AP, WASHINGTONUS Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross on Thursday suggested that a new coronavirus outbreak in China might offer an unexpected benefit for the US economy: It could encourage US manufacturers in China to return home. Some to US, probably some to Mexico as well,” Ross told Fox Business Network. However, skeptics doubt that many US companies with deep roots in China might abandon the country purely over the virus. For one thing, no one knows how long the viral outbreak would last or how much damage it might inflict, and it takes significant time for companies to choose suppliers or locations for their factories. Rosemary Coates, whose Blue Silk Consulting firm helps companies make such decisions, said it was “ridiculous” to think the viral outbreak would result in a significant return of business to the US.
