Made in China. Made in China. Made in China. Made in...

[GraphiteZen]

....China. Made in China. Made in China. Boy doesn't that just roll right off your tongue?

My $120 pair of polarized sunglasses:


My lifejacket:


Both my fishing caps:




My new Johnson reel:


My Rapala line counter:


Some of my baits (I suspect more than just some):


This is my pontoon boat and the label used to say "Made in China":


And my Cannon Powershot? Made in China. I would have taken a picture of the label, but I'm not that clever.

I bought a half gallon of milk the other day and you know what it said? Made in China. Now how is THAT possible!?!

[timinthegorge]

I expect the content of the jug were probably "made" a little closer to home, but your point is well taken.

Makes one wonder why there's 19% of the American public that STILL thinks this country is on the Right track.....

[jfa686]

makes me sick. but how else can you mark something up 300% and still stay competative

[Queeg]

If more of us were willing to work for a dollar a week, those labels could all say Made In USA !!

[Chug]

Originally Posted by Queeg

If more of us were willing to work for a dollar a week, those labels could all say Made In USA !!

Getting harder & Harder to buy ONLY USA made.

[Just_learning]

Originally Posted by Queeg

If more of us were willing to work for a dollar a week, those labels could all say Made In USA !!

Thats capitalism at its best. The purpose of any manufacturing business is to build a product for as little as you can and sell it for a maximum profit.

If we paid a fair wage domestically, I cant say the quality of the product would get any better, but the US would not be the most "prosperous" country. Nothing is worse than a sense of entitlement for the purchase of domestically made products. Give me a similar product made in china for 10% less than I can spend on an American product and i will speak with my wallet.

[Chrome Bumper]

Quit whining and buy domestic if you have any issues with Chinese products. Chinese have been exporting to the west for over 2,000 years. I find it a good thing that they are trading with the rest of the world again.

[lundprov]

When i first got into selling parts we used to buy everything from the dealers till the prices just got to high to sell the end user will not pay
that kind of price to fix his car so we were forced to make parts in China & Taiwan & India

[ORsouthpaw]

Here's one for you. We recently puchased a new American Flag and guess what? It's "Made in China". Ol Betsy Ross is probably tuning in her grave!

[butwhymalemodels]

U.S Reels are made in China


Shoot, I think even I was made in China.

[Gus Orviston]

it all starts with, where do I get the best price on xyz?

If we were all happy paying more china manufacturing would have never got started.

The going wage for factory work here is either 1$ per day, or 1$ per hour, depending on the industry and location of manufacturing.

There is more manufacturing jobs in China than the US could ever want to employ if all americans did the job. get it.. even if we were all unemployeed and looking for work,, there would be more manufacturing jobs in china than we could do. And most of us wouldn't be qualified to stand there for 10 hours doing the job.
so our meager 5 percent of unemployed, which is what 10 million wouldn't put a dent in all the manufacturing jobs in China.

With regards to marking up 300%,, that is where the US gets its money. manufacturing is a 4% business, and very competitive. example: your computer was designed and built in Taiwan and manufactured in China. The company that did it makes 4% on each machine, its cost is 400$. So the Taiwan company makes 16$ on each computer. By the time it gets to the shelf in the US, it is nearly 800-1,000 dollars. now who do you think is getting the money.... ... ... ah the US, or whatever country did the retail sales.

And finally, the US couldn't do it better, why,, because the companies in China are trained and managed by expats, driving quality standards, process etc.. The stuff China makes for china.. is serious krap. I am not kidding you have never seen anything like it.. it is pure junk,, from the wrapper to the garbage in 1 day or less. Export quality is controlled by the west, without the west China would stumble.

one more note, The inflation rate here is more than 8%,, that will put prevailing wages near the US in 10 years for the median, the factory workers continue up faster. By the time it is no longer cost effective to build here due to salary increase China will not have learned to do the manufacturing quality required to supply the world. Why.. it will take a generation of learning like Japan and Taiwan when through, but inflation is outpacing their time to get it done.

next it will be vietnam, africa? etc... Oh, and I think china will be hurting in 10+ years as a result.

gus

[sandman]

Originally Posted by butwhymalemodels

U.S Reels are made in China


Shoot, I think even I was made in China.

