U.S. Poised to Become the Low-Cost Manufacturer of the Developed World

August 27, 2013 HBR's The Daily Stat The United States is becoming one of the lowest-cost countries for manufacturing in the developed world: By 2015, average manufacturing costs in Germany, Japan, France, Italy, and the UK will be 8%to 18% higher than in the U.S., estimates Boston Consulting Group. Among the biggest drivers of this advantage are the costs of labor (adjusted for productivity), natural gas, and electricity. The U.S. could capture up to 5% of total exports from these developed countries by the end of the decade, BCG says. SOURCE: The U.S. as One of the Developed World’s Lowest-Cost Manufacturers