Engineering Reality Check: Can the U.S. Actually Make Stuff Again?

Lately, there’s been a lot of talk (and action) around tariffs—especially on goods from China. You’ve probably heard about the big move: a 50%+ tariff slapped on pretty much everything we import from there. This came out of the Trump-era strategy to push the U.S. into doing more manufacturing in-house. Basically, make Chinese goods expensive enough that it becomes more “worth it” to just build the stuff here.

Sounds good in theory, right? But the reality’s not playing out the way folks hoped.

So... how’s that going?

Not great. China hit back with their own tariffs, and now we’re in this weird economic standoff where nobody’s really winning. Meanwhile, the U.S. is stuck asking a tough question:

Can we even manufacture at scale anymore?
We’ve outsourced so much for so long that trying to bring it all back feels like trying to rebuild a muscle we haven’t used in decades.

What We Get From China (And Why It’s Hard to Replace)

We import a ton from China—not just cheap gadgets, but core components that fuel our daily lives and industries:

• Electronics: Phones, laptops, chips, routers

• Machinery: HVAC systems, pumps, compressors

• Furniture & household goods: Everything from couches to light fixtures

• Toys and games: From action figures to treadmills

• Clothes & textiles: T-shirts, socks, shoes

• Auto parts: EV stuff, e-bike gear, sensors

• Medical gear: Gloves, masks, diagnostic tools

And it’s not just because labor is cheaper there. China has insanely efficient supply chains, tons of skilled workers, and entire ecosystems of factories that can spin up anything you need—fast. Rebuilding that here? We're talking years, maybe even decades.

Should We Try To Copy China?

Honestly, this is where I think things get a little silly. There’s this idea floating around that we can just start cranking out T-shirts and bolts and basic appliances again if we build enough factories. But that’s missing the bigger picture.

Even if we had the buildings—who’s going to run them?

• We’ve got a labor shortage in skilled trades.

• Young people are leaning toward tech, not the factory floor.

• Apprenticeships and training programs aren’t scaling fast enough.

You can’t just flip a switch and expect a whole workforce to materialize.

So Where Should We Be Focusing?

Instead of trying to compete with China on mass-produced cheap goods, I think we should double down on the stuff we’re already amazing at—the big, bold, engineering moonshots.

🚀 Aerospace & Rockets

We’re the home of SpaceX, NASA, Blue Origin. We’re sending rockets up, landing them again, and building the future of space travel.

🤖 Robotics & Automation

We’re not building cute robot pets like Japan—we’re building warehouse bots, farming machines, and Mars rovers.

🔒 Defense Tech

Raytheon, Lockheed, Northrop—we dominate global military innovation. Stealth drones, hypersonic missiles, advanced defense systems. That’s us.

🧠 Software, AI, & Chips

Apple. Google. NVIDIA. OpenAI. Intel. Microsoft. The world runs on our tech.

🧬 Biotech & Pharma

Pfizer, Moderna, CRISPR research, cancer breakthroughs—we lead the charge in life sciences.

This is where American manufacturing shines. High-tech, high-impact, high-skill.

Should We Be Rebuilding T-Shirt Factories?

In my opinion? Absolutely not. Trying to make T-shirts or plastic buckets here isn’t just inefficient—it’s a waste of our talent. We’ve got the brainpower, the tools, and the infrastructure to build rockets, semiconductors, and AI platforms. So why are we trying to compete on $5 socks?

That said, there are some critical goods we should be building in-house—semiconductors, EV batteries, medical supplies. Stuff that’s mission-critical. But trying to replicate China’s entire manufacturing model here feels like trying to win a marathon by running backwards.

Final Thought

Trying to rebuild a domestic supply chain for cheap, everyday goods might feel patriotic, but in reality, it's often a waste of time, labor, and money. There’s a reason global manufacturing ecosystems evolved the way they did—some countries are just better suited to produce certain things efficiently at scale. That’s not a flaw in the system; it’s how the system works.

Instead of pouring resources into replicating what countries like China or Vietnam already do well, the U.S. should focus on where it naturally excels—high-tech, high-skill, high-leverage industries. That’s where the innovation happens. That’s where the returns are.

Global trade isn’t the enemy. It’s a tool. We should be using it to our advantage—filling in gaps, reducing costs, and freeing up our talent to tackle the stuff we’re actually great at..