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Industrial robotic welding and robot gripping working on smart factory, industry 4.0 and technology concept

What You Need to Know About “Made in China 2025”

U.S. trade policy toward China under the Trump Administration is heavily focused on addressing the perceived unfairness and competitive disadvantages created by China’s industrial policies, chief among them, Made in China 2025. Here’s your Essential graphic on the policy’s core components.

Export Controls and the Art of Modern Defense

Export controls are not a new idea. They date back to at least the 14th century when the English tried to keep longbow technology out of the hands of the French during the Hundred Years War. Today, we face a very different world with multiple adversaries, including non-state actors, and no strong consensus on how or when to act.

Industrial robotic arms

Why Does Everyone Hate Made in China 2025?

Made in China 2025 calls for achieving “self-sufficiency” through technology substitution while becoming a “manufacturing superpower” that dominates the global market in critical high-tech industries. That could be a problem for countries that rely on exporting high-tech products or the global supply chain for high-tech components.

Beyond Tariffs: China Could Retaliate Through Cybersecurity

China’s cybersecurity law can be used as a form of “backdoor” trade retaliation to hurt U.S. firms in China.

Trade in Carputer Parts

The operator’s manual for the popular entry-level Honda Civic is 601 pages. It doesn’t fit in the glove box; it comes in the form of an electronic document to download, which seems appropriate considering the number of electronic components in the car. High-tech, high-cost, components are lightweight and positioned to move long distances on a just-in-time basis.

What’s Your “Robot Exposure”?

Robots are not in every case displacing jobs, but automation is certainly changing the types of jobs available and the skills needed to fill them. Explore this robot map produced by the Brookings Institute to see where the robots are on the move.

A Shortage of Skilled Workers Threatens Manufacturing’s Rebound

U.S. manufacturers will create more than 3 million job openings over the next decade – but two million of these future jobs could go unfilled. “If we’re not able to ensure a skilled workforce and a steady supply of skilled workers for manufacturers in this country, then [companies will] either go out of business or be forced to look elsewhere.” – Gardner Carrick of the Manufacturing Institute