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September 12, 2007
Do China's products concern you?
A producer for a big American network news show called us, looking for help. We couldn't help much, but we figured you could in answering 1-2 questions:
1. Because of the problems in China with tainted dog food, toothpaste and toys with lead paint, or because of a greater overall environmental awareness, have you focused on buying more products made in the USA? If so, how and why?
2. Have you seen any companies position their marketing recently as a direct alternative to products made in China?
Post your answers to the comments section. If you're interested in being considered a source for the network news story, be sure to include your name. For comments that interest her, we'll pass along your contact information offline.
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As for the question of whether or not I have been trying to buy American made products, the answer is yes. Not necessarily because of the recent issues with products comming out of China but those problems have absolutely caused me to be evermore vigilant in my purchase habits.
One commercial from Saturn seems to stand out to me. I saw their ad a couple of weeks ago where they state "re-think American". As I watched the ad I thought to myself "How timely".
Also, there has been a growing number of people that are beginning to shop at local food markets and roadside fruit stands because they are realizing that some of the food that they have been buying is comming from China as well. I've heard several people mention, "Why would I buy eggs from China when I can get them down at Jim Bob's Market?"
It's an understatement to say that China has an image problem, but that just means that there is a lot of money for those that choose to focus, as Wal-Mart once did, on Made in America.
I would be willing to bet that consumers would be willing to pay a little bit more money for products and services if they knew that when they are buying something they are buying safe products, buying regulated and tested products, and are building their own economy.
My fear is that in the global manufacturing market, it is much to hard to "de-China" my purchases. Are the parts sourced from China but manufactured elsewhere?
In regards to purchases for my daughter, I am avoiding China. Is it causing me to buy American? No.
Unfortunately for American companies, it's not a question of China vs. US. Anyone unhappy with Chinese products, for whatever reason, has many more places to go than an American factory. There are lots of other countries ready to eat American workers' lunch.
Sorry if I'm stating the obvious, but your binary question is phrased in such a way that it seemed you hadn't grasped the point.
I have a former client who runs a gift/candle store who has been telling her customers for years to not only buy American made products, but has been also telling anyone who’d listen about how dangerous the products coming out of China are.
While I’ve also admired her for her convictions, I don’t believe her buy America actually created much additional sales. Now with all of the product issues coming out of China I believe her message is now making a difference. The producer might want to consider interviewing her since she’s on the retail side and she is one passionate woman!
As someone who's job it was to market American made products to our large once upon on time American Companies...many had to close down because they cannot compete with China. With this, I not only heard the sound of the sucking wind of US worker jobs being outsourced abroad, but I saw the safety and quality going as well.
As a consumer, I would rather pay a bit more for an American made product that has to adhere to the regulations our country puts in place for consumer protection any day. But one other sad fact I learned was the goods and services being outsourced overseas were done so because these same big companies motivated by their greed have no loyalty to US consumers anymore. In fact, most of these companies are "global" corporations...not US.
Not only are most consumers not aware of what really is going on with the effect of outsourcing...we are finding it almost impossible to find goods made in the US. I think this rash of issues with products coming from China should help wake us up here in America. Is it too late to be "Made in America" again?
I think your question needs to be in terms of are you making an effort to buy locally, especially in terms of foodstuffs. And, given recent stories about the underfunding of US government standards and safety bodies and their staffing with former advocates from the industries they're supposed to be regulating, can you really trust big US corporations to have your interests at heart? Like that Chinese factory owner, not getting caught is the primary driver for all too many businesses...
We have accepted products form China that we would have never accepted from an American manufacturer. It used to be that hardware and mechanical devices were manufactured to tolerances in thousandth of an inch. Now we accept products designed to a tolerances of a tenth of an inch. When you buy a product that needs assembly, pay attention to the slop in the fit, thats what we have come to accept in our products. Not only have US consumers given up ownership and control of our consumer goods, we have come to accept crap for consumer goods.
The never-ending stories on product recalls from China, have me thinking one thing only...that it is painfully clear that we as Americans have taken a back seat to our products manufacturing when we should have been taking the lead.
Issues with products produced overseas (no doubt outsourced as a result of trying to save money on manufacture costs)are as much America's problem as China's. I'm so sick of the "shame on China" attitude when we should also be considering...shame on us.
Have we done enough to protect the integrity of our manufacturing? Whether we produce products here or somewhere abroad, should it not be the American companies who take responsibility, measures, and precautions to make sure those products are safe?
And I won't go there with this post...but it's hard to ignore that manufacturing sent oversees to cut costs for companies and share holders has just as much to do with our (the American consumers) desire to buy anything we want for pennies while casting a blind eye to what it takes to get the prices that low.
While buying American is a great idea, I'd also like to see more people demanding more from the American companies who ultimately bring us these products. Let's not accept mediocrity.
Yes, I'm very concerned about the China imports, especially for food products. I buy locally grown food that I freeze or can for future meals. When I do shop in supermarkets, I pay strict attention to reading labels and have contacted several companies directly to find out where the food is grown as well as processed for distribution.
I am very concerned about beauty products made in china. I recenty was shipped some beauty products, a line that Macy's will carry.Every product was made in China. When I questioned the company why this information wasn't made avalible. Their responce was that they have the strictest lab codes and do not test on animals.
But on their web site no mention was made that their products come from China, I now having this information would not have purchaced these products!
