Percent Global Manufacturing: China versus the US

Despite the continuing rapid growth of industrial production in China and other Asian economies, the United States remains a manufacturing giant, in particular when production is calculated relative to population.

Thus the US, with a population of 335 million, or 4.2% of the World's total, accounts for 16.3% of global manufacturing versus China, with a population of 1.418 billion, or 17.4% of the World's total, which accounts for 31% of global manufacturing.

Thus on a per capita basis, US manufacturing is more than twice (2.16 times) that of China. This difference in relative productivity may continue for some time. Last year, China's industrial production growth outpaced that of the US only slightly at 3.6% versus 3.4%.

Evidently, with a moderate stimulus, the rate of growth in US industrial production might well catch up with, or exceed, that of China. The tariffs planned by the incoming Trump administration may be all it takes.