Overall it's more expensive to hire a person in Germany vs the US, and they have the largest export economy in the world (bigger even vs China)...so I'm sure they would be interested in hearing that it is impossibe.
Isn't Germany a leader in high-tech and high quality goods? "Things" that they feel couldn't be made to the same standards overseas? Besides, Germany's population is only bout 1/4 of the US. Germany will likely keep hold of much of that niche... but that's a different problem than we face in the US. We need a way for high school drop-outs to make $50K per year in new manufacturing.
Interesting: http://www00.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=Germany+vs.+Usa+export http://www00.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=Germany+vs.+Usa+imports We need to cut 1 trill from imports or increase our exports with 1 trill. No biggy. Look at the energy imports.
Since the oil embargo of the '70s, presidents have said, "we need an an energy policy... we need to reduce our dependence on foreign oil".... Yet here we are 35 years later. Imported oil dependence higher than ever... and still no energy policy. Smacks of intentional dereliction, doesn't it?