Mike Rowe, Ford CEO warn of manufacturing crisis amid China threat

As American manufacturers scramble to fill hundreds of thousands of open jobs, China is redoubling its efforts to become the world’s workshop, and industry experts say the stakes could not be higher.

“If I had one of those big red bells at the fire department, I would hit it with a hammer. I would ring the alarm. That’s what it is,” mikeroweWorks CEO Mike Rowe warned Sunday on “One Nation with Brian Kilmeade.”

Rowe warned of what he sees as an existential threat to America’s manufacturing base, pointing to a growing gap between open skilled trade jobs and the number of workers entering those fields.

Ford CEO Jim Farley echoed that concern, warning that the United States is “in a war to manufacture” as China rapidly expands its manufacturing capacity.

Report warns that tariff uncertainty threatens $490 billion in US manufacturing investments

“We have about 400,000 people we need,” Farley said.

“At Ford this morning, we had 6,000 booths open with no mechanics to fix our cars.”

He added that jobs are becoming more complex and require greater technical skills and innovation, a challenge that a major company like Ford can likely overcome. But serious problems remain for small businesses.

“The plumber and electrician who have our super duty. What would they do if they didn’t have the resources at Ford? They barely get through their day with so much routine,” he said.

The Trump administration is sending workers overseas to boost American shipbuilding and combat China’s edge

Workers rush to manufacture large quantities of security casting orders, Hai’an City, Jiangsu Province, China, April 14, 2020. (Costphoto/Barcroft Media via Getty Images/Getty Images)

“For them, trying to find the next generation, as Mike said, is very difficult, and we have to help them. Companies like Ford have to get help. We have a lot of work to do as an entire industry.”

While American companies struggle to find workers, China is not waiting, Farley said.

He noted that during the pandemic, China made “huge leaps” in manufacturing, and emerged from Covid-19 stronger and more determined to control global production.

“I go to China regularly…” Farley said. “They want to be the exporter of heavy manufacturing to the world. They now have twice as many car plants as their domestic markets can handle. They want to export all of it to create these great jobs.”

Get FOX Business on the go by clicking here

He continued: “We are now in a war for global industrialization…”

“When I went to China, I came back with a completely different perspective. They want every one of our jobs in our place.”