Comment by convivialdingo

Agreed.

Even the premise that it was always cheaper to manufacture abroad is flawed in many respects as Congress subsidized offshoring over many years as part of an effort to encourage globalization.

Companies often receive massive tax breaks with write-offs to close US plants, tax credits, zero percent import duties, and lower overall tax rates by shifting their profits and losses through offshore banks.

In many respects profitability has most often been determined by the policies we subsidize. and for decades those policies were essentially all in for the benefit of offshoring.

Comparing the actual cost of production by location is far more complicated than just the cost of materials and labor when there are so many subsidies and policies involved.