American companies have been shifting their manufacturing operations to facilities they own overseas to produce goods and services for their overseas customers. These actions came into the spotlight last week as President Bush's choice for assistant secretary of commerce for manufacturing, Anthony F. Raimondo, came under fire by the Kerry campaign. Raimondo and CEO's of most manufacturing companies claim that these moves are an important part of keeping American industry competitive in the global marketplace. Critics say the shifting of work is harming American workers and the economy.
See "Increasingly, American-Made Doesn't Mean in the U.S.A.", Louis Uchitelle, The New York Times, March 18, 2004