Drifterwood
Superior Member
As someone who manufactures in China, I'll put you straight on a few things Curious.
US company buyers of Chinese manufactured products are renowned for hardball purchasing. They drive the price down to the lowest margins based upon volume manufacturing. Walmart for example is China's fifth biggest trading partner, bigger than all but four countries. When corners are cut, they are invariably done so with the knowledge, even as with Mattel, at the consent of the US company. Ultimately, it is the US company's responsibility that your home UL and other standards are met.
When you buy a $10 MIC product, the Chinese make maybe $1, whilst the US company, it's distributors and retailers, and your Government make at least $5. Remeber the $100 Nikes, they pay $1 for them to be made. The sports stars whom you adulate make more promoting them than the factories employing tens of thousands of people.
Then consider the toaster example above. You pay maybe $20 for one from China, whereas you used to pay $50. Who benefits from the $30 saving? You and your local economy. China has enabled us to enjoy a higher standard of living materialistically and you all voted for that with your wallets.
Anyway, China is running out of people being paid very little and the world has better things to do with its resources so that you can enjoy plastic easter eggs. On top of this we have mismanaged our economies so much with the savings that we should have used sensibly that our markets are becoming less dominant and we will soon find that we can no longer afford even the cheap prices in some areas.
US company buyers of Chinese manufactured products are renowned for hardball purchasing. They drive the price down to the lowest margins based upon volume manufacturing. Walmart for example is China's fifth biggest trading partner, bigger than all but four countries. When corners are cut, they are invariably done so with the knowledge, even as with Mattel, at the consent of the US company. Ultimately, it is the US company's responsibility that your home UL and other standards are met.
When you buy a $10 MIC product, the Chinese make maybe $1, whilst the US company, it's distributors and retailers, and your Government make at least $5. Remeber the $100 Nikes, they pay $1 for them to be made. The sports stars whom you adulate make more promoting them than the factories employing tens of thousands of people.
Then consider the toaster example above. You pay maybe $20 for one from China, whereas you used to pay $50. Who benefits from the $30 saving? You and your local economy. China has enabled us to enjoy a higher standard of living materialistically and you all voted for that with your wallets.
Anyway, China is running out of people being paid very little and the world has better things to do with its resources so that you can enjoy plastic easter eggs. On top of this we have mismanaged our economies so much with the savings that we should have used sensibly that our markets are becoming less dominant and we will soon find that we can no longer afford even the cheap prices in some areas.
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