Buying made in America vs. China

[look 171]

Originally Posted by steve185

I wanted a new propane range for my camp. Because I am Canadian I look to buy North American. Did a little research online and found Premier ranges built in the USA. Called the company and found a local dealer. Price was comparable to chinese stuff, the reviews for the Premier were much better.
Time to bring our manufacturing back to North America.

As much as I like an American made products, money talks, right? I have a branding iron that I sometimes stamp on the bottoms or side of my cabinets drawers, "Made in Los Angeles, USA". You really thing Apple is going to make that damn phone or those computers here in the US? Are you willing to pay for it? Will the quality be the same? Will unions get involved? Why now Mexico or Central America for their cheap labor? I don't think so.

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

Guess where most fentanyl comes from...

They do make the best schit....

Viruses too!

[group911@aol.co]

Some funny comments considering we all drive around in German cars.

I'd love to have everything made in our back yard but I doubt anybody with kids wants their offspring to aspire to work in that factory churning out endless widgets. Come to think of it, that's probably a good part of the reason nothing is manufactured here.

[KFC911]

^^^^ The non-unionized furniture industry provided good paying blue collar jobs for skilled labor here for decades...

No mas.

[steve185]

As much as I like an American made products, money talks, right? I have a branding iron that I sometimes stamp on the bottoms or side of my cabinets drawers, "Made in Los Angeles, USA". You really thing Apple is going to make that damn phone or those computers here in the US? Are you willing to pay for it? Will the quality be the same? Will unions get involved? Why now Mexico or Central America for their cheap labor? I don't think so.

I know little about the business world, but if the range I bought was made in the USA, and is of comparable price to ones made in China, why can't other products do the same?

[rwest]

I try very hard to buy either US or from countries that treat their workers decently. While doing my kitchen remodel, I’ve been able to get all my plywood and hardwood from the US, hinges and other hardware from the US, drawer slides are from Austria and tiles from Italy. I had to relent and get my LED under cabinet lights from China.

Shoes and clothing are difficult as well. New Balance has a line of made in America shoes, but the majority of theirs aren’t; price is a lot more, but I’m willing to pay it- about $170, although they had a sale a month ago and I got a pair for $130.

If I see some gadget or whatnot that I,like, but don’t need, I will buy it if US, but otherwise will pass it by.

Tough to find out country of origin on lots of items.

My favorite take on the “made in America” labeling was some piece of junk at a surplus store that had the America flag and the words “sold in America”!

[1990C4S]

Originally Posted by steve185

I know little about the business world, but if the range I bought was made in the USA, and is of comparable price to ones made in China, why can't other products do the same?

Simple question. Complicated answer. What components are made in China on your range? How much labor is in the range? Does the added labor cost offset the shipping costs? Is it just Chinese stuff assembled in USA?

Tesla is made in USA, right? Go into the factory and a LOT of parts/castings/electrical components comes from China...

But steel from Canada? Guess what, it could easily be from China. Or Japan. Or Germany.

Are you really buying North American? The world-wide supply chain makes that very unlikely.

Originally Posted by afterburn 549

The time is ripe for a Made In AMERICAN Internet store to open .

Define 'Made In America'. Then look for products that qualify. It might be a very small website. And exceedingly difficult to maintain.

[look 171]

Originally Posted by steve185

I know little about the business world, but if the range I bought was made in the USA, and is of comparable price to ones made in China, why can't other products do the same?

I have the same question about German (some of the US cars) car with their electronics. Why can't they make one that do not fail. Look at Japanese electronic components? Especially ones between the early 90s to mid 2000s.

I think China can and will mfg that range in time. If Viking and Decor are thinking that they will never catch up, sleep with one eye closed. Think about it, if you are a new comer to, say high end range, and want in the US or western market, how or what would you do to break in and make your money so your R and D dept can product a superior product? Go after the low end and move upmarket then you have the funds and means to do so. I bet you they know nothing about market trend, consumer spending, and demand 20 years ago. Now, I am starting to see high end (looking too) ranges in small appliance store. None in the chain stores yet. Taiwan used to produce junks 30 years ago, now they produce the world best carbon bicycles and many other items. I suggest we best not fall asleep with both eyes closed. History has repeated too many times in many segments of the market. Harbor Freight is a prime example. I always thought its a Chinese company, it not. Its a family own business based out of Camarillo, CA. My neighbor over the hill works for them and tells me they are bringing in a completely different quality products along with their worthless junk because it sells so damn well.

[RWebb]

The US was known as a manf. of cheap junk and exported to England and Europe.

This was in the early 1800s and the main export was wooden furniture. Things changed, and I expect them to change in China.

Same with Japan in the 1950s - they quickly went to JIS and high-quality manf. I expect China will be slower.

When something is "Made in the USA" it is often assembled here, from components made in China/mexico/Brazil/india - esp. steel is made in China (except Nucor) and then products made from it here.

Then there is the Taiwan vs. China issue - buy from Taiwan and you are making a stmt. to the C. Party that rules mainland China.

