The manufacturing cost in the US has decreased to the same level as China, why and what is the 'strength' of America?

ByNikzane

Although it is feeling that China has been contracted to produce industrial goods around the world as a "factory of the world" taking advantage of cheap and abundant labor force, in recent years there has been a rise in prices and a rise in wage levels that compete It has been told that we have lost power. As in this case, the manufacturing cost of products declined in the US, and the phenomenon of falling to the same level as China occurred, and furthermore it is thought that in the future America will be lower than China.

U.S. Manufacturing costs are almost as low as China's - Fortune
http://fortune.com/2015/06/26/fracking-manufacturing-costs/

It is a global consulting companyBoston Consulting Group(BCG) survey shows that product manufacturing costs continue to decline in the United States. As shown in the graph below, the manufacturing cost in the case of the United States of 100 is almost the same as that of China 95, and it is already 10% to 20% lower than the main EU countries about. In addition, according to BCG's forecast, the manufacturing cost of the United States is about 2018It will be 2% to 3% lower than ChinaIt is considered to be.


Several factors are considered for this, which is thought to be a rise in personnel expenses in China and an improvement in production efficiency in the USA, but it is most related to BCG Was newly developedshale gasIt is said that energy cost reduction by. BCG estimates that industrial electricity prices in the US are estimated to be 30% to 50% lower than in other countries, especially iron and aluminum, paper and petrochemical products and many energy and oil are needed It is said that the influence on the industrial field which appears to be significant appears.

Looking at the graph above, you can see that the energy cost indicated in light blue is much lower in other countries than in other countries in the United States.


David Gee of BCG said, "Considering the risks and factors such as delays in shipping from China, port closure due to port strikes, and joint venture with Chinese companies required for foreign companies, a cost difference of only 5% will be taken It can be said that it is insufficient for it ".

ByMichaël Garrigues

With the availability of cheap energy, in the United States, cargo using natural gas is expected to develop, it shifts from a state where energy is dependent on other countries to a state where it can cover everything in their own country It is expected to do. Also, since it is possible to take out hydrogen from natural gas, it can also be used for hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicles such as "Mirai" which Toyota will start ordering in California in the summer of 2015.

Due to the decline in energy costs, it also leads to new opportunities for investment in the United States. In the spring of 2015, Sasol, one of the oil major enterprises, is in Louisiana ·Lake CharlesWe invested a huge amount of 8.1 billion dollars (about 1 trillion yen) to build an ethane refining plant. In addition, Cheniere Energy, a natural gas exporter, built an export terminal of LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) in the Gulf of Mexico,LNG exports to foreign countries including JapanA big movement such as showing motivation is being born. By the way, Cheniere · Energy CEO Charrie · Souki will be in 2013I received the highest remuneration in the USAIt is known that the amount is 142 million dollars (about 14.5 billion yen) in one year.

ByCheniere Energy

Thus, in the United StatesCher RevolutionIt is clear that the energy cost structure is changing drastically due to the energy production revolution also called. The "shale layer", which is thought to store a lot of energy, seems to be distributed in such a size that it almost covers the land of America, and its reserves are said to be 100 years, so in the near future It is also thought that America will become the world's largest energy importer and become a resource-rich country.

At the same time, it is also true that shale gas production involves problems. Underground conditions are affected by the method of injecting high pressure sea water, sand, and chemical substances into the ground, causing a situation where the water source is contaminated, so that the oil company is forced to compensate residents Also connected. In addition, by injecting sea water into the ground, the formation becomes more slippery,It is triggering a huge earthquakeAlso a researcher. Furthermore, in France, a bill to prohibit the production of shale gas itself concerned about environmental pollution has been voted.

ByDepartment of Energy and Climate Change

It is shale gas production that has various problems, but the cheap energy cost resulting from it is attractive, and there is no change in the situation where the US leads this field worldwide. Mr. Michael Porter of Harvard Business School (PDF file)Report published in collaboration with BCGAmong the shale gas production technology in the United States is doing 15 years ahead of other countries, and oil wells to be a production base are 100 thousand 1117 in the United States, which includes Canada's 16 thousand places, China It is cited that it is a large scale unevenly compared with 258 places etc.

It seems that it is necessary to pay attention to the fact that the energy situation of the world that has been dependent on the Middle East and Russia has changed greatly now and it is beginning to have a big influence on the industry as well.