.

I remember seeing in another post that you own/have owned a construction company in the past. Prior to starting my own business I was a general contractor for about a decade, and these past few years have been the biggest struggle I've ever seen in the industry. you're exactly right. there's just not enough labor and enough people who want to go do this kind of work to make it happen any time soon.

I'm not sure what it is, but there's going to be a fundamental shift coming and the way labor works in the US (and probably the world) is changing.

 

[Tom E-Tron]

I remember seeing in another post that you own/have owned a construction company in the past. Prior to starting my own business I was a general contractor for about a decade, and these past few years have been the biggest struggle I've ever seen in the industry. you're exactly right. there's just not enough labor and enough people who want to go do this kind of work to make it happen any time soon.

I'm not sure what it is, but there's going to be a fundamental shift coming and the way labor works in the US (and probably the world) is changing.

We had 3 corporate executives over for dinner and wine last weekend (Software, Heavy Manufacturing, Healthcare) Some good ribeyes, and a few bottles of first growth Bordeaux's we got into quite a conversation about industry and what is happening inside the largest corporations in the country. All 3 told the same story (with slightly different details), labor shortages, and not just for them, but in the supply chain, and even materials. Of course the software industry is always short engineers, but they are having problems with hardware too, and their expansion is limited.

All 3 agree the slowdown in Immigration into the USA the last 5 years is the biggest issue (legal or Illegal) We just do not have the skilled people to staff the open positions currently, so companies are struggling to recruit, struggling to get supplies, struggling even at the material level. These guys all felt the past administration rhetoric really made the USA a less attractive place for the worlds best and brightest to go for study or work. Statistically we are getting less of the cream of the crop from China, and India, as well as Europe to fill our demand for skilled people, and it took 2-4 years to really start to burn us (delayed a year by Covid-19), these executives talk of skilled engineers leaving their companies to go back home (India, China, Italy), etc. Those that think Immigrants leaving is a good thing, need to look at the top engineering departments at any industrial company, then look at the deans list of any major University. There are a lot more Chen and Chan, then there are Smith and Jones taking the top academic spots.

A little disclosure, I am a lifetime republican, and so are many of our friends, however the 2020 election for many of us was a rebellion against our party for the direction it had taken, and trends they had started. During the voting, I felt weird voting for democrats, something I had not done before, but January 6th confirmed we absolutely made the right choice, Saving democracy is more important than where we stand on a few issues, and Trump's big lie had motivated a Mob that set out to damage or destroy democracy. The Flag, and the Constitution mean more to me than how I feel on certain social or economic issues. For me its country over person, and a few bad eggs have stunk up the republican party to the point I cannot imagine ever supporting them again regardless whether I agree with some of their policies or not.

Most American technology innovation has immigrants in the middle of it, from Elon Musk, and what he has done, to Werner Von Braun and his checkered past. Closer to home GM's top battery engineers are immigrants, Even our defense contractors are full of Immigrants where the real engineering and innovation is done. Look at Elon Musk, only one student in his physics class was clearly smarter then Musk, his name was Robin Ren, consistently beat Elon Musk academically (can you guess where Robin Ren was from?) Yup, China. He was one of the top students in China, and ended up working for Musk a decade later, and establishing Tesla's China operations (Their most successful).

The construction industry problems are different, but the same, in construction it's also a labor shortage, but most of those workers we have lost in that industry have questionable status in the USA. Between border tightening , and the same nasty rhetoric, many of these workers no longer try to get into the USA, and just settled back into their native country, therefore leaving a huge vacuum of work that needs to be done here, and is not getting filled which put pressure on the entire blue collar workforce, we see this in a lot of small businesses, restaurants, material suppliers, retail stores, etc. It's an awful time to own a construction business, became you cannot control your cost, and are totally at the beck and call of the few remaining workers. This is why I decided to call it a career, and drastically scale back my businesses, it's just too hard to be successful right now. Plus, for decades I loved the business, and had fun at work every day, but it became much less fun the last 4 years.

