Still, for many tasks, companies like Sea-Land say they must spread their work to lower-cost countries to stay competitive.

Most of the factories are small, and many resist changes like shifting production to lower-cost countries.

Moreover, textile plants - prime customers for fibers - have been closing across the United States, victim to competition from lower-cost countries.

Moving jobs to lower-cost countries is part of that, Mr. Chambers said.

"But we cannot compete with lower-cost countries."

International manufacturers are already talking about moving factories to lower-cost countries like Vietnam.

It isn't just the car industry that is moving production to lower-cost countries.

Toshiba has also shifted more basic production to factories in Malaysia, Thailand and other lower-cost countries.

This does not mean that Playmobil steers clear of lower-cost countries.

Retirement migration from rich countries to lower-cost countries with better climate is a new type of international migration.