It's very a strange thing for people latch onto. One that doesn't exactly pass the smell test.

The US in 2023 exported about 4x more per capita inflation adjusted goods than we did in 1975.

In raw manufacturing, in 2023 we manufactured about about 8% more than 1975 when adjusted for pulopulation and inflation. Let's call it the same amount in raw $$ when all adjusted.

Clearly we not only make stuff here, we make more than we used to in the 70s. Note: perhaps the 60s was higher, I would need to run the numbers.

A key difference however could be that the share of GDP fromanufacturing is massively less today than in 1975. Along it 'feel less'.