We need to stay ahead of the competition

I READ in the business section (Irish Examiner, October 1) that the American Chamber of Commerce chief executive, Joanne Richardson, stated that, despite our current world class reputation as a manufacturing location, we are vulnerable to competition from low-cost countries in the manufacturing area.

I have been to various parts of the EU, the US and Japan for business purposes and, recently, to the Czech Republic.

This was a difficult place to get to, but I thought the trip would be interesting as this was, as countries go, new.