Junk From China

[Thor]

After all of these toy recalls and other recalls of stuff from China, perhaps it's time to start a boycott of any and all goods made in China. It's quite obvious that the Chinese don't give a crap about their exports and are trying to turn a larger profit by substituting dangerous parts/ chemicals rather than go by the specifications that were initially given to them.

It would make our Government look bad, in the Chinese eyes, or hamper relations should our government somehow limit trade with China, but if we, as the Consumer, initiate a boycott on Chinese goods, then what can they do?? Worst case, they can whine about how their crap is not selling in the US.

[charby]

Probably never happen as much as we would like.

http://www.jibjab.com/originals/big_box_mart

[Paddy]

I we attempt to boycott crap from China, they'll be nothing left to buy.

[mtnbkr]

Sure there would be.  It would cost a bit more, but there are almost always alternatives.  I avoid Chinese made goods whenever possible (and when the alternative isn't 10x more or lower quality). 

An Chinese made goods aren't just a Wal-Mart problem, they're everywhere.  Sears, Target, etc all have skads of Chinese made items right alongside those made in the US, Taiwan, etc.  It's not even more common in WM. 

Chris

[charby]

I have a Smokey Bear key chain from the US Forest Service on my book bag. It says Made in China.

*expletive deleted*it is everywhere, I wonder if UMC or Winchester branded ammo will have Made in China on it soon?

[Manedwolf]

One of the examples used of things you can't get other than from China is toasters.

There is not a single toaster made in the US. Period. If you want a toaster, it comes from China. Or you don't have a toaster.

[Paddy]

Sure there would be.  It would cost a bit more, but there are almost always alternatives.  I avoid Chinese made goods whenever possible (and when the alternative isn't 10x more or lower quality).

Factually, that may be correct.  The 'alternative' however is some other oppressive third world country.  That's better..........how?

[HankB]

[rant mode]

We're even getting food from China - whatever happened to American farmers being the "most efficient?" (Yeah, I know, government price supports and subsidies structured in order to keep prices high.)

I'm looking now at buying a mini-lathe (Long story, but the short version is that I need something man-portable, so a "real" lathe like a South Bend or Clausing is out.)

So far as I can determine, virtually every mini-lathe sold here, regardless of brand, features, or color, comes out of the same Sieg factory in China. Sure, there are some nice European lathes like the German Prazi, but at $3900 vs $400-$600, that's not a viable  option. A couple of US manufacturers like Sherline and Taig produce nicely made - but noticeably smaller - hobbyist versions, but if you want a mini-lathe in the 7x12 - 7x14 range that weighs under 100 lbs, it's going to be Chinese.

And ditto on toasters . . . we had to get a new one a couple of years ago, and we found nothing  - nothing - except Chinese toasters. And we looked.

[/rant mode]

[Len Budney]

There is not a single toaster made in the US. Period. If you want a toaster, it comes from China. Or you don't have a toaster.

True. Well, I don't know about toasters, but it's true in spirit. Even products assembled in America will have foreign-made parts. Practically nothing is completely made in the US.

The up side of that is lower prices. We're basically talking about the division of labor--and it works on the international level just as it does within a single assembly line. All else being equal, it's a good thing that unskilled Vietnamese labor produces nuts and bolts, freeing up skilled American labor to build things out of them. It's efficient, and efficient is cheap.

As for things not being "built to last" anymore, I used to lament that too. I'd go out of my way to buy wood and metal instead of plastic. That sort of thing. I still feel that way about cars and houses. But recently I read an essay that made me think. If people really wanted a blender that will last 100 years, someone would provide it. After all, it would sell for $2,500 or something, and the profit margins would be hellacious. The main reason they're built to last a few years (or even months) is that people care more about price. They don't even want it to last, because they'll be replacing it as soon as they see one in a prettier color, or with a new-n-improved juicerizer blade.

At the extreme end of the scale, imagine if Apple sold laptops that would last 100 years. How stupid would that be?

--Len.

[Thor]

My laptop, a Toshiba, has more than outlived it's life-span, as far as technology goes. I expected it to last three, maybe four years, it's going on 9 years old now. I even upgraded it to XP Pro vs the Windoze ME it came with. It suits most of my needs. Sure, it's a little pokey, but, I don't always need the fastest and the best.

[Len Budney]

My laptop, a Toshiba, has more than outlived it's life-span, as far as technology goes. I expected it to last three, maybe four years, it's going on 9 years old now. I even upgraded it to XP Pro vs the Windoze ME it came with. It suits most of my needs. Sure, it's a little pokey, but, I don't always need the fastest and the best.

Sure--but I said 100, not 10. 

[mtnbkr]

Sure there would be.  It would cost a bit more, but there are almost always alternatives.  I avoid Chinese made goods whenever possible (and when the alternative isn't 10x more or lower quality).

Factually, that may be correct.  The 'alternative' however is some other oppressive third world country.  That's better..........how?

Tell me how it's worse.  Taiwan isn't exactly an oppressive third world nation.  Thailand, Vietnam, etc are all better with regards to human rights than China.  Also, I don't have to worry about Taiwanese products poisoning my child (check out the latest recall of Aquadots).

