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We keep hearing about the Chinese government’s steel dumping lately, but the truth of the matter is that China has been dumping not only its excess steel, but also paper, aluminum, glass, rubber, chemicals and other different commodities worldwide for more than a decade now. The majority of steel mills in China are subsidized by the state, the Chinese government, with absolutely no regard for international trade rules, systematically overproducing steel and artificially lowering its price. Currently, China’s steelmaking capacity and production represents the highest capacity in the international market, the US, EU, Japan and Russia all together having no reasonable chance at fair competition. And although the entire world is negatively affected by China’s overproduction of cheap steel, alas, America may be the country that will end up suffering the most, simply because we buy the most.

Even with all of its public promises to put a damper on its excessive steel production, China keeps exporting over the amount of global steel capacity, forcing mills in the US to close, leaving thousands and thousands of steelworkers without a job, deliberately destroying the lives of thousands of families and entire communities that depend solely on the steel industry to make a decent living and to prosper. Moreover, even at a loss, and even with its debt getting higher and higher due to the costs of the expensive equipment it needs in order to keep overproducing high-end products, China won’t stop its sabotage of the US and European steel markets.

And this is not only a threat to the US economy, but also to our national security. Steel is quintessential to our military forces, and extremely important in case of potential natural or man-made calamities. If we will end up depending on China to equip our army, or to rebuild our architecture, we will be putting ourselves in an incredibly fragile position. And such an outcome is not one of those worst case scenarios things, it’s what actually will happen if the international steel market keeps to its current course.

In the United States, we undoubtedly produce the best steel that we could use, steel that is made in cost-efficient mills with the help of the most qualified, competent and able workers. For this reason, we will never be able to overthrow the devastating import surge we see in the US steel industry today, nor to bring down China’s ever-growing production capacity.

Nonetheless, we would still have a fighting chance if Congress and the US Trade Representative were to take drastic, yet necessary, measures. If US law would deem China as unqualifiable in our market economy, and if real steps would be taken in order to stop the unreasonable and immoderate Chinese trade practices, we will be able to help diminish international overcapacity, and restore the need for US-based steel companies.

 

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China is considered the world’s big factory due to its low production costs and short production cycles. With a staggering economic and population growth, demand for food has increased dramatically. This puts a strain on China’s resources, which forces some manufacturers to get creative in their food processes. They cut corners by cheapening the packaging, foregoing sanitary standards, and altering chemical formulations. It’s essentially the highest form of product debasement that can have adverse health effects on consumers.

These 5 disgusting Chinese food production scandals show the extent of trickery and deceit that people are willing to engage in just to earn profits.

1. Melamine Milk

Milk was enhanced with melamine in an attempt to increase the protein content of milk. This is like feeding your babies little doses of cyanide. As a result, over 50,000 babies got sick.

2. Fake Eggs

It looks like an egg, feels like an egg, tastes like an egg, but it’s not an egg. Fabricated ingredients include gelatin, food coloring, and wax.

3. Rat Meat

Rat meat is processed under extremely unsanitary conditions using banned chemicals. They are passed off as beef or lamb to consumers.

4. Glow-in-the-dark Pork and 40-year old Poultry

These are expired meats that were left unrefrigerated for decades! The poultry is putrid-smelling rotten meat that is smuggled from unknown locations and treated with crazy amounts of preservatives. The rotten pork is contaminated with phosphorescent bacteria, which gives it a blue glow.

5. Cement-filled Walnuts

Empty walnut shells are collected and are filled with paper and concrete. The shells are then glued back together. This is the single worst reason why the price of real walnuts in China is exorbitantly high.

The spate of Chinese food production scandals in recent years should be a cause for concern for countries that trade with China on a large scale. These practices show the total lack of ethical and moral standards of the people engaged in the business. The complete disregard for consumer safety is outrageous and contemptible, to say the least. If they do not care about their own population, who’s to say they wouldn’t extend the same vile practices to their trading partners?

China is one of the biggest trading partners of the United States. We’d like to believe that the US has safety checks in place to ensure that imported food products coming from China (or any country for that matter) are safe for consumption. Creating awareness of these food production scandals fortifies the belief that the US consumers are better off supporting American-made products.