Thats funny

[Cat n Tat's Dusky]

I stopped by a gift shop in New Mexico, and a good portion was made in China.

"Authentic" Southwest stuff.........

[IDWITHELD]

This just turns my stomach.

Originally Posted by ORsouthpaw

Here's one for you. We recently puchased a new American Flag and guess what? It's "Made in China". Ol Betsy Ross is probably tuning in her grave!

Five years ago I read an article in a trade mag that identified the Mexican government was concerned at the export of their high tech jobs to China.
How ironic. Those jobs were created in mexico by American companies. Those (American) companies continue to move to the NEXT low cost manufacturing centers (countries)...and the next...and the next.

[rob allen]

the important thing to remember is this.. China is not full of chinese companies.. It's full of American companies running facilities with chinese workers these are products that used to be made in America. Rather than complain about products being made in China, complain to your congressman about American companies taking away jobs from Americans and giving them to the Chinese. America is still the giant manufacturing country, it's just we do all our manufacturing in China..

for fishermen there are still tons of good products that are made in America, try them...

[s20055]

How could you miss the big "For Sale" sign in front of the USA?

[jfa686]

Gus either way it's still 300% look at Coleman camping products...and I will agree that wallyworld is the devil...vietnam has been done...maybe "made in Iraq" in 10-20 years?

[backlash442]

Wonder how much lead is in that stuff you/we buy. Even Disney sleeping bags had lead in them.

[Flatfish]

I don't get it.

Folks get mad if it says made in china on the label.
Folks complain about high prices

Welcome to the world economy. You cannot have your cake and eat it too.

[rob allen]

Originally Posted by Flatfish

I don't get it.

Folks get mad if it says made in china on the label.
Folks complain about high prices

Welcome to the world economy. You cannot have your cake and eat it too.

that's a false choice... American company's go to China not in order to have a profit. they go there to greatly expand their profits the products would sell for the same price regardless of where they were made.

take the lures as an example

Luhr Jensen baby hot lips crank baits made in Mexico. retails for around 4.50

Normans crankbait of the same size and quality retails for 3.89 made in America

it's not a price issue it's an issue that some American companies care about their employees others don't. that's the only issue here.

[Irish Pennant]

This is a subject that peeves me off. I've worked in manufacturing my whole adult life. I've been down sized and out sourced so many times and I've had my life savings wiped out just as many times. I've had good friends lose everything they worked for. Manufacturing is a good, honest and skilled trade, these companies that went off shore are nothing less than traitors and this government from Reagan fwd encouraged it. We have been betrayed, period. The high cost of gas is due in a big part because of "made in china". The chickens have come home to roost. Look at all your made in china crap and then look at your gas gage. Don't tell me that lives being turned upside down, families being stressed, the economy of towns and cities being ruined, the loss of a vital segment of our economy and the loss of good paying blue collar jobs is good for me, BS. These are criminal acts. These are treasonous acts. I say fine if you want to build your product off shore then tax the hell out of it so it can provide free college education for my children, they can't follow in my foot steps because my foot steps are now "made in china" so let the traitors pay for my kids college education.

[JustCallMeDave]

That's capitalism.

[Irish Pennant]

Originally Posted by JustCallMeDave

That's capitalism.

That your opinion

[weekender]

The root cause of the problem is American Unions.

[JustCallMeDave]

No seriously, it's capitalism. Joe Consumer wants to buy his widget for ultra-cheap at Dollar Mart, Wal-Tree, whatever. He won't buy from the local corner merchant cuz the local corner merchant can't sell that low and is on the verge of closure anyway. In order for Dollar Mart to be able to sell at that ultra-cheap price and still make a profit, they have to find it for ultra-cheaper. If Acme Widget Company wants that business, they'll take the contract. In order to fill the contract and make a profit, they have to get the materials and labor for ultra-ultra-cheap somewhere. And that somewhere just isn't the Ewe Ess of Aye right now.

