You say all of this, but where in the US can I go get a PCB made, a housing injection molded, rubber seals custom cut, and have a contract manufacturer assemble everything for a modest price?
If you order a small batch of custom PCBs with a five day turnaround from a fab house in the USA it costs over $500. If you order it from China they cost $15.
And it's not just due to cheaper labor. They have better higher volume equipment.
Edit: I’d love to find a non-state source but China claims $5T per year in manufacturing output for 2021. I wonder where the US would be if we had focused on manufacturing growth instead of offshoring production.
If you order a small batch of custom PCBs with a five day turnaround from a fab house in the USA it costs over $500. If you order it from China they cost $15.
And it's not just due to cheaper labor. They have better higher volume equipment.
Edit: I’d love to find a non-state source but China claims $5T per year in manufacturing output for 2021. I wonder where the US would be if we had focused on manufacturing growth instead of offshoring production.
http://english.scio.gov.cn/m/pressroom/2022-03/01/content_78...