Are you willing to start buying American products?

Question

While at the LA port, it seemed that there were a lot more shipping vessels entering carrying products from all over the world, and few American vessels leaving. Then I started to go through my bag to see which items I own marked "Made in China" or some other country. Are we ready to stop and look at what we (Americans) are doing when we demand products at cheap prices?

Answer 1

I already do. I'll buy a (much) more expensive American product (like Klein tools or Red Wings) over an inferior foreign one, but I won't buy junk just because its made here (like American cars).

It's not so much whether things are American. Products made in places like Germany or Japan which don't rely on dirt wages to make cheap products are just as good as American inasmuch as they're still competing on quality, not just how little they can pay their workers.

Also, those "cheap" products might not always be so cheap. You can only strip out so many cheap chinese pot-metal tools until you're wasting more money than if you had just bought a well-built one to begin with. A pair of $150 work shoes that lasts for 10 years is cheaper than replacing $20 shoes every six months.

Answer 2

Or perhaps we should suggest that Americans buy the best products at the lowest prices then contribute the difference between the price they paid and what they would have paid if the product had been manufactured in the United States. So I buy a Chinese MP3 player for $50 but I could have bought one made in the US for $70. I would then contribute the difference, $20.

But who would I give that $20 to?

If that seems a stupid idea, how is it any different from me buying the $70 product to begin with?

Either scenarion amounts to a voluntary subsidy for the American manufacturers.

Answer 3

The truth is we can't produce products at a competitive price with other countries because of all of our laws governing businesses. If the socialists had their way we would have fewer jobs by making employer provided insurance mandatory. Every law that pertains to business and every regulation be it EPA or insurance or employee rights raises the cost of the products we produce.
We all want good wages but many of our jobs don't warrant that high of a wage still we demand them.

Answer 4

hi, we cannot deny the quality of the American products. they are durable and worth buying. but due to the American foreign policy, and the bullying they are practicing on other nations, people decided to replace American with the Chinese.it's a threat to the the American industry, but the people around the world have the right to say no to the American foreign policy.

Answer 5

No. The US has been importing cheap products from Asia since the end of WWII. I remember when everything was "made in Japan." In the early years, it was a joke because the quality was so bad.

Answer 6

In a word..no...our demand for low prices and the corporate taxing in this country has driven manufacturing to other countries. The federal tax structure drives companies from here to "tax havens" in other parts of the world. The NAFTA highway from Mexico to Canada (paid for by your tax dollars) will replace the ships bringing cargo to the coasts of US.

Answer 7

No, If you compare two products of equal quality you will always select the least expensive of the two. That means you and I will purchase foreign products.

The US is a service economy, with "do you want fries with that?" and "Welcome to Wal Mart" as the most frequently asked business questions.

Why are we a service economy? Its possible we could produce goods and service here of equal or better quality than in Japan, for example, and do it at lower costs. But to do that industry would have to invest in upgrading their infrastructure. Industry is unlikely to do that because it reduces bottom line earnings.

Answer 8

Not in a million yrs.Reason being poor workmanship.Cars is one very good example.Wont last long.Best of all Japanese Cars ,electronics products etc are much more better compared to US in terms of workmanship and quality.Second option is products from and made in China.

Answer 9

nicely quite maximum products are not made in the U. S. anymore and those that are do cost greater. the final public of human beings choose low-cost products yet nonetheless whine approximately production jobs being despatched distant places. They fail to realize they are able to't have it the two techniques. you are able to the two pay slightly greater to assist a in charge patriotic organisation which could furnish jobs to US voters or you are able to save at Wal-Mart and purchase substandard products and help companies that positioned earnings approximately civic accountability. additionally the final public of human beings fail to realize that the Democrats and Republicans are in collusion related to this factor as they're no longer something better than paid shills for companies who positioned earnings in the previous the rest. this is quite fairly impressive how stupid this usa has improve into related to our economic gadget and why that's failing.

Answer 10

No, as a whole we are not. I saw a Mazda with a bumper sticker "Support fair wages, Buy American"...of course Mazda's are made in Japan.
I do support people who purchase Japanese hybrids as that is forcing, through capitalism, US auto makers to work harder to produce fuel efficient cars.