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foreign mfg, trade war, and tariffs
spasmcreek
Member Posts: 37,717 ✭✭✭
are the fault of our country giving special deals to anyone but AMERICANS......china MFN...most favored with less that 1/10th 0f 1% of their chit inspected on entry ?????? toxic junk in kids toys, poison sheetrock , etc etc,etc....we cannot make it in the USA so we gave enuff money away so china can be #1 in the world now....how STOOPID.... and now media screams buy it now before the price goes up......??????????? sam walton wanted to sell gloves so he made glove factories......his heirs wanted to do it easer so many factories here went down the tube for most anything they now sell
Comments
The American consumer voted and continues to vote with his wallet.
Had we listened to the international lady garment workers union in the 70s and looked for the union or Made in USA label then, we wouldn't be where we are today.
Tariffs are taxes on consumers. If you support higher taxation designed to manipulate your behavior, support tariffs.
That said, with the almost insignificant cost of ocean freight today, there is no reason to expect that US production can compete across all industries. It only makes sense that low value and low margin products come from overseas. Tariffs on these items will not bring production jobs to the US, but will increase prices and thus lower the standard of living for the American consumer.
There is no easy solution. When you buy American you are paying more but keeping the money in our economy. When you buy a tariffed product, you are sending money overseas and to the Federal Government.
Blaming government and bad trade deals is passing the buck, however. At every step of the way, we the consumer chose to abandon US manufacturing to save a few bucks. It looks like we will be paying for that choice now.
Brad Steele
For the next year or so I will not buy anything I know or even believe is made in China. Buy a lot from Walmart and and maybe half or more is Chinese. No problem living years w/o buying a Chinese product. However there are many items Walmart sells that are 100% American made or produced. Most food products like eggs, milk, dairy products, frozen fish, beef chicken etc. I'll keep buying.
Needed a new thermometer and sure enough they were mostly from China but there was one from Germany. If American consumers would unite on where the items they use are manufactured it would put an immediate hurt on the Chinese plus with the tariffs the Chinese should capitulate quickly.
Don't normally think "boycott" but it is obvious the Chinese have gotten a free ride for decades and there should be NO REASON why they shouldn't negotiate. Combination of greed and stupidity?
The U.S. buys $540,000,000 (billion) of goods from China, China buys $50,000,000 from the U.S. Who gets hurts quicker and hurt the most,,, CHINA. Plus companies are already LEAVING CHINA for even cheaper production locations like India, Vietnam, Philippines, etc. many companies are rethinking manufacturing in China, some thinking about moving to the U.S.
The Chinese have a big loser coming their way,,, once a company relocates outside China it'll be hell getting them back. Don't believe for a minute China is omnipotent when it comes to manufacturing, my guess is many of the Chinese factories have a basis in capitalist methods and when that goes south the owner will have no problem bailing out of China.
Used to be...American manufactures made a product - calculated the cost to produce - then added a reasonable profit.
Greedy industry owners, greedy CEO's, greedy investors, greedy governments, greedy unions, greedy marketers, even greedy workers have driven prices to the maximum the market will allow (price point?).
We are talking shoes, cars, guns, widgets, etc., etc., etc...
A large, well-respected American knife maker used to sell their most popular knife for $125, What is their profit margin? My guess is their cost to produce the knife in this country may be $30.
Not long ago, they took their specs to China and had identical knives made for less than $10! Their price, on the American market was still $125.
Lets say it together, "GREED!"
When Americans discovered this 4-letter company was having knives made in China, sales fell off, so prices were lowered to $110 or even a little less. But to no avail.
So this Idaho knife company stopped getting their knives from China Or so they said.
But, as mentioned by other posters, The Chinese are experts at cloning our products. They have excellent steels and processes.
Consequently, I have purchased several knives directly from China over the last 4 years that are identical to the knives being sold by this American company for $110-$125. I have never paid more than $20 for the "knock-offs". So, how do you feel about loyalty to American manufacturers now?
I have used the knives extensively. Actually, I have abused them, after all, they were very cheap knives, One knife, a Skinner, I used to cut asphalt shingles in a roofing project. After cleaning the entire knife with solvent then resharpening it, I used it to dress and butcher two deer.
I'm a Vet, and patriotic, but It is difficult for me to feel guilty when I see this as a win-win for me and I offer 4 major points as support.
1. Low price for a quality knife means I get the tool I require and not out much in the event of a broken or lost knife.
2. My first loyalty is to my family. Each $100 I save is the same as putting an additional $100 in the family account.
3. Many foreign products are clearly superior in quality to comparable American products (big example: Toyota vs. Ford/Jeep/Chevy).
4. American manufacturers have stabbed the American consumers in their collective backs.
When I mentioned to a fellow, that guns are over-priced, he agreed. But said, he makes a lot of money so he doesn't have a problem over-paying.
Some of us aren't over-paid. Some of us are retired. Some of us are frugal. Some of us are too smart for our own good.