BCDI Chairman Report – August 2025

Net International Investment Position (NIIP) is the difference between what a country owns abroad and what it owes to a foreign entity. Positive NIIP means a country is a net lender while a negative figure means the country is a net borrower. The United States is the world’s largest net borrower.

This table compares average household income by percentile and major expenses from 1970 to 2023, highlighting middle-class stagnation and rising costs. Between 1979 and 2021, real earnings for the top 1% and 0.1% rose by 206% and 465%, respectively, according to the Economic Policy Institute.

This comparison of average annual wage increases between China and the U.S. highlights a major disparity. Since 2010, China has a 226% total increase compared to the 52% of the U.S. reflecting the formers rapid economic development.

This table highlights China’s dramatic surge in production of aluminum, steel, and coal, surpassing the U.S. in the production of these critical goods. The U.S. no longer has the capacity to produce enough critical goods or defend itself in the event of war since we import so much from China.

This table tracks vehicle production from 1950 to 2024 across several major automobile manufacturing countries. It showcases China’s rise to becoming the world’s largest vehicle producer in the world, overcoming traditional powerhouses like the U.S. and Japan.

This tables breaks down vehicle production by type (cars, LCVs, HCVs, and buses) for those countries. LCVs are commercial vehicles with a gross weight for no more than 3.5 tons and HCVs are more than 3.5 tons. China leads in cars and HCVs, the U.S. in LCVs, and India in buses.

This table ranks the top global importers of tractors in 2024, with the United States leading by a significant margin, showing how US agriculture is reliant on foreign production.

This table compares the exports of semiconductor-related products between China and the U.S. from 1990 to 2024. It illustrates China’s rapid growth in high-tech, doubling U.S. exports by 2010, and highlights the continued decrease of U.S. exports until 2024.

In the event of a war with China, the U.S. does not have enough domestic drugs to protect our population. This table shows the significant role of China and India supplying pharmaceuticals to the U.S. market, together accounting for 30% of total U.S. pharmaceutical imports.

This table lists the top 5 largest trade deficits by product, with motor vehicles leading, followed by automated data processing machines, telephone sets, medicaments, and blood products.

This table showcases the top 5 products where the U.S. maintains a trade surplus in 2024, led by petroleum gas and oil products, as well as soybeans, corn, and coal.

This table highlights the top 5 products the U.S. has the largest deficit with China in. This includes telephones, data processors, electric accumulators, toys, and parts and accessories for vehicles.

This lists the top 5 products the U.S. maintained a trade surplus on with China in 2024. It is significantly less than the deficits with China, showing an unfair trade balance. The US had a trade surplus in oils with China in 2023 of $9 billion, but 2024 data for trade in oil with China has yet to be released.

This table shows annual wages by education level for Technical and Trade School graduates, those with a High School degree or less, and those with a Bachelor’s Degree. It is growing increasingly difficult to support a middle class lifestyle with just a high school education or even an associate’s degree.