As the U.S. looks to revive its manufacturing dominance, Trump-era officials and allies are pointing to industrial robots as the solution to America’s shrinking skilled labor pool. But while Washington talks about automation as a future strategy, China is already deploying robots at a staggering pace—and widening the gap.
According to new data from the International Federation of Robotics, China installed 295,000 industrial robots last year. That’s nearly nine times the number deployed in the United States, and more than the rest of the world combined.
China’s shift toward automation is driven by two powerful forces: the need to counter escalating U.S. tariffs and a changing workforce increasingly unwilling to endure long factory hours. In response, Chinese manufacturers are accelerating investments in robotic production lines that can build products faster, cheaper and with fewer human workers.
While U.S. leaders argue that automation could help restore domestic industrial strength, the reality is that China’s head start in robotic manufacturing may make the global competition even tougher.
Source: The Wall Street Journal