Of course, our dollar value sucks right now so it's actually costing MORE for American companies to get that overseas labor and production. The only way that Acme Widget Company can now stay competitive with the foreign companies making the very same widget is to move overseas themselves.

What you have in the end is Joe Consumer in Wal-Tree gleefully buying his widgets for the price that he wants, and then coming home to Ifish and complaining that gas/oil prices are too high and the job market is too rough. He doesn't recognize that his need for an ultra-cheap widget is what is causing the problem, so he keeps blindly buying his widgets.

So yes, it's definitely capitalism. I'm not saying it's right, I'm just saying what it is.

[weekender]

Originally Posted by Irish Pennant

That your opinion

The Key words in the definition of "Capitalism" are "and operated for profit"

And the idea that I should pay for your kids college education is just silly. They are your kids, not mine. Step up to the plate...

[rob allen]

Originally Posted by weekender

The root cause of the problem is American Unions.

couldn't be more wrong!!!!

[JustCallMeDave]

"No single raindrop blames itself for the flood."

[rob allen]

and Dave that's not an accurate description of what has happened.

Wal-tree came in with low prices for the sole purpose of putting the mom and pop stores out of business so as to monopolize the market and become the only place available to buy said widgets. then they increased the amount of overseas stuff them bought and sold to further increase their profits...

putting this on the consumer is just flat out false...

i will not do business with the Yakima bait company or Luhr Jensen because they moved their production from the USA to Mexico. also note that their prices have INCREASED!!!!! that and their product is inferior to similar products made in America...

[duckboy]

I bought a pair of shoes a few years ago.

They said (USA) on the side and had the US Flag embroidered on them etc.

I got em home and my wife laughed and noticed that they said "Made in China" on the side.

Crap.

[Chrome Bumper]

Originally Posted by Irish Pennant

provide free college education for my children

The Chinese do that for their best and brightest.

[uhmw]

So if your so torked off about it just swear off all chineese made goods. After living in the woods off beer for a few months the chineese stuff might not seem so bad.

[Thumper]

'Tis a world economy. Them's the facts. Nobody's fault.

Well, maybe the Japanese. They somehow decided to survive post-WWII by making good products to sell at lower prices throughout the world.

Danged Japanese......

[Chrome Bumper]

The Chinese sent goods down the silk road in the first century BC.

Japan was exporting cheap trinkets, until the Americans took over after the war, and sent Japanese to American universities where they learned well and took the quality baton.

Blame the Americans.

[Kencreep]

It's the Walmart mentality...sickening.

[Flat Lander]

Even the cook on the Ponderosa was made in China

[JustCallMeDave]

Originally Posted by rob allen

and Dave that's not an accurate description of what has happened.

Wal-tree came in with low prices for the sole purpose of putting the mom and pop stores out of business so as to monopolize the market and become the only place available to buy said widgets. then they increased the amount of overseas stuff them bought and sold to further increase their profits...

Sam Walton didn't start his business "for the sole purpose of putting the mom and pop stores out of business". What happened is that Wal-Mart got bigger and bigger because people kept shopping there. Folks like to buy stuff conveniently and inexpensively. Now that Wal-Mart is the size that they are, they can dictate the rules as far as distributors who want to sell to them. That means that Wal-Mart can force their vendors to sell at an absolute minimum of profit, if they in fact want to work with them.

Originally Posted by rob allen

putting this on the consumer is just flat out false...

I would venture to guess that if people quit buying stuff at Wal-Mart that Wal-Mart would cease to be the market power that they are. Therefore, the whole shebang is directly on the shoulders of the consumer.

Originally Posted by rob allen

i will not do business with the Yakima bait company or Luhr Jensen because they moved their production from the USA to Mexico. also note that their prices have INCREASED!!!!! that and their product is inferior to similar products made in America...

And that is certainly your perogative as an informed American. Not everyone shares your passion on this front, so the Wal-Tree's and Dollar Marts of the world will continue to profit.

[weekender]

Originally Posted by weekender

the root cause of the problems is American Unions.

Originally Posted by rob allen

couldn't be more wrong!!!!

