Rising wages in China, coupled with the cost of maintaining long supply lines, are among the reasons why companies are looking for new locations to make their products. If you believe statements by big retailers such as Walmart, a good portion of that capacity is destined for the U.S. Even some apparel production could be coming back. But the trend is by no means guaranteed to stick. On this episode, we speak with Rosemary Coates, executive director of the Reshoring Institute. She traces the extent of the reshoring phenomenon, while laying out the hidden costs that come with shutting down production in China. You don’t, for example, want to be that American executive who was held hostage by Chinese workers in a dispute over severance pay. So what will it take to bring manufacturing back to the U.S.? And, for that matter, what kind of work do we want? Hosted by Bob Bowman, Managing Editor of SupplyChainBrain.

Look for a new episode of the podcast, which can be downloaded or streamed, every Friday on the SupplyChainBrain website and iTunes.

Show notes:

Rosemary Coates’s book, 42 Rules for Sourcing and Manufacturing in China.

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