Comment on Can the U.S. Catch Up? Trump’s Executive Orders Aim to Spark Drone Manufacturing Boom by Jim Willson

It’s not just R&D, Engineering and final assembly. The US in general has lost many of it manufacturing capability and corporate know-how in things like tooling, machining, fabrication of many plastics. All of these processes are performed outside the US, and the cost to re-tool America is high. The cost to produce the materials in America is high. The standard of living (cost of living) is higher in the US and for each and every one of these processes the higher labor costs multiplies on itself. So anything “Made in America” involving any form of serious manufacturing will be 2-4 times as expensive.

So, where it is needed (e.g., defense, security, etc.) and the government is paying for it, place all of the restrictions you want. But where that is not needed (Prosumer, municipal public service, volunteering SAR, recreation, etc.) set cybersecurity standards that EVERY country must meet and let the markets compete.