Finally, jobs are not coming back to the US. Manf.ing will come back as robots make more and more items.

[look 171]

Originally Posted by RWebb

The US was known as a manf. of cheap junk and exported to England and Europe.

This was in the early 1800s and the main export was wooden furniture. Things changed, and I expect them to change in China.

Same with Japan in the 1950s - they quickly went to JIS and high-quality manf. I expect China will be slower.

When something is "Made in the USA" it is often assembled here, from components made in China/mexico/Brazil/india - esp. steel is made in China (except Nucor) and then products made from it here.

Then there is the Taiwan vs. China issue - buy from Taiwan and you are making a stmt. to the C. Party that rules mainland China.

Finally, jobs are not coming back to the US. Manf.ing will come back as robots make more and more items.

and then those robots will be sold to or made in China and they will mfg stuff for even less due to rent, lack of unions, and labor and sell it back to us and we will buy them all day long and complain about how we don't mfg anything anymore.

[RWebb]

sure

- they are still buying our turbines/jet engines tho


It's One World, Ready or Not

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by RWebb

Finally, jobs are not coming back to the US. Manf.ing will come back as robots make more and more items.

I wish you well in your pursuit of knowledge since what you have written is bollocks.

Where to start?

Own a manufacturing concern RW?

If so, what type? Metal fab, plastics, composites, electronics (big coming wave here), wiring, combination of those, etc, etc?

What to you and your robots make or as importantly, assemble: Piece parts, lower level assemblies, final assembly and test?

Manufacturing is alive and well in the US. What nearly killed it was onerous regulations and the misapplication of unions. You would be stunned at the innovations in manufacturing and assembly in North America.

I spend, from profit, a lot of money a year to jump through hoops so I can make things.

Onshore, Baby!

[look 171]

We really just need to stop selling our technology to others. I say that and some people call me selfish.

[RWebb]

what about having our IP stolen?

mainland China will stop of course when they have enough IP of their own that they want protections, but that will take a while

[cabmandone]

Originally Posted by look 171

As much as I like an American made products, money talks, right? I have a branding iron that I sometimes stamp on the bottoms or side of my cabinets drawers, "Made in Los Angeles, USA". You really thing Apple is going to make that damn phone or those computers here in the US? Are you willing to pay for it? Will the quality be the same? Will unions get involved? Why now Mexico or Central America for their cheap labor? I don't think so.

I'm already paying for it. It's just that Apple gets to pocket more of it. Don't kid yourself.

[rfuerst911sc]

Seahawk what type of manufacturing are you involved in ? Nice to hear it is thriving within our borders .

[onewhippedpuppy]

I can and will pay more to shop from local businesses and to buy made in America, or at a minimum a quality product (not Chinese). I hope if we learn one thing from current events it will be to reduce our reliance on an enemy nation for our manufacturing. I work in aerospace, one of the few industries in America that contributes to net positive exports. It’s pretty awesome what we can do when not hamstrung.

[RSBob]

Back in the 90’s the cry by big business was for Globalization. The Arthur Anderson group was one of the consulting companies leading the charge in pushing offshoring to major US manufacturers as a way to cut costs and increase profits. It made the shareholders happy while US factory, textile and many more manufacturers had shops in the Far East and other third world low wage countries while eliminating their domestic workforce. People here wanted it cheap, companies are under pressure to have increasing profits and so here we are.

I try to buy American even if it costs more to support American jobs. I try to buy from mom and pop shops rather than big box stores. The more of us who buy US goods made here the better for our economy and fellow Americans. It’s too bad that everyone doesn’t have the income to do that.

Oh, my dad used to be a Pathologist and learned that images of American tissue samples are now being electronically sent to India to be read by their Pathologists whom earn less than their US counterparts, but the amounts charged to patients and insurance companies only goes up.

[john70t]

"Made in America" wasn't all roses in terms of cars.
The 1970's was the decade of massive gas-guzzling square breakdown behemoths, which much of the American public just did not want.

The domestic manufacturers all refused to make any economy cars and thus the Germans and Japanese gained a large foothold on the US market, which stays with us fourty years later. Enter the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, and VW Bug. Inexpensive, good mileage, dependable, easy to repair, etc. The unions had a blast smashing them up in front of t.v. cameras.
With enough lost sales, domestic mnfrs finally did offer comparative models in the 1980's like the Ford Escort, Chevy Citation, etc but it was a slow process.

It's only been recently that US-produced cars are at same build quality or exceed the imports, great mileage for big trucks, but the slide back into super-sizing automobiles have again been a continuing trend. For instance the 1983 Ford Ranger was 175L x 67W, but the 2020 Ranger is now 211L x 73W. Three feet longer.

[Bill Douglas]

Even I bought something made in America, although I live out in the colonies. I had the exact one when I was a kid so I've bought the same again. I'm very pleased it's NOT Chinese. Edit: I would not have bought it if it was Chinese.