Trump eyes aatmanirbhar US, urges firms to invest in America and train local workers

Donald Trump referred to shipbuilding industry as an example, saying the US used to build one ship everyday and now hardly builds one a year.

US President Donald Trump now wants companies to not just invest in America, but to train local workers in producing complex high-tech goods as he seeks to bring back advanced manufacturing back to his home nation.

Trump said he wants these companies making large-scale investments in the US to bring their experts for a period of time to teach and train local American workers in specialised areas such as semiconductors, shipbuilding and high-tech machinery

"When foreign companies who are building extremely complex products, machines, and various other "things," come into the United States with massive investments, I want them to bring their people of expertise for a period of time to teach and train our people how to make these very unique and complex products, as they phase out of our country, and back into their land," Trump wrote in a post on X.

The President said that this transfer of knowledge is required for long-term investments by foreign conglomerates and to restore American industrial strength.

"If we didn't do this, all of that massive Investment will never come in the first place -- chips, semiconductors, computers, ships, trains, and so many other products that we have to learn from others how to make, or, in many cases, relearn, because we used to be great at it, but not anymore," Trump added.

Trump referred to shipbuilding industry as an example of America's decline in manufacturing, saying the US used to build one ship everyday and now hardly produces one a year.

He argued that allowing expert workers from abroad to help rebuild American know-how temporarily would lead to long-term independence and even excellence.

"I don't want to frighten off or disincentivize investment into America by outside Countries or Companies. We welcome them, we welcome their employees, and we are willing to proudly say we will learn from them, and do even better than them at their own "game," sometime into the not too distant future!" his post read.

The remark comes as the United States pushes to boost its domestic manufacturing sector and calls for manufacturers to invest in the US amid the global economic concerns due to the tariffs imposed by Washington on certain countries.

Earlier this month, Trump stated that certain companies are choosing to build their products in the US to avoid these tariffs and benefit from its protective policies, pointing towards the companies, especially car manufacturers, from China, Mexico, and Canada.

"Thousands of companies are coming into the US... Traditionally, car companies... They are coming from China, Mexico, Canada... They want to build here because, number one, they like to be here, and number two, the tariffs are protecting them. And number three, they want to avoid paying tariffs. When you build their cars here, you don't have any tariffs," he stated during a press conference at the White House.