10 Industries in Which the U.S. Is No Longer No.1

[FreakinDJ]

Source: Douglas A. McIntyre and Michael B. Saute

10 Industries in Which the U.S. Is No Longer No.1

Americans are used to being No.1 in nearly all the world's businesses and athletic endeavors. The foundation of that certainly began to erode in the 1970's, when much of America's manufacturing industry started to move overseas. Many U.S. companies wanted to cut costs, including high-priced manufacturing jobs. That contributed to the rise of the Japanese and, more recently, the Chinese economies.

As U.S. manufacturing eroded, so did other critical parts of society. American children are no longer the best educated in the world. America's health care system no longer produces the healthiest population. U.S. GDP no longer grows as quickly as it once did, particularly in the recoveries that follow recessions. China now has the fastest-growing large economy in the world. It has passed Japan into the No. 2 spot and economists are forecasting how long it will take to pass the U.S.

America was known for the better part of the last century as the single greatest producer of food for the world. The country still leads in the production of many commodities, but improved farming practices and more advanced seed have allowed the yield per acres in countries like Russia, China Russia and Vietnam to rise.

This is the 24/7 Wall St. analysis of "Ten Industries in Which the U.S. Is No Longer No.1." Whether this list will grow depends on how quickly the American economy improves and whether business innovation continues to increasingly come from overseas. America now fights to remain competitive globally with one hand tied behind its back. The current deficit, growing national debt, lack of government capital for R&D and unemployment all contribute to a crippled economy. Each of these makes it harder for the U.S. economy to regain the ground it has lost over the past few years.

Read more: http://finance.yahoo.com/banking-budgeting/article/111986/10-industries-in-which-the-us-is-no-longer-no-1

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The Gifts of Free Trade / Global Economy just keep on giving and giving and giving .....

.... to everyone else except Americans

[TreasonousBastard]

1. Lettuce production???

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

2. And cabbage.

$

[d_r]

3. beer production?

Quality not quantity?

[mahatmakanejeeves]

10. And in "hectoliters," nonetheless.

Whatever a hectoliter is, either we made 229 or them or 229 million of them two years ago. A million of something is not much different from one of something.

2. Beer Production

Position: 2nd

Leader: China, with 423 million hectoliters in 2009

U.S.: 229 hectoliters in 2009

U.S. beer production in 2000 was the greatest in the world, generating 232 million hectoliters, versus second-place China's 220 million. In just nine years, the People's Republic has roughly doubled its production output to 423 million hectoliters. American output has actually decreased to 229 million. Per capita consumption in China is relatively low at less than half of the level in the U.S. However, China has a drinking population four times larger and has created an industrial capacity in the beer sector that has allowed the country to pull far ahead of the U.S.

[pampango]

4. The US #2 in cars (to Japan) but China is the biggest market. They must import a lot of cars.

Didn't realize that China was the #1 high technology exporter. We're #2 ($381 billion vs. $231 billion). Always think of them in terms of exporting labor-intensive, cheap stuff.

Aircraft production - we're second to those socialist Europeans, but that's goes back and forth every year between Boeing and Airbus for the #1 spot.

The rest are pretty interesting. Beer (China has 5 times as many beer drinkers), coal, lettuce, oil (didn't realize we were that close to Russia and Saudi Arabia-10, 9.7 and 9 mbd respectively), rice, wind energy (we're #1 in alternative energy capacity, but China is in wind energy) and pork.

[tammywammy]

6. China manufacturers a lot of vehicles as well

There's quite a few Chinese manufacturers and other manufacturers making vehicles in China.

[DavidDvorkin]

5. The #1 position in various industries has shifted around the world throughout history

Why should we be surprised that the process continues?

[Fumesucker]

8. Shuffling bad paper loans around aside; what has the US become # 1 in lately? n/t

[DavidDvorkin]

12. I didn't claim that the US has become #1 in something lately

I was pointing out that what we're seeing now -- the US slipping from the #1 position in various categories -- is nothing new in history.

Maybe in the future we will rise to #1 in some category where we're not #1 now. Maybe we won't.

[Fumesucker]

13. I already pointed out something that we have become #1 in..

I was wondering if you knew of anything else, since your post seemed to be saying that #1 position in various industries comes and goes it made me wonder if you had a list.

[Johonny]

7. do we want to be #1 in coal, oil or pork?

[Catherina]

9. But we're number one in exporting trash! Just like the Roman Empire in its final days

Trash! And that's not counting the trash from the entertainment industry or food companies.

Rec'd

[NNN0LHI]

11. As U.S. manufacturing eroded, so did other critical parts of society

Truer words have never been spoken.

I watched it happen with my own two eyes in real time.

Soon as as our union autoworkers took a 50% cut in wages I knew a lot of other workers were going to be looking at similar cuts in their wages if they are lucky enough to have a job at all.

Tried warning people about this but no one wanted to listen then. They were too busy telling everyone about their magical imported cars to pay attention.

Now it is too late.

Don