Our phones, computers, cars, even our internet-connected refrigerators—it is unlikely that any of these, or any of the other electronic devices and appliances we use, are made entirely in the United States. Nor are they made from components that are made entirely in the U.S.
Even if the product is sold by a U.S. company, it is likely that foreign subsidiaries are performing many of the functions of that U.S. company. Indeed, it is easier than ever before for multinational companies to delegate specific functions of their business to specific parts of the globe. For example, foreign subsidiaries typically purchase components used in end-products from foreign vendors. And then virtually all manufacturing of the components, as well as the assembly of the devices, happens outside the U.S., either by other subsidiaries or by contract manufacturers. But much of the design and marketing activity for these devices occurs in the U.S. As does decision-making about which vendor’s component to use and what price to pay for that component, such as a computer chip. These decisions about which components to incorporate into a product are significant, since those components likely will be used for all products, regardless of where in the world these products are sold.
