China’s had its day and manufacturing is coming home

China took over from the West as the workshop of the world. But all that may be about to change, says James McKeigue. Here, he reports on the rise of British manufacturing.

Trenton Makes The World Takes.' Coined in 1910 and later spelled out in nine-foot-high letters on New Jersey's Trenton Bridge, the slogan wasn't just an expression of America's confidence it was a statement of fact.

Yet by the end of the 20th century, with the neighbouring factories long closed, it was practically a museum piece, a poignant reminder of America's manufacturing decline. In both America and Britain, manufacturing fell as a share of GDP from the early 1970s onwards. Indeed, production figures from 2011 show that China has officially replaced America as the workshop of the world'.

Subscribe to MoneyWeek

Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE

Get 6 issues free
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/mw70aro6gl1676370748.jpg

Sign up to Money Morning

Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter

Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter

Sign up
James McKeigue

James graduated from Keele University with a BA (Hons) in English literature and history, and has a certificate in journalism from the NCTJ. James has worked as a freelance journalist in various Latin American countries.He also had a spell at ITV, as welll as wring for Television Business International and covering the European equity markets for the Forbes.com London bureau. James has travelled extensively in emerging markets, reporting for international energy magazines such as Oil and Gas Investor, and institutional publications such as the Commonwealth Business Environment Report. He is currently the managing editor of LatAm INVESTOR, the UK's only Latin American finance magazine.