The Daily The Messy Reality of ‘Made in America’
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Dec 22, 2025 
Peter S. Goodman, a New York Times journalist covering the global economy, dives into the complex reality of building a massive chip factory in Arizona. He discusses how this project symbolizes a shift toward reshoring manufacturing and why chip production became a national priority. Goodman highlights the challenges of U.S. regulations, the burdens of compliance, and labor shortages. He reflects on the local pushback against industrial projects, weighing the need for national goals against community rights.
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On-Site: A Desert Of Cranes
- Peter S. Goodman describes standing in a vast, crane-filled desert site with dozens of cranes and roaring machinery.
- He compares the scale to explosive construction booms he saw in Shanghai and Dubai.
Factory As National Insurance
- The Phoenix complex symbolizes a political consensus to onshore critical manufacturing like chips.
- Chips are strategic insurance against supply shocks and geopolitical risk.
Subsidies Replace Pure Market Logic
- The Chips and Science Act uses subsidies to shift from pure market allocation to strategic industrial policy.
- TSMC received over $6 billion to build a major U.S. manufacturing footprint in Arizona.