You're in Favor of US Industrial Policy? Study Shipbuilding!
The article argues that U.S. shipbuilding serves as a cautionary case for industrial policy, illustrating how decades of government intervention have shaped the sector. It traces federal involvement from the 1817 Navigation Act through the Trump Administration’s Maritime Action Plan, underscoring that policy, not the absence of it, has driven shipyard outcomes. The author, a free‑trade advocate with manufacturing experience, stresses that national‑security‑critical capabilities demand a calibrated policy approach. Recent interviews and a new study reinforce the need for smarter, more efficient government action.
The Silent Heist: How China’s Trade Cheating Is Gutting American Manufacturing
The article outlines how systematic trade cheating by China has eroded U.S. manufacturing, citing a loss of $230 billion and 2.1 million jobs since 2018. It details tactics such as intellectual‑property theft, transshipment via third‑party countries, and exploitation of de‑minimis exemptions that...
American Manufacturing in Decline? Nope... Ignore the Naysayers
The Institute for Supply Management reported a third consecutive month of expansion in its Manufacturing PMI, signaling continued growth in the U.S. manufacturing sector. This upbeat data directly challenges recent headlines that linked rising job losses to the perceived failure...
Real-World Manufacturing Lessons From a Failing Business
The episode dissects a failing small machine‑shop that illustrates common ownership pitfalls in SME manufacturing. It reveals how a founder’s hand‑off to inexperienced children, over‑reliance on a single automaker client, superficial diversification, and lack of sales expertise drove the business...
Shipbuilding: Colin Grabow of the Cato Institute Brings the Free-Market Viewpoint
In this episode, host Jim Vinoski talks with Cato Institute senior fellow Colin Grabow about the chronic shortcomings of U.S. shipbuilding, focusing on the Jones Act’s distortion of market incentives. Grabow argues that the Act’s requirement for domestically built vessels...