Everything is made in China

[Pablo]

I don't think anyone is blaming China for all our problems.

BTW Canada is still our #1 trading country. China is #3, behind Mexico.

China is massive and to say it's one thing that gets people angry is too simplistic. I think what bothers me is the total disrespect in China for our patents and intellectual property.

Got this just today:

Quote:
Dear Sirs,
We are Hanshin company based in Chinese office. We will register the "sickbikeparts" as internet keyword and CN internet domain names. We have handed in our application and are waiting for Mr. Daniel Wang's approval. We think this name is important for our products in Chinese market. Even though Mr. Daniel Wang advise us to change another name, we will persist in this name.
Best regards
Nicholas Liao


Rather than just respect international agreements about licensed names and such, I must argue with these guys - who just rip us off anyway. Not many other countries do this.

 

[Drew99GT]

Originally Posted By: Pablo
I think what bothers me is the total disrespect in China for our patents and intellectual property.



Total disrespect? It's their outright policy! It's theft. It's economic warfare. And we tell them "thank you sir may I have another".

 

[casperfun]

Actually, the last few years. China is the number one importer into the USA.

As for respecting any agreements, I think that is pervasive everywhere.

Even in the USA, american businesses suing each other over similiar names.

I am sure somebody in another culture or country would think of a business with a similiar name in their own language. It happens.

Look at the world in general. Does half the countries keep their word on agreements? Or why else countries have issues with each other.

As if we don't have enough problems with other countries, our very OWN homegrown banks did NOT help the American people.

Can we say Bailout?

As long as a product works and helps society while being safe to use, it does not matter where the heck the product originates.

Because once at the store, you need to support and help your family and you can't worry where the item came from.

That should have been done at the voting booths where you should have the right people representing you so changes that you think should happen in society is accomplished.

The Only people bashing China is behind the almighty Pen or the internet for that matter.

I never see these china bashers at the local store telling me not to buy anything chinese.

Maybe it happens at the WTO protests who knows, but it is usually somebody just whining in the privacy of their own home.

If anybody cares about intellectual property, why not go after the bootleggers selling cds and movies on the street. Or have you ever downloaded music without paying for it?

More Do as I say not what I do "folks" complain about China.

 

[greenaccord02]

Originally Posted By: Blaze
I noticed the Buck knife I got for X-mas was made in CHINA

I thought they were a USA made knife?


Some are, but not all. It depends on the line. Their QC is still pretty good on their stuff, so I'm sure the China made job will serve you well. The steel they use still has to meet the buck spec and may actually have been made here but sent there for fitting and assembly.

If you want quality that's American made, look to Benchmade, Kershaw, Case, and a few others. SOME gerbers are still american made, but not all - it's the same as with Buck. I was given a china gerber (paraframe) a few years ago as a gift for being in a friend's wedding and carried it for several years without issue before getting my Kershaw Leek with the assisted open. Cost about $50 at WalMart. Most hardware stores carry a line of case knives, if you want those. You really have to research your knives these days. Many of the old names that were American made have sold out to chinese holding companies over the years. Schrade (Old Timer), for instance, is one of these.

 

[eljefino]

And the US ripped off British textile mill design:

http://inventors.about.com/od/cstartinventors/a/power_loom.htm

Quote:

Successful power looms were in operation in England by the early 1800s, but those made in America were inadequate. Francis Cabot Lowell realized that for the United States to develop a practical power loom, it would have to borrow British technology. While visiting English textile mills, he memorized the workings of their power looms. Upon his return, he recruited master mechanic Paul Moody to help him recreate and develop what he had seen.


There are reasons for the DMCA that go way beyond kids sharing mp3s on napster. Our intellectual property is the biggest thing we have left.

 

[casperfun]

American Steel Blames China for Sagging Fortunes
First Posted: 01-10-11 08:29 AM | Updated: 01-10-11 08:29 AM

American Steel Blames China for Sagging Fortunes

 

[PandaBear]

Originally Posted By: casperfun
American Steel Blames China for Sagging Fortunes

Quote:
China's steel producers wield an arsenal of unfair advantages, Nucor complains, from an artificially undervalued currency to near-limitless state credit and free land for new factories, resulting in surplus product landing on global markets at otherwise impossibly cheap prices--sometimes less than the cost of the raw materials.


That's what I've said. The US politicians are in bed with businesses whose profit depends on cheap import, and our government didn't help our strategic industry like foreign companies' governments do. This is a repeat of how Japanese stole our DRAM market share and how Korean stole Japan's later on. Just happened that the government of China thinks that steel, automotive, and infrastructure are strategic so they'd lose money to build them up.

