Manufacturing Cost are low because we are not manufacturing anything!
In the most recent data, manufacturers contributed $2.09 trillion to the economy. This figure has steadily risen since 2009 when manufacturers contributed $1.73 trillion. The sector accounts for 12.0 percent of GDP.
Manufacturing supports an estimated 17.6 million jobs in the United States—about one in six private-sector jobs.
http://www.nam.org/Newsroom/Facts-About-Manufacturing/