It was tongue in cheek, but non the less it effects costs drastically. In your dream world, are consumers not price conscious? Do you buy gas at Arco ($3.83), Chevron ($3.99) or Shell ($4.07)? Groceries at the little corner co-op or Winco? Motor Oil at the Mini Mart or Walmart?

The idea that people dont do at least some of their shopping based on price is foolish and the idea that it isn't less expensive to manufacture a product in China than America is equally foolish.

I must have gotten confused somewhere along the lines becasue I thought the goal was for American companies to make money for their share holders. I was thinking ultimately, that is whom/what they are held accountable to. Silly me.

[jfa686]

Originally Posted by uhmw

So if your so torked off about it just swear off all chineese made goods. After living in the woods off beer for a few months the chineese stuff might not seem so bad.

even beer is at risk....http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com...ngOfBeers.aspx

[Chrome Bumper]

Chinese beer and Peking duck, Ummmm Gooood, please pass the plum sauce.

[jvp]

when i was younger everything was made by that nice man JA Pan. got a little older and it was korea, bangladesh, india, ............

hmmm i see a trend and I hear the same things i heard about everything being made elsewhere as i did 40-50 years ago. so does Japan complain now about where things are made?

[Oregon_Lass]

Originally Posted by Flat Lander

Even the cook on the Ponderosa was made in China

Now That's just dang funny....

[jvp]

Originally Posted by Flat Lander

Even the cook on the Ponderosa was made in China

Victor Sen Yung (揚森, pinyin: Yáng Sēn) (born October 18, 1915 in San Francisco, California – died November 9, 1980 in North Hollywood, Los Angeles, California)

now that is funny

[FrogPond]

Hop Sing! loved that show.

[yankemnbankem]

Hey, I designed a logo for a Swimsuit company in the USA......that gets it's product mfg in China and then sells them only in china, Australia and Europe. Im in the process of Trademarking it now.....Hows that for Capitalism! It works both ways. Unions arent to blame, The Bushes arent to blame, the next president wont be to blame and your next door neighbors cat isnt to blame (even though you want to blame him sometimes). It is just the sign of the times.....or you could call it "Growing Pains". I personally love America the capitalist country, "LAND OF O P P O R T U N I T Y.

NOTHING IN THIS LIFE IS FREE.........GET BACK TO WORK! or as I call it "Hunker down and pay"

[roadsend]

Originally Posted by jfa686

even beer is at risk....http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com...ngOfBeers.aspx

Customer: "Um, may I please have a Made in China beer."

Bartender: "Leaded or unleaded?

[Got One!]

I remember in the late 1980s and early 90s when Wal-Mart was touting Sam Walton's "Buy American" campaign. I doubt you can find anything American made in Wal-Mart now.

[Jennie@ifish]

Gosh. Did anyone break the "no politics" rule, here?

Off to work I go. If this thread disappears, that means I'd rather go fishing than clean it all up.

Think "life in general"... family, kids, gardens, ummmm fishing.

Jen

[Danno]

Thank goodness that Portland has so many hometown brewers. The Belgians can have Budweiser. No loss there.

In a global economy, if company A-*** makes products of the same quality in China as does B-Yank with their manufacturing in the US but sells it for less (yet equal profit), people will buy the A-*** brand and the B-Yank company will fade away and die. If A-*** is a non US based company, the jobs lost at the US based B-Yank are lost forever. It's better to have B-Yank to move thier production to China and remain competitive with A-*** so that they can compete not only in America but globally.

Every country that has offered up low wage jobs eventually ends up with a strong middle class economy like ours. Look at Japan, Taiwan, Korea, Malaysia, and Singapore. It will happen in China and eventually in India (the next big manufacturing site). It'll just take longer because of the 2.5 billion people in the two countries. Vietnam and other such countries won't ever be significant players as their populations are too small to see more than a decade or two of low wage benefits. Someday, maybe 100 years from now, the labor playing field will level. Until then, vote with your consumer dollars. it's your only choice.

Lastly, Americans have seen this occuring for two generations. We will never recover the manufacturing jobs we once had. College educations will be needed more than ever to keep employment options open. Looks for the professions that cannot be sent overseas and get your kids educated. Stop looking for someone else to take care of you through taxes, tariffs, trade laws or protectionism. We live in a global economy and we're better off competing in it that we are hiding from it.

