In an ever-shrinking world, a popular refrain among some skeptics is that American manufacturing is not competitive in the global economy. A new report by the American Automotive Policy Council (AAPC) reveals that is simply not the case. Led by Chrysler, Ford and General Motors, American manufacturing is on the rise, creating jobs and expanding opportunity at a rate that hasn’t been seen in years.
AAPC’s recently released “The State of the U.S. Automotive Industry 2014″, a report that comprehensively lays out the contributions of the American automakers to the U.S. economy. The annual study concluded that after a period of hard decisions, transformation and renewal, the American auto industry is roaring back. This means there are more American-made cars and trucks on the road, greater innovative technologies in American vehicles, and thousands of new American jobs for automakers and their suppliers.
As the heart and soul of American manufacturing, Chrysler, Ford and General Motors employ two out of three of America’s autoworkers. They produce more of their vehicles, buy more of their parts, and conduct more of their R&D in the U.S. than their competitors. The AAPC report also found:
• Chrysler, Ford and General Motors operate 180+ assembly plants, research labs and other facilities in 31 states.
• Automakers and their suppliers are America’s largest manufacturing sector, responsible for 3% of America’s GDP.
• Automakers are America’s largest exporters. Over the past five years, automakers have exported more than $563 billion in vehicles and parts – approximately $86 billion more than the next largest exporting industry.
• Chrysler, Ford and General Motors, together, invest more than $13 billion in R&D every year in the U.S.