 

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If you pay attention to news programs on TV, you have probably heard a lot of talk about the national debt and how it appears to be climbing at an alarming rate. The average American may well be aware that debt levels are not where they need to be, but most probably cannot explain how things got to be the way they are, and what factors played a role in the debt climbing so high. The simple explanation is that the United States continues to spend money that they don’t have, and are forced to borrow, building higher debt levels in the process. Think of it as having a credit card that you continue to use while the credit company continues to increase your spending limit. Before too long, you are deep underwater and in a position where you will never be able to pay off that debt, at least not in a short period of time.

While not totally responsible for the national debt, the trade deficit certainly plays a role in making the amount that the US owes continue to rise. First of all, let’s take a moment to talk about what the trade deficit is before we get into how it affects the national debt. It is perfectly natural for countries all over the world to engage in trade, as there are products and resources available in other parts of the world that cannot be easily accessed here. The problem here is that we can find ourselves in a position where we are buying more from another country than we are selling to them, which creates a trade deficit.

The government collects taxes to help fund their expenditures, and when the amount collected falls short, the national debt starts to build. The trade deficit contributes to that debt via a rather circuitous route. When the country gets in a position where they are buying more than they sell to another nation, they need to essentially borrow money to cover the difference. We now find ourselves in a position where other countries in the world have more of our currency than we do, which means they can start to buy American assets or lend us back our own. The more we continue to spend abroad, the bigger the debt and the trade deficit grows, and the more IOU’s we are required to issue to our trade partners.

As mentioned earlier, we are often forced to buy from other nations because they have resources that we do not have here. That said, we have also got into the habit of buying and manufacturing items overseas because it is cheaper to do there than it is here. That creates numerous domestic issues that go beyond the trade deficit and the national debt. Taxes get raised and unemployment rates rise as jobs move overseas. Getting in the habit of buying American products and supporting domestic manufacturers can help shift the trade deficit back in our favor.

 

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There is not a lot we can do with regards to how governments of countries act. Even with the American government, yes we can complain and protest but there are no guarantees that anything favorable will come of it. The only guaranteed answer to reducing the trade deficit and increasing American manufacturing jobs is, as a people, to start buying products made in the USA.

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It’s good that companies are investing in the education and training of their employees but more needs to be done by the schools to get people ready for these new opportunities in the manufacturing sector.

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Of all the good reasons why we should all make efforts towards sustaining American manufacturing, from safe environment to safe economy, some would argue that the most important of those reasons lies in our most precious legacy to the world, our children. And surely enough, the future generation of American adults will indeed benefit if we choose to take action now and invest our money back into the country. What’s more, by creating this type of culture around how and where the average American buys, we’re setting the ground for future generations of more educated consumers that will help exponentially raise the economy of the country and the well being of American citizens, no matter where they live. Buying American is extremely beneficial to our children, and you can continue reading about the reasons behind this fact in what follows.

Being able to make a decent, honest living

Entire towns are dying in the US, living on welfare, fallen into depression, alcohol and drug abuse, poverty and crime. And a big reason why this is happening is because of lack of jobs. Helping such towns to get out of this rut, and bringing them back to being healthy and active should be of prime importance in the process of stopping this phenomena from spreading, and protecting future generations from being faced with the same dim perspectives. By committing to buying American-made products, we will eventually be able to create a big enough need in the market to justify serious investment in US manufacturing, hence creating well-paying jobs and opportunities for future generations.

Living in an independent country

As Americans, we are particularly lucky to live in a free and independent country. And as parents, just like our forefathers did for us, we should always go that extra mile to ensure that we leave this country to our children in a better shape than it was when we arrived into it. And keeping the US independent has a lot to do with supporting American-made goods and services. Less importing and more exporting means we can put a stop to the ever increasing trade deficit, and subsequently avoid getting into more unsustainable debt. Pumping money into countries that don’t operate under a democratic system is another potential threat to American independence, a threat that can be removed by keeping our factories and companies here versus outsourcing everything, and by buying American.

Health and safety

Buying products that are made in the USA doesn’t only help secure a certain level of prosperity for the generations to come, but also helps protect us and our children now. By buying toys, clothing, and household items that are made in America, you can make sure that you’re not exposing your family to low quality products that may malfunction producing disastrous accidents, or to toxicity levels that are found in products that come from developing countries, such as the high levels of lead that are found in the millions and millions of toys that are imported in the US and sold all across the country every year.

