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By Alex Lennane
Last year saw renewed economic optimism in the US – even in the face of the fiscal cliff and debt ceiling concerns. But all the talk of manufacturing coming home, and increased exports, was not supported by the figures – which Supply Chain Digest has handily put together. Manufacturing started strongly, but ended the year flat, while US imports from China exceeded 2011 in every month except August. Plus ça change.
Meanwhile, that bellwether of outsourcing and Chinese exports, Li & Fung, saw its operating profit take a 40% slump in 2012 as its US business weakened.