Why Western executives are returning from China "terrified"
Ford's CEO called his recent China visit "the most humbling thing I've ever seen." After touring factories, he found Chinese vehicles "far superior in cost and quality" to Western offerings.
What they're witnessing:
• Fully automated "dark factories" where lights aren't needed—robots do everything
• A conveyor line where trucks are fully assembled in 900 meters with zero human workers
• Mobile phone factories producing "astronomical numbers" with only a handful of people ensuring machines work
The numbers tell the story:
Industrial robots added in 2024:
🇨🇳 China: 295,000
🇺🇸 US: 34,200
🇩🇪 Germany: 27,000
🇬🇧 UK: 2,500
Robot density per 10K workers:
🇨🇳 China: 567
🇩🇪 Germany: 449
🇺🇸 US: 307
🇬🇧 UK: 104
China is no longer the "cheap knockoff" workshop—it's become a leader in EVs, batteries, solar panels, and advanced robotics.
The automation advantage isn't just about manufacturing—experts warn it has "spillovers for the military industrial sector" and supply chain leverage.
As one economist puts it: countries that don't automate will see MORE job losses, not fewer. Failing to modernize means "dark factories where no work is happening at all."
#China #Manufacturing #Automation #Robotics #EVs #Industry #Economy #Productivity #Technology
@ScottishGreens Same in Canada. And everywhere else where the neo-liberal “conservative” evisceration of community-friendly, anti-oligarchic policies has dominated (ie. most nations after the “Reagan revolution,” a “revolution” of the rich against everyone else). Ugh.
U.S. consumers bearing more than half the cost of tariffs so far, Goldman Sachs says
The findings suggest U.S. consumers will continue to struggle with high price
#economy #Tariff #tariffs #trump #TrumpTariffs #tax #taxes #prices #news #UnitedStates
Six months into President Donald Trump’s unprecedented gambit to impose sizable tariffs on imports, U.S. consumers are already shouldering as much as 55% of their costs, according to a new report from Goldman Sachs analysts
In case you’re wondering why prices continue to go up…How the United States is eating Trump's tariffs - “…academic studies, surveys and comments from businesses show that through the first months of Trump's new trade regime it is U.S. companies that are footing the bill and passing on some of it to the consumer - with more price hikes likely.”
"Most of the cost seems to be borne by U.S. firms," Harvard University professor Alberto Cavallo said in an interview to discuss his findings. "We have seen a gradual pass-through to consumer prices and there's a clear upward pressure." https://www.reuters.com/world/us/how-united-states-is-eating-trumps-tariffs-2025-10-13/
#Economy #markets #TrumpTariffs #Tariffs #RepublicansDidThis #RepublicansOwnThis #TradeWar #Trade #ConsumerPrices
TL;DR - America is getting an #AI gold rush instead of a factory boom.
Two industries were supposed to drive America’s future. One is booming, the other slumping. https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/10/13/manufacturing-artificial-intelligence/ #zeitgeist #economy
Price Of A U.S.-China Deal Just Got A Lot Higher; Rare Earth Stocks Soar - Beijing's stringent export controls on rare earth minerals and magnets aren't just a negotiating stance for upcoming U.S.-China talks. They're also about "world peace and regional stability," China's Commerce Ministry said on Saturday.
Rare earth stocks MP Materials (MP) and USA Rare Earth (USAR) soared early Monday as S&P 500 futures pointed to a relief rally after President Donald Trump posted Sunday, "Don't worry about China."
Trump made clear he's determined to strike a deal with "highly respected President Xi" and avoid imposing the 100% tariff that he threatened to apply starting Nov. 1. However, Beijing is making clear that a deal won't come cheaply, possibly going beyond technology to geopolitical concessions. https://www.investors.com/news/rare-earth-us-china-deal-ai-chips-world-peace-mp-usar/ #China #TradeWar #TrumpTariffs #tariffs #trade #RareEarth #TACO #TacoTrump #markets #economy #tech #USPol
The zombie idea of Federal Reserve independence keeps staggering along
The Fed hasn't been truly independent for 50 years, but the idea that it is keeps animating discussions about the central bank. True Fed independence will only arise under conditions of extensive reform, writes Ken Thomas.
https://www.americanbanker.com/opinion/the-federal-reserve-hasnt-been-truly-independent-for-50-years
WITHOUT DATA CENTERS GDP GROWTH WAS 0.1% IN 1H25
92% of the growth in the entire country this year has been data centers. And some of that is "circular deals" that don't involve actual money
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