Man, we are way off topic here,

 

[Dark-Fx]

Statistically we are getting less of the cream of the crop from China, and India, as well as Europe to fill our demand for skilled people

I sure as hell wouldn't consider moving here right now if I lived in Europe. Especially after spending over 6 months of my life in the Bordeaux area for work.

 

[Tom E-Tron]

I sure as hell wouldn't consider moving here right now if I lived in Europe. Especially after spending over 6 months of my life in the Bordeaux area for work.

I would love to stay in Bordeaux for a while, they have such a great food and wine culture, but afraid I would get fat and kill my liver, it sure did take a beating last weekend. Our first wine group get together post Covid, and we did not disappoint.

 

[Dark-Fx]

I would love to stay in Bordeaux for a while, they have such a great food and wine culture, but afraid I would get fat and kill my liver, it sure did take a beating last weekend. Our first wine group get together post Covid, and we did not disappoint.

I'm pretty disappointed. Haha

 

[Calvin2518]

We had 3 corporate executives over for dinner and wine last weekend (Software, Heavy Manufacturing, Healthcare) Some good ribeyes, and a few bottles of first growth Bordeaux's we got into quite a conversation about industry and what is happening inside the largest corporations in the country. All 3 told the same story (with slightly different details), labor shortages, and not just for them, but in the supply chain, and even materials. Of course the software industry is always short engineers, but they are having problems with hardware too, and their expansion is limited.

All 3 agree the slowdown in Immigration into the USA the last 5 years is the biggest issue (legal or Illegal) We just do not have the skilled people to staff the open positions currently, so companies are struggling to recruit, struggling to get supplies, struggling even at the material level. These guys all felt the past administration rhetoric really made the USA a less attractive place for the worlds best and brightest to go for study or work. Statistically we are getting less of the cream of the crop from China, and India, as well as Europe to fill our demand for skilled people, and it took 2-4 years to really start to burn us (delayed a year by Covid-19), these executives talk of skilled engineers leaving their companies to go back home (India, China, Italy), etc. Those that think Immigrants leaving is a good thing, need to look at the top engineering departments at any industrial company, then look at the deans list of any major University. There are a lot more Chen and Chan, then there are Smith and Jones taking the top academic spots.

A little disclosure, I am a lifetime republican, and so are many of our friends, however the 2020 election for many of us was a rebellion against our party for the direction it had taken, and trends they had started. During the voting, I felt weird voting for democrats, something I had not done before, but January 6th confirmed we absolutely made the right choice, Saving democracy is more important than where we stand on a few issues, and Trump's big lie had motivated a Mob that set out to damage or destroy democracy. The Flag, and the Constitution mean more to me than how I feel on certain social or economic issues. For me its country over person, and a few bad eggs have stunk up the republican party to the point I cannot imagine ever supporting them again regardless whether I agree with some of their policies or not.

Most American technology innovation has immigrants in the middle of it, from Elon Musk, and what he has done, to Werner Von Braun and his checkered past. Closer to home GM's top battery engineers are immigrants, Even our defense contractors are full of Immigrants where the real engineering and innovation is done. Look at Elon Musk, only one student in his physics class was clearly smarter then Musk, his name was Robin Ren, consistently beat Elon Musk academically (can you guess where Robin Ren was from?) Yup, China. He was one of the top students in China, and ended up working for Musk a decade later, and establishing Tesla's China operations (Their most successful).

The construction industry problems are different, but the same, in construction it's also a labor shortage, but most of those workers we have lost in that industry have questionable status in the USA. Between border tightening , and the same nasty rhetoric, many of these workers no longer try to get into the USA, and just settled back into their native country, therefore leaving a huge vacuum of work that needs to be done here, and is not getting filled which put pressure on the entire blue collar workforce, we see this in a lot of small businesses, restaurants, material suppliers, retail stores, etc. It's an awful time to own a construction business, became you cannot control your cost, and are totally at the beck and call of the few remaining workers. This is why I decided to call it a career, and drastically scale back my businesses, it's just too hard to be successful right now. Plus, for decades I loved the business, and had fun at work every day, but it became much less fun the last 4 years.

