Posted on 08/05/2008 6:19:06 AM PDT by Quick Shot
China lost its status as the world's cheapest country for manufacturing some time ago. