Nothing is stopping us. Get a 3d printer, learn some CAD, that is a small start for yourself. But it deesn't solve the large problem. Americans keep sending our dollars to chinese companies to buy shit. Because we cannot make that shit here for as cheap. Labor rate is a reality. To get solid work, your going to need to pay a fair bit above min wage. Whatever that comes to in the area. Add in the business taxes and regulatory fees. Insurance, Health care, so on and so forth... its more expensive to make stuff here. So we wont. because the chinese can make it and ship it here for less than we can make it. Paying your people dollars a day, has real power. Companies, like wallyworld, are big pushers of this sort of industry, forcing suppliers down to the slimmest margins over the cost of a chinese product and shipping. Those sort of practices, while valid and very capitalistic in nature, are hurting us. They hurt us because we allow them to. Suppliers all tell wallyworld to fuck off they can't do it for that. wallyworld cant get products. Wallyworld pays more, charges more. maybe has to compete with mom and pop again or go out of business. ---- Unlikely, suppliers already compete for that market, they want and need that business. People tell wallyworld, fuck off we don't want chinese shit. Wallyworld, pays slightly more for a product made in some other location, charges that back tot he customer, still outbids mom and pop on stuff so they remain, but smaller. reopens a few small business niches where stuff can be made here. --- Again, Unlikely, the average american likes those low prices. It means they don't save for a year using the old cookware before getting that new set they like, because its cheap. so they buy trash that has to be replaced sooner. viscious cycle that. An actual answer? - Larger tarrifs on chinese products? I dont pretend to be an economic expert. so no idea how far this would impact other than the cost of chinese goods here, which is a F ton. Americans just starting manufacturing things that we can make for close to price due to high cost of shipping that the big boys havent touched because its not quite profitable? I dont know what the right answer here is. I make all sorts of my own things around the house with some 3d printing, electroplating (conductive paints, or metal / carbon infused filaments solve the plastic conductivity problem). Getting a wood lathe soon to start learning more woodworking. You are doing far better than I am if all you need is a chip fab to produce a whole machine though.