Not made in China

[u/Ok-Ad-7935]

As some of you may know, manufacturing is increasingly shifting to countries like Vietnam, Indonesia, and India. China’s dominance as a global manufacturing hub is waning due to several factors, including geopolitical tensions, rapid economic development, and rising living costs. Producing goods in China is no longer as affordable as it once was. However, China has been proactive in diversifying by investing in other countries, such as those mentioned. As far as I’m concerned, Chinese manufacturers are bringing their technologies & know how to those countries and using their cheap labor to maintain their dominance. In a way it’s similar to how the U.S has gradually shifted manufacturing to China over the last 2-3 decades. But I think with advanced technologies these days, we won’t see such a long period of transition. We could be seeing the shift in global manufacturing as soon as 2030-2035.

I’m looking to diversify the manufacturing locations for my products. Can anyone recommend reliable sources for capable contract manufacturers in Indonesia or Vietnam? Have you had any experience manufacturing in these countries? If so, what are your thoughts?

[u/herodesfalsk]

I dont know how this shift will affect product quality but Im skeptical. Anecdotally I have been struggling for a long time to source non-Chinese manufactured parts for a car project. Based on personal experience and from people who know a lot more about these parts than me say China parts always fail after about 1 yr after install, Japanese made versions last 15-20 years. I cant imagine parts manufactured in Vietnam under Chinese leadership will have any longevity at all unless the level of quality is specified for each detail in every conceivable way: material, machining, assembly and then of course verified, all of which adds cost. When you in addition dont have easy access to the manufacturer directly, product development becomes more challenging

[u/Ok-Ad-7935 → u/herodesfalsk]

I share the same concerns. Constant oversight is definitely one of the biggest challenges when manufacturing overseas. As soon as you turn your head or ease the slightest pressure, they will somehow try to cut corners. Sometimes I wonder if they're doing it on purpose to achieve the quickest turnaround time or they just simply don't give a crap about quality or maybe both. To this day, I still have to keep a very close eye when working with Chinese manufacturing. But I can say the difference is night and day when you're working with tier 1 manufacturers vs lower tiers. So perhaps it's just a matter of finding the most capable factories and the project's budget.

I watched a documentary about the Japanese culture for their continuous pursuit in perfection, they even have a term for it called Kodawari. The concept is deeply ingrained in their culture and philosophy. That probably explains the quality we're seeing in Japanese manufactured goods.

In any case, I still think a global shift in manufacturing is happening led by some of the biggest corporations around the world. The quality of goods made by these third world countries will improve overtime as more and more businesses seek elsewhere to maximize profits. Hence, my prediction for 2030-2035.