flat to the mat

With the manufacturing industry throughout Canada and North America on it's knees why do we keep buying rubbish from China? When was the last time you bought a Chinese product that was any good,or lasted more than a week without breaking/falling to pieces ?
We have a rule in our house,buy nothing that's "Made in China",try sticking to that rule because it isn't easy,next time you are out shopping take a look for yourself.
If we all started to adopt this approach things would change,maybe not straightaway.These cheap imports are costing us jobs big time,not to mention the exploitation of the workers who turn out this rubbish from China.
Hope you understand my rant,no more cheap imports,buy Canada/U.S.

Atlantic Xpat

The economic impact, caused by the entire North American populace paying a factor of 2-4 times the cost of any good would likely do more harm that good to what remains of the Canadian manufacturing industry.

GavinR

I agree and try to buy made in N America goods. However as you point out it's not always easy. Also recently, I've bought several items, such as shelving which was damned expensive and made in the USA and absolute crap. Took it back, bought the Chinese stuff which was far better made and designed. I must admit their quality does seem to be getting better which is more than can be said for some of the N American stuff.

R I C H

By that rule, my house would be almost completely devoid of electronic items. It's not a practical way to live your life.

Alan2005

Blame westerners for demanding high wages - why should a factory worker in the US get paid 100's times more than a factory worker in China?

My only complaint about the Chinese is that they should stop controlling their currency; market forces will take care of the rest.

Edit: well it's not my only complaint; but in the context of this thread it is.

Bill_S

Most consumers buy based on price alone. Goods from China are cheaper. That's the simple answer. I try to buy North American made goods whenever possible. I need a one-piece scope mount for one of my rifles - a LaRue or Bobro mount (made in USA) is $200; a Burris (made in China) is $70. I'll be buying the LaRue, but many people will balk at the price difference.

iaink

Why buy made in china? Cos its virtually impossible to avoid.

I do agree in priciple though, I'd much rather keep my economic impact close to home, and prefer to shop "locally owned". In part I drive a Civic as its made in Canada, my wifes car is at least US made. But on the other hand north american manufacturing has done itself no favours over the years with lavish union negotiated benefits packages pushing costs up and producing items of dubious quality for many years.

Its hard though to find locally made items in many cases, and as others point out, the economics are far from clear cut.

I hate all the offshore phone service centers now too. We shop with Sears far less since they moved the call center to god knows where.

Bill_S

Rich's comment about electronics is a good one. Has anyone seen or heard of this device? It was invented by two Cleveland engineers. A few years ago I heard them on a local radio show, talking about the process of going from an idea to a product available at WalMart. It was an interesting interview. A short version is that they showed their prototype to retail buyers to gauge their interest. Retail buyers said "we like it, we'll sell it for $150 retail". After that it was up to the makers to find a way to get the thing built, distributed, and sold for the wholesale price (much less than the $150 retail) and make a profit. Guess what, that meant China. They estimated that if it were 100% American-made, they would have to sell it for $500 - $600 to make a profit, and there's no way any retailer would touch it at that price.

JonboyE

A simple study of the theory of comparative advantage exposes the whole notion of buying locally made goods to support the local economy as a fallacy.

Alan2005

Buying something just because it's 'made in canada' without any benefit in cost/quality/customer service just encourages inefficiency, Canadian companies have to step it up if they want to succeed. Though as I said above, the chinese have an unfair competitive advantage caused by keeping CNY artificially low.

Oink

I still remember the disastrous Buy British campaign. My Granddad might still be alive today if he’d listened to my nan a bought a Volvo instead of that death trap of a Morris Marina.

Alan2005

Before my time, but the wiki entry is funny:

oops.

iaink

I didnt say I was buying locally made (although all things being equal I will, in fact I will pay a premium if its good quality), I said locally owned. Businesses I deal with tend not to be large multinational stores that will take money from the local economy and distribute it to stockholders around the world. They tend to be the mom and pop places where the money and benefit stay in the local community among my neighbours. Locally owned businesses also tend to be more likely to source goods from other local companies where they can.

Having said that, there comes a point where I wont pay way over the odds for the sake of a clear conscience, but thats just common sense isnt it.

I wonder how many of those who buy chinese without really caring about anything other than the lowest price work in industries that actually make stuff...

Oink

This was rather unfortunate as well.

Atlantic Xpat

I work in the contract electronics manufacturing sector and there is absolutely no way that a North American (nor Western European) manufacturer of a product to be sold at <$500 in volume at a retailler such as Walmart could do it cost effectively. I've also been to large contract manufacturing operations in China & Malaysia and in the best of them their quality management systems are on a par if not better than the West. Plus they have rooms full of engineers each working for a fraction of the cost in Canada/US/Britain. It's this latter part that is leading them to close the gap on innovation - something the West typically does better, whereas Chinese manufacturers are good a copying. That is changing.