Man, we are way off topic here,

Tom, really really well said.

 

[azbill]

I would say the prior administration dealings with China were a complete failure, and not only created higher cost for American families (tariffs), but also pissed China off, so now China is going to push and pull where they can to make things harder on the USA, and American business.

While I understand your frustration, I have been to China a few times (Bordeaux many times as well), and they have been screwing the world over long before the last administration. They unapologetically asked me to divulge IP of US companies, no way I would ever do that. They also force US technology companies to form joint ventures with Chinese companies so that they can steal IP. If they do not form these joint ventures, they cannot do business in China. One of my former employers did this very thing.

 

[Tom E-Tron]

While I understand your frustration, I have been to China a few times (Bordeaux many times as well), and they have been screwing the world over long before the last administration. They unapologetically asked me to divulge IP of US companies, no way I would ever do that. They also force US technology companies to form joint ventures with Chinese companies so that they can steal IP. If they do not form these joint ventures, they cannot do business in China. One of my former employers did this very thing.

I have also been to China more than a few times, (Taiwan more than 30), and I totally agree with you, and I am not about kissing the arse of a communist country. I do however think there are ways to deal with these countries, and ways not too. The previous president took the wrong relationship path nearly every time he had the opportunity with allies, and non allies. There are ways to go about bargaining for new trade agreements, and slapping tariffs on the other trading partner nearly always backfires and ends bad. The Chinese government is our competitor, they are not a friend, and they will do anything to steal our technology in any way they can, legal or not. The previous president did not improve or fix any trading problems we had with China, he instead just tore the scab off an old wound, and now we are bleeding. We are not winning the trade war when we cannot get the supplies our business needs. We are not winning the trade war war when China is not even negotiating with us about a de-escalation in tariffs. We are not winning the trade war when China is rapidly expanding their military presence in the South China Sea (rapidly accelerated under the last administration). We are not winning the trade war when our number 1 exporter is basically blackballed in China at the moment. Let's be honest, Bill, the USA does the same thing if another country has some technology we want, we get it, one way or another. IMO and the opinion of every multi national business executive I have talked to, the relationship with China and the trade balance is worse now than any time after the 1970's. Worse, I have Chinese American friends that were attacked and threatened on public streets due to the last administrations Covid rhetoric, it's just disgusting that this would happen here. It reminds me of being out clubbing with my dentist some time after 9-11, and he got attacked for being a "********", He's a Sikhi from India... not a middle easterner, but these brilliant "Americans" did not even know the differences in the head dress, or what culture they were mad at. Perhaps more Americans should read the constitution and take what it says seriously.

 

[travwill]

Let’s drop this recent topic as it’s veered way off the having to do anything with a Hummer path. ;-). Either side or opinions ya have, we can agree there.

 

[Bboozer1]

I second all of that.... There is not enough labor that are legal to do the work that needs to be done... Americans have become lazy and no longer want to do anything that could be considered physical work... Even just standing at a cash register at a fast food restaurant...

 

[Tom E-Tron]

I second all of that.... There is not enough labor that are legal to do the work that needs to be done... Americans have become lazy and no longer want to do anything that could be considered physical work... Even just standing at a cash register at a fast food restaurant...

I am not sure the problem is all laziness. The bigger problem is just a mass shortage of workers in general. Legal or not. Personally I think we need to immediately set up programs to bring eligible workers in from Mexico and other places, but the problem is the negative rhetoric of the last administration has damaged those workers motivation and morale, so they are not as interested in working here as they were before. You cannot treat people as second class humans and expect them to do all the dirty work for you. Another thing is the working conditions are improving in many parts of Mexico, so workers have better opportunities to make a living down there.

IMO once we get the worker/ jobs balance back in order, competitiveness for jobs will force people to work more efficiently, and worker production will get back to the way it was before. This might take some time, as the immigrant workers underwent a tough 4 years of insults and terrible rhetoric, not exactly the kinds of things that motivate a workforce.