 

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The last two and a half centuries have seen our great nation develop immensely in its intake of products from foreign countries. These countries are as close in proximity to the United States as Mexico or Canada but have also expanded into countries that are further away like India and China. Therefore, the origin of each product in our households provides us with a glimpse into how that product was designed, manufactured, and shipped into our country. Once these items cross our shorelines, they must also stand up to Americans’ views about their countries of origin. This is particularly true regarding countries like China, which is why we will be providing you with more information about what it means to be “Made in China” and how that might impact an American’s perspective.

When our American products and technologies are shipped overseas to China for manufacturing, they enter a well-oiled manufacturing machine with centuries of experience. However, this machine doesn’t function the way we have come to expect from American manufacturing companies. This machine employs thousands of Chinese workers who live in dormitories within several miles of the manufacturing plants themselves. While these individuals often have access to housing via their employers, their working hours are sporadic and unpredictable. In the event a manufacturing deadline is not being met, plant management, has the liberty to call upon the thousands of housed employees to report to work. This allows for extreme scalability to meet manufacturing demands while also placing these employees in a position where they may be unable to make plans with their friends and families. Obviously, something that should concern American citizens who believe in human rights.

This infringement upon human lives is expanded upon as these employees enter the manufacturing plants where they work. These facilities are often constructed without meeting the appropriate codes required of them by the province in which they were built. This has sometimes resulted in some facilities being built without proper ventilation for employees.  If, for example, a manufacturing company does not properly ventilate their facilities and they work on chemical components for some project, they could be exposing their employees to deadly toxins. Obviously, this is of a great deal of concern for those concerned about these employees’ work environments. Unfortunately, in many of these cases, employees also do not receive benefits such as sick leave or vacation time. Without access to these options, Chinese employees and employees in other countries, often go years without seeking out medical attention. This obviously impacts the health of those individuals and ultimately will decrease their desire and ability to create great products!

It is for those reasons mentioned above that all American’s should consider buying American products before they seek to buy products from foreign countries like China. When purchasing items from foreign countries, we urge you to do your research so that you can identify how your purchases impact the well-being of the workers in those countries.

 

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Anyone who has studied American history should remember what happened during the late 18^th century gold rush era.  Gold would be discovered and people would flock to that area looking for riches they could only imagine.  As a result, towns were built and the economy flourished.

When the gold ran out, however, most of the townspeople left and the towns died as a result.  They became Ghost Towns.  In the early 20^th century things began to change and we evolved from an agricultural to an industrial age and some of those towns began to flourish again.  Manufacturing products from irons to automobiles became the new “Gold” of the era.

Soon towns began turning into cities then states began competing for manufacturers to come to their communities by offering incentives like tax cuts, utility breaks and land deals.  And it worked and towns and cities thrived making steel, building automobile plants, producing American goods for the American people.

Then, in the middle of all of this, manufacturers discovered they could increase their profits by outsourcing to different countries who solicited their business just as the states solicited their business by offering deals and incentives.  And the manufacturers bought into it and much of our country has suffered as a result.

Manufacturing is essential to the health of any community.  It not only brings employment for those lucky enough to get a job but it brings tax dollars to assist in the infrastructure of the area, provides dollars to the shop keeper, the school district, and the utility companies.  Any good economist could calculate the benefits of what one small manufacturing company would contribute and explain why we need to get back into manufacturing our own products in the United States.

There are creative ways to keep small manufacturing in this country.  It is time to start implementing them and help the American economy regain its pride once again.

 

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No matter what your political affiliation, you want the best for your kids. The best education, the best food, and the best in modern games and toys (without turning them into spoiled brats, of course!). But, many folks miss one important caveat: the dangerous toxicity levels of foreign made toys.