Chris

[Manedwolf]

My local Asian market has made their own decisions.

I noticed they now only stock food made in Japan, Korea, Thailand, Taiwan, and Singapore. The Chinese brands of noodles, grain beverages and the like are entirely gone.

I asked, and the lady who owns it said "No China! No sick customers!"

So...the market's deciding, looks like.

And there's definitely a quality issue. Just examining the packaging of a Korean cereal drink, I noticed high-quality safety seals, zero mis-spellings and perfect English grammar on the label, ISO 9001 certification, product safety assurances, US and Euro nutrition content listings, and ingredients that were higher quality. Even the label artwork was sleek, a smoothly fitted matte-finish shrinkwrap label on each bottle with current artwork and nice logos, all Helvetica text, and currently-in-style colors. It could have come from a studio on Madison Avenue or in LA.

In one place that still had Chinese stuff, I noticed a "Mr. Boss" knockoff of Japanese Suntory BOSS iced coffee cans. Except the Chinese label had horribly drawn artwork, obviously erroneous nutrition information, and an Engrish bit of text. The can welding and printing was also suspiciously poor.

So...quality.

[CAnnoneer]

I think we should consider the opposite side of the coin:

It is good that such scandals appear, because recalls hurt the companies responsible for them. Therefore it will be in their self-interest to make the respective changes in the quality control and production methods. If they don't, they will lose market share. If they do, they will be on their way to the regulations in place here. Thus, among those left to compete for the market, the Chinese companies will be on their way to be just as handicapped as the US companies here, which makes the latter more competitive on the relative scale as well as improve the quality of the sold goods.

[Gewehr98]

Roger that, Cannoneer!

The Tylenol scare did much to improve QC and packaging on over-the-counter pharmaceuticals.

Yum Foods (ala', Taco Bell) most likely ramped up their inspection processes after the green onion problem, and Jack-In-The-Box cooked their hamburgers more thoroughly after the E. Coli problems. 

I understand at least one Chinese CEO committed suicide over the tainted products debacle.   

[mtnbkr]

I understand at least one Chinese CEO was eliminated committed suicide over the tainted products debacle.   

Fixed that for ya.

Chris

[Manedwolf]

I understand at least one Chinese CEO committed suicide over the tainted products debacle.   

Well, depending on the reporting of the situation, he might have suffered a state-enforced suicide for endangering the entire economy, who knows?

That is a country that has mobile execution vans, after all.

[Len Budney]

I understand at least one Chinese CEO committed suicide over the tainted products debacle.   

Heh--I would too, in his shoes. At least that way I'd get to choose the manner of my death.

--Len.

[Manedwolf]

(USA Today) Unlike the United States and Singapore, the only two other countries where death is administered by injection, China metes out capital punishment from specially equipped "death vans" that shuttle from town to town.

Makers of the death vans say the vehicles and injections are a civilized alternative to the firing squad, ending the life of the condemned more quickly, clinically and safely. The switch from gunshots to injections is a sign that China "promotes human rights now," says Kang Zhongwen, who designed the Jinguan Automobile death van in which "Devil" Zhang took his final ride.

[Paddy]

I understand at least one Chinese CEO committed suicide over the tainted products debacle. 

I'd like to see that practice take hold in this country.  Not only over 'tainted products', but any corporate shenanigans.

mtnbkr, there's no assurance that anything from any other third world country is any safer than the crap from China.  The problem is not them; it's us.  We don't inspect more than about 3% of the imports that arrive here.

[mtnbkr]

When was the last time you heard of kids being poisoned by toys from Taiwan?  That sort of thing doesn't get missed.

Based on what I've heard from folks who do business with manufacturing concerns in places like Taiwan, they fall over themselves to provide a quality product.  China, not so much.

Chris

[Firethorn]

Sure there would be.  It would cost a bit more, but there are almost always alternatives.  I avoid Chinese made goods whenever possible (and when the alternative isn't 10x more or lower quality). 

Yep.  Takes a bit of effort sometimes.

Anybody know of a non-China made food processor?

[Manedwolf]

Sure there would be.  It would cost a bit more, but there are almost always alternatives.  I avoid Chinese made goods whenever possible (and when the alternative isn't 10x more or lower quality). 

Yep.  Takes a bit of effort sometimes.

Anybody know of a non-China made food processor?

Look in Williams-Sonoma. Might be a few from Germany or Italy. Go by made-in label on the underside, not the brand name.

[Polishrifleman]

I voluteer for the Friends of NRA banquet committee.  We unpackage all of the NRA goods, clock, cribbiage board, statue etc... and take off the "MADE IN CHINA" labels before we put them out for display.  Maybe cheaper but definately not always better.

I remember a book or something being written not too long ago maybe last 3 months about a family trying to go without China for a year.  I will see if I can find it.

[cosine]

I remember a book or something being written not too long ago maybe last 3 months about a family trying to go without China for a year.  I will see if I can find it.

I wonder what the odds are of the book being printed in China?