In the US? We only care about the wall street and defense.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: PandaBear
Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL
The relationship with China is not the same. Not from a currency perspective. Not from a trade perspective. Not from a political perspective, nor that of a cultural perspective. China is USED due to cost. And China's government, as well as US companies are essentially exploiting the Chinese people to their own financial benefit.


India? Mexico? Philippine? Korea? They all have very different culture and very horrible problems of their own that we turned a blind eye to when importing their products and services. Caste system that violate basic human equality, corrupted government that keep people in poverty, and government and people [Korea] that would not buy from anyone outside their own people in and out of their nation even if it is their own neighbors. How come we haven't have the same level of reactions?

How come I have a feeling that many here think that they are not threats because they are our virtual puppet colonies but China is not willing to budge, so we must listen to politicians' propaganda that China is to blame for all of our financial problems?


I'm not in disagreement with what you've stated. I don't turn a blind eye to the conditions in those other locations. Simply pointing out the difference between Canada and China. As well as Canada and all those other countries!

I think the reaction is based on the volume. You see far more things branded with China than with Philippines or Korea, at least that's the case when I shop.

I don't blame China for our problems. Responsibility is a trait that appears to be lost on modern society.

 

[Liquid_Turbo]

Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL


I don't blame China for our problems. Responsibility is a trait that appears to be lost on modern society.


Well said!

 

[Blaze]

Just got home from Napa auto parts and noticed the Napa Gold oil filter I bought for my John Deere tractor has a made in Mexico sticker. Probably bought 30 oil filters for it over the years and this is the first time I have seen this sticker on the filter.

 

[andyd]

geeze, I'm gonna check my STP filters. I just dont wanna see what happened to the Brits in the 20th century, happen to US in the 21st.

 

[Mr Nice]

Originally Posted By: mechanicx
Inflation has been rising every year all the while products have been outsourced and imported from China and other low cost countries. Wages and benefits have been stagnate or dropping, unemployment rising, and job security is gone. There are a lot of hidden costs to the supposedly cheaper outsourced goods. Chinese products are generally low quality and the price is pretty much the same as the previous US made version.


Just wondering.... are you a Union memebr ?
Your first two sentences seem very Pro Union without saying it.

With the way things are going.... they last thing American folks want and need are goods made in the USA costing three times what they are currently paying for when they shop at Chinamart (Walmart).

And for the record I've owned stock in Walmart for the last 15 years.

 

[jsharp]

For those that believe we don't build anything here anymore. It's a couple of years old but it's the latest data I can find -

UN Data for global manufacturing, billions of current US dollars:
Code:


Country 1990 1995 2000 2005 2006 2007 2008



USA 1,041 1,289 1,543 1,624 1,712 1,756 1,831

China 145 300 484 734* 891* 1,106* 1,399**

Japan 810 1,219 1,034 979 927 923 1,045

Germany 438 517 392 571 608 711 767

Italy 240 226 206 295 302 345 381

UK 206 218 226 264 295 323 323

France 200 233 190 255 255 287 306

Russia 120 64 45 124 157 206 256

Brazil 120 125 96 137 163 201 237

Korea 66 131 136 211 234 260 231

Spain 112 104 98 160 170 196 222

Mexico 62 67 133 154 175 182 197

Canada 92 100 129 168 182 197 195

India 51 61 69 122 141 177 188


From - http://investing.curiouscatblog.net/2009/10/13/data-on-the-largest-manufacturing-countries-in-2008/

Unfortunately what we no longer make are everyday items and consumer goods. Inexpensive to moderate cost items that people see and use everyday. So that toaster or coffee maker or refrigerator or drill that you at one time could expect to last 20+ years is now either disposable or comes with a much shorter lifespan. And since virtually everyone has moved manufacturing of those items to China you really don't have much choice in what you buy. $10 items are as long lived as $100 items when they come from the same plant and are built with the same substandard materials from the same set of (low)standards.

As far as Chinese manufacturing, a few of us at work have been tracking the things we buy and have come up with the 50% rule. You'll end up buying 2 of any item you need to get one that works adequately and then only initially. Having items of different design or from different manufacturers ups your chances but only marginally.

The last paragraph isn't really factitious though it sounds like it. That really is about the average we're running since we started keeping track.

I put a battery maintainer and a negative battery terminal on my tractor this weekend. My score for this weekend - 50%

One charger was DOA. One of a different design was OK.
One battery terminal cracked in half before I could get it tight on the battery post, one was fine.

50%
Ain't life grand.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: LT4 Vette
Originally Posted By: mechanicx
Inflation has been rising every year all the while products have been outsourced and imported from China and other low cost countries. Wages and benefits have been stagnate or dropping, unemployment rising, and job security is gone. There are a lot of hidden costs to the supposedly cheaper outsourced goods. Chinese products are generally low quality and the price is pretty much the same as the previous US made version.