Lead Kills

The CDC warns toys from foreign countries (such as China) often possess high concentrations of lead. Lead is invisible to the naked eye. The paint and plastic used in faraway, third world nations do not face the same rigorous standards we have in the United States. When your children touch the paint or plastic, and then put their fingers in their mouths, a serious health risk is afoot. A child died from putting a lead charm toy into his mouth, as reported by the CDC. According to the World Health Organization, lead is especially dangerous for young kids. Lead can accumulate in the body, and reach fatal toxic levels quickly. Once in the body, lead is carried to the brain, kidney, liver, and bones. Its stored in bones and teeth, where it accumulates and can kill or cause major health problems.

Prevent Lead Exposure by Buying American

Americans have high standards for toy manufacturers based in America. They have to pass rigorous health inspections, and prove there is no lead content in their toys. This not only makes the toys safer, but creates a better, higher quality product. It might cost a little more than the cheap toys from overseas, but it will last longer, and will not harm your child via lead poisoning

 

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Have you ever bought a shirt or a coat that fit perfectly fine at the store, but self-destructed after a few wash cycles? Sometimes you get one wear and that’s it; straight out of its first laundry day and into the trash. You’re not alone; the average American throws away way over 60 pounds of clothing and other textile products per year! If you’ve ever wondered why clothes today don’t seem to last the way they used to, there’s a reason for that: they’re usually made that way on purpose!

Fast Fashion at the Forefront

It’s called fast fashion, and the usual suspects are brands that many of us know and buy from: H&M, Topshop, Zara, and more. While the term originally meant that retailers scrambled to encapsulate the latest catwalk trends and provide ready-to-wear alternatives to the mainstream public at lightning speed, the definition has grown into a whole business optimization process. Because fast fashion is always in season, the designs are marketed to make wearers feel like they’re no longer trendy after a few months or even weeks. Quick manufacturing serve to lower production cost and retail price; a side effect is the noticeable dip in quality–which works to the retailers’ advantage. Fast fashion brands want their clothing to fall apart quickly. Customers will be a little annoyed, but will think that it’s so cheap that they still got their money’s worth; and they’ll probably just buy new clothes from the same brands.

Sadly, this booming business model has outperformed many well-loved American retailers; mostly the ones that insist on carrying the “Made in USA” label. Recent examples are American Apparel and True Religion Brand Jeans; both were based in California and both manufactured the majority of their products within the country. Not all US-based brands are struggling under the weight of fast fashion, though; California-founded Forever 21 is one of the most well-known fast fashion advocates.

What It Means to Support What’s “Made in USA”

Today, most Americans don’t make an effort to find out where the clothes they are buying come from, but they should! That “Made in USA” label may literally come at a higher price, but it is by far the more ethical and sustainable choice. Below are five reasons why you should stay away from fast fashion.

#1 You Can Help Provide Both Current and Future American Jobs

Before the 1960s, the US manufactured over 90 percent of its clothes. These days, it’s quite the opposite–way less than 10 percent, with the rest outsourced. Wouldn’t it be great to reinvigorate what was once a thriving manufacturing sector? Helping to create or save jobs for the current generation and future generations to come must be one of the best reasons to buy American.

#2 You Can Help Strengthen the American Economy

When you buy local products, you don’t support just the workers who made them. You are choosing to put your hard earned money back into the local market and helping the manufacturing sector support jobs and investments in other parts of the local economy. When one part grows, other parts grow, as well.

#3 You Get Products of Guaranteed Higher Quality

“Made in USA” may as well be a certification of quality, when compared to fast fashion. Yes, USA-made products are more expensive, but cost per use is usually lower as they last much longer. The higher price tag often indicates more care, craftsmanship and  pride put into the creation of the product; and also more standards put in place to meet environmental and safety regulations and avoid issues with possibly dangerous or hazardous materials.

#4 You Will Support Safe and Fair Working Conditions

Federal and local governments regulate and control working conditions in the US, elsewhere the rules and standards may not be as humanitarian. Many fast fashion products bought in the US are made in countries like Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India and Vietnam; where labor laws are lax and wages are cheap. When you buy clothes made in these third-world sweatshops, you are supporting poor working conditions and a lack of protection of human rights.

#5 You Will Help Save the Environment

American-made products are manufactured with cleaner, eco-friendly, sustainable processes; as compared to less-regulated counterparts. Without the need for international shipping, supporting locally made clothing means there’s less pollution and a lower carbon footprint to worry about. And because the clothes last longer, there’s less to throw away each year.

 

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