[jvp]

Originally Posted by Jennie@ifish

Gosh. Did anyone break the "no politics" rule, here?

Off to work I go. If this thread disappears, that means I'd rather go fishing than clean it all up.

Think "life in general"... family, kids, gardens, ummmm fishing.

Jen

sorry blew that one

[Bobberman]

Originally Posted by Danno

Thank goodness that Portland has so many hometown brewers. The Belgians can have Budweiser. No loss there.

No loss there...........
Brewing in the US would not be where it is today without AB, they have done a great deal for brewing(including helping all those superior little guys).

I fully agree with bashing Chinese beer

[Go_Getter]

A very interesting read from one of the true pioneer's of USA's manufacturing, Henry Ford. Please read, he has interesting comments on wages, hours worked, and consumer demand, all of which are absent from today's thinking. What he said and did worked and made the USA's manufacturing power. Now, none of this is practiced, as a matter of fact fair profits don't even seem to be in the vocabulary of CEO's and businessmen of today. Today it's all about record profits at any expense. Henry Ford had true corporate responsibility that does not exist today. The read should make you think. http://www.worklessparty.org/timework/ford.htm

[Thumper]

Henry Ford died 60 years ago.....

[GraphiteZen]

Originally Posted by Jennie@ifish

Gosh. Did anyone break the "no politics" rule, here?

Off to work I go. If this thread disappears, that means I'd rather go fishing than clean it all up.

Think "life in general"... family, kids, gardens, ummmm fishing.

Jen

I guess I may have starting it in the first place but I honestly forgot about the no politics thing. I just though this topic might provide a healthy discussion for everyone... Couldn't we include topics that directly or indirectly effect your kids and family in the "Life in General" section, even if it is a little political?

Also, I did only take photos of items I use for fishing.

[Chrome Bumper]

My wife and one of our kids was 'made in china'.

[Go_Getter]

Originally Posted by Thumper

Henry Ford died 60 years ago.....

About the same time as Corporate morals and responsibility. Heaven forbid a worker gets a fair wage at the expense of rich stockholders.

Heck even Sam Walton Used to make a big deal about American Made Products until his greedy kids took over. They were exposed for fraudulent advertising after Sam died and they bought from China but still advertised made in America.

Remember, if workers don't have any money they won't be buying products no matter where they are made. How are the stockholders going to be doing then?

I bet you didn't even read the article.

[Dock Holiday]

Originally Posted by jfa686

makes me sick. but how else can you mark something up 300% and still stay competative

I had an agreement with my family to check labels an try to buy AMERCIAN if possible and I challenge you all to do the same, GOD BLESS AMERCIA

[roadsend]

Originally Posted by Dock Holiday

I had an agreement with my family to check labels an try to buy AMERCIAN if possible and I challenge you all to do the same, GOD BLESS AMERCIA

We have been doing this for some time. It still seems that most of what we buy is made or grown elsewhere with the largest share being from China.

[s20055]

In the United States, we recognized how ruthless and destructive 'sweat shops' were to our citizery. We recognized that all mankind (of all ethnicities) had a God-given right to live free of bondage. That our children should be nurtured and protected, not forced to work.

Unfortunately, there will always be people who lack a moral compass that are willing to profit...no matter what the cost in human suffering. In China, and other under-developed countries, the citizens are being exploited so that Corporations can profit. Some of that profit helps to cover-up the truth about what is happening, to keep us ignorant and unable to effect positive change.

It's extremely difficult to enact positive change when those who hold power in our Country defend those corporations. However, as free people, we do have the power to make positive change. We can do this by choosing not to purchase products manufactured by Companies that exploit people for profit. We can do this by demanding higher tariffs on specific imports of products manufactured using inhumane labor practices.

I look at my children and wonder sometimes if they know how lucky they are to have been born in the United States. We always try very hard to buy "Made in USA" products.

[BalouSC]

Heck, Im living and working in China for the time being but I still try to buy American. Rogue Beer baby!!!! Balou