COVID-19 has drastically impacted consumers and businesses alike. For businesses, some of the early challenges involved closing offices and getting employees to work from home, but another major concern was disruption to the supply chain. Companies that get their materials or goods from overseas were suddenly unable to operate because of a lack of supplies.
The pandemic exposed a major weakness and brought attention to the need for domestic manufacturing of our most essential supplies. Following a trend that has been occurring over the last several years, some companies have been re-shoring manufacturing operations in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Sourcing materials and manufacturing in the United States will give companies more control over production during challenging times.
COVID-19’s Impact on US Manufacturing
Some industries in the United States are served extensively by imported goods. As foreign factories closed and shipping options became few and far between in the wake of the pandemic, the U.S. saw an extreme drop in imports. In the middle of February, there was a nearly 13% decrease in clothing shipments, which is substantial considering that imports from China, Vietnam, and India represented about 53% of clothing consumption in the US in 2018. In early March, total container volume from China had declined by nearly 23% at the Port of Los Angeles.
While the United States is ranked third in the world for the quality of its manufacturing environment, it doesn’t have the manufacturing capacity of major outsourcing hubs like China. Many manufacturing jobs in the United States go unfilled because companies can’t find qualified talent.
Still, the US is poised and ready to grow as the world moves beyond the pandemic. For the last few years, companies have started reshoring manufacturing, and U.S. manufacturing began to increase again in May as aerospace and automotive companies prepare for the coming months.
At Hudson Technologies, we’re ready to help. As an essential business, we’ve been serving our customers through these challenging few months and are prepared to offer metal stamping services for a variety of U.S. manufacturing needs.
Advantages of Using Domestic US-Based Manufacturers
There are a variety of benefits provided by manufacturing in the United States:
- Lower transportation costs. Reducing the cost of shipping of both raw materials and finished products reduces overall production costs.
- Better for the environment. Lessening the traveling distance required for supplies and finished goods ultimately reduces carbon emissions.
- Quicker lead times. By eliminating the need for overseas shipping, production runs ranging from prototypes or to large-volume runs may often be shorted by days or weeks.
- Sense of community. The manufacturing facility ultimately becomes a part of the community, which helps an organization to build a positive brand. American companies also pay U.S. taxes that support their own communities.
- Improved quality control. Manufacturing in the United States ensures that all production operations follow U.S. safety and quality standards.
Working with Hudson Technologies
As a leading U.S. manufacturer, Hudson Technologies is proud to represent domestic manufacturing. For 80 years, we’ve been offering high-quality metal stamping and custom tooling for customers in a wide range of industries, including aerospace, medical, and more. We’re committed to a safe work environment and stringent quality assurance practices, as demonstrated by our AS9100D certification.
As you re-shore your own manufacturing needs, contact us for prototypes, high- or low-volume production, or any questions you have about metal stamping.
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