Made in China
Living in China, I see how cheap some stuff really is. For example, a DVD in a box, much like Id find if I was shopping in a store back home will cost about $1. Buying a canopener cost about $0.40. My cuff links, cost about $3. Shit is cheap. No wonder everything we own in the west has a made in china stamp on it. Made in China is everywhere, even as a child you know the phrase made in china.You’re not really sure why everything is made in China, or the implications on domestic industry or trade balances or what not. But regardless, Chinese made good are everywhere.
On a related note, I have a student who is a purchaser for a large UK supermarket chain. They tell me they do ALL of the buying for the chains non-food items. All. Thats unavoidable, plastic cups, canopeners, cleaning supplies. Its all made here and shipped over there. This is especially true with toys. It should be noted this post is in response to this travel blog. Its basically talking about the implications of the fact that everything is made in china and the whole mess with Mattel over safety.
Now, interestingly enough, I teach a couple of students who are managers in related industries. This is the real perk of myjob. I love talking about business. I often try to pick their brains about concepts or to find out more about what they do. With regards to the toy recall tt is easy enough to view the American mass medias reaction to these events. What other impacts did it have though. Surely a recall so large affected other industries. In this interconnected society we live in one mans fall is anothers fortune, as my student Ichiro will tell you.
Ichiro works for a large Japanese firm that has been manufacturing the very detectors that seemed to fail in the Mattel scandal. That is his company produces machines capabale of detecting the presence of lead inproducts. When the recall happened, he says it was like “finding oil”. He explained though that it was a shock that the company was not using the detectors. He tells me there is a big market in China for the products his company sells, most of the big companies are already clients of his or competing firms. For Mattell to not be employing this technology is baffling.
Some people are getting sick of everything being made in China. They are trying to go China Free
I’m not sure how I feel about this. Yes it is important to protect local industry. Yes equal terms of trade and a fair valuation of currency are important. But common people. Get a grip. Didn’t we learn something with the whole specialization theory. Didn’t we learn that we all benefit if we specialize in what we do best and trade for what they do best? Im happywith places like the dollar store. We can thank China for that. Lead or no lead. But preferably sans lead. Like Ichiro tells me, business has been booming.
Tags: Business, China, Politics, Trade, Travel
eric.lindenbaum
I like foot massages at RMB70. And xiaolongbao at RMB10. Hard to beat the culinary scene in China! Only thing I am afraid to eat in China is sushi, so I always return to the US and gorge on sushi!