Can you go two weeks without buying something made in China?

I would guess it's probably impossible, at least if you are buying anything electric,
electronic, a toy, anything plastic, etc. Just stick with food and you'll probably
be OK, as long as it isn't dog food! But of course, we COULD have an American
made DVD player - if folks were willing to pay $800 for it. Or a power strip for
$35. Or an MP3 player for $500. Slave wages = cheap products. But once
upon a time, stuff from Japan was the same way, until the Japanese started
demanding a better living. What happens when the labor force in China does
the same thing?

 

Easy.

I hardly buy anything these days except food. I have pretty much everything else I need.

The supplies I use for my business are all made in the USA.

 

I will not buy Chinese goods due to the oppression of the Chinese government over Tibet. It is tough going into a hardware store to not buy Chinese products but there are ways around it. I will go for a hammer made in Mexico or Taiwan verses the Chinese hammer.

 

That's great when it can be done. But 99% of all of the parts inside your computer were made either
in China, Taiwan, or Singapore. Virtually all laptops come from central Taiwan. Small bits like resistors,
capacitors, diodes, and the like are ALL made in China now - even those used by US manufacturers of
electronics (Stewart Audio, Biamp Systems, APB Dynasonics, and many others). And other than a
scant few very expensive boutique brands, ALL shoes come from Asia. Most recycled metal comes
from China and Southern Taiwan now - even though it may well have been crushed in the US. And
most US appliances (Kenmore, Whirpool, etc.) are assembled in the US, but with virtually 100% of
the plastic parts inside imported from China.

But it can be done. The link below is about a family that tried in earnest to avoid Chinese products
for a year (but ended up with Italian shoes, stuff from Indonesia and Korea - there just isn't that
much made in the US anymore in certain product categories). I've thought about trying this as
a challenge, but I just don't think that outside of food and a few key items (certain tools, etc.)
it's just no longer possible to 'live without Chinese products'.

http://tinyurl.com/dy9twp - Tiny link to 'A year without products from China' book - interesting book!

Jedi

ps - you do know that Taiwan is a Republic of China, right? Autonomous in many ways, yes, but still very
much part of the Chinese culture and machine - I've been there 2 dozen times myself doing engineering work,
for products engineered in Taichung and Taipei but then made in Ningbo or Guangou on the mainland.

 

No, you're not scratching at straws - that IS a bright light if any can be found. But once upon a time,
Raytheon, Sylvania and a host of others made all that stuff here. But in the 1970s a good 1% tolerance
metal film resistor cost 20 cents made here. Doesn't seem like much... but I just ordered several
hundred similar resistors from Futurlec.com (Bangkok, Thailand but made in China) for less than 1
cent each. SOMEONE in China made a wage on that paltry amount, and the manufacturer in China
made SOME profit on the sale, and Futurlec made a profit on the markup - all for an item that sold
to me for less than a PENNY!

It just simply is what it is. There are NO factories in the US that make actual parts. Zero. So
the few US manufacturers have no choice but to go to China to get the raw parts (that I might
add are of excellent quality, btw).

Jedi

 

One other note... I always get crap from a 'Buy American' friend that I drive a Mercedes, and
he drives a Ford Focus. However, my 2008 E350 I bought 'used' with only 2300 miles on it,
and 100% of the money I paid went to the local Merc dealer as a 'used car sale' - not a penny
went to Germany. So now let's look at his new 2009 Ford Focus - almost NONE OF IT is made in the US!
The following countries had parts in subcontract: Tao-Yuan, Taiwan; Chongqing, China; Russia;
South Africa; Argentina; Philippines; Spain; Portugal; and Germany! (Source: wikipedia).

So which is more 'American'? The new Ford made all around the planet, or the used Mercedes?
I mean at least as far as profits distribution goes....

Jedi