Many years ago there was a startup which did web-storefront on-demand laser-cut custom-fit khakis. They did the largely-manual stitching in the US, rather than deal with the cost and delay of shipping further.
My fuzzy recollection is they sold out to Levi's, which mismanaged it into nonexistence. The patents prevented replacement. And the stitching factory used eventually died.
So at least some partially-automated traditionally-low-margin industry is/was possible in the US. But the usual issues of losing needed industry infrastructure still apply.
My fuzzy recollection is they sold out to Levi's, which mismanaged it into nonexistence. The patents prevented replacement. And the stitching factory used eventually died.
So at least some partially-automated traditionally-low-margin industry is/was possible in the US. But the usual issues of losing needed industry infrastructure still apply.