Just wondering.... are you a Union memebr ?
Your first two sentences seem very Pro Union without saying it.

With the way things are going.... they last thing American folks want and need are goods made in the USA costing three times what they are currently paying for when they shop at Chinamart (Walmart).

And for the record I've owned stock in Walmart for the last 15 years.







You are right. They need the same goods produced here.... And sold at the same price.

We don't pay less for a product when its manufacture is sourced to China, Mexico or anywhere else. Sometimes we even end up paying more. What DOES happen is that it increases profit margins.... Many times at the cost of quality.

There is no "excuse" other than greed. It doesn't have to cost more to be manufactured here.

 

[casperfun]

That's why we have a receipt.

Do people really have the time to actually focus on the "made in China" label when a newly bought product does not work?

I think most don't give a second thought where something is made and just get a refund or replacement as a part of life.

Also my feelings if it was American made. I do not think most Americans would want some of the jobs that the so-call chinese workers have supposedly taken away.

Just look at the restaurant industry. You seen the videos online or on tv on what a food preparer may do and it's truly disgusting. I am not talking about the unintentional hair falling or unwashed hands.

This is probably because they hate their job and we just talking about hamburgers and salads.

I think most brands from major manufactuers are ok and will work 90% of the time but of course a no-name manufactuer's product might not last as long.

 

[casperfun]

Just out of curiosty and no surprise, I happen to finally open the box of my new Black & Decker can opener.

Ok, Black & Decker is usually synonymous within the realm of american made products or so I thought. Tools and stuff right?

Of course in this day and age I was expecting it being made out of the country of good ole USA.

Well looking under the can opener, I found nothing. Hmmmm, the box contained a clue.
It seems that there was a hint on the outside packaging because it says Chong Hing Hong Printint Packaging Co, LTD.

Perhaps they just made the box because it did not say MADE in China there. ( Who am I kidding)

So I looked inside the directions/brochure and BINGO,

I found:

Made in the People's Republic of China.
Printed in the People's Republic of China.

Of course instructions for English/Spanish/French

I guess Black & Decker wanted to minimize where the item was made by not including it at the bottom of the product.

Seems like a very well made product and works nicely!

 

[daves87rs]

Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL
Originally Posted By: PandaBear
Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL
The relationship with China is not the same. Not from a currency perspective. Not from a trade perspective. Not from a political perspective, nor that of a cultural perspective. China is USED due to cost. And China's government, as well as US companies are essentially exploiting the Chinese people to their own financial benefit.


India? Mexico? Philippine? Korea? They all have very different culture and very horrible problems of their own that we turned a blind eye to when importing their products and services. Caste system that violate basic human equality, corrupted government that keep people in poverty, and government and people [Korea] that would not buy from anyone outside their own people in and out of their nation even if it is their own neighbors. How come we haven't have the same level of reactions?

How come I have a feeling that many here think that they are not threats because they are our virtual puppet colonies but China is not willing to budge, so we must listen to politicians' propaganda that China is to blame for all of our financial problems?


I'm not in disagreement with what you've stated. I don't turn a blind eye to the conditions in those other locations. Simply pointing out the difference between Canada and China. As well as Canada and all those other countries!

I think the reaction is based on the volume. You see far more things branded with China than with Philippines or Korea, at least that's the case when I shop.

I don't blame China for our problems. Responsibility is a trait that appears to be lost on modern society.


+1

 

[Blaze]

The school where my wife works bought a years supply of pencils and they have had nothing but problems with the lead falling out. Basicly the whole batch is unuseable..... made in China.

 

[Loobed]

Originally Posted By: casperfun
Originally Posted By: Pablo
How come no one is griping about Sweden?

IKEA

Because they are blond and blue-eyed!

With China there's more Xenophobia,

hence the bashing.

Would you rather drive a Volvo or a ChingBangDingSang?

 

[jsharp]

Originally Posted By: casperfun
That's why we have a receipt.

Do people really have the time to actually focus on the "made in China" label when a newly bought product does not work?

I think most don't give a second thought where something is made and just get a refund or replacement as a part of life.



I work in manufacturing for a company that manufactures products in the US. We look at everything to see where it came from. If we ran the failure rates we see in Chinese consumer goods we'd have long ago gone out of business.

Sure, you can take any bad item back. Or send it back if you bought it online. That doesn't really help finish the job you're doing right now though does it? The question really isn't how much time it takes to look at where an item is made, the question should be how much time do you care to waste going through items to find the good one.

Over the last century we got used to things we bought working properly when we purchased them. I guess now some people have resigned themselves to that no longer being the case. I'm not now nor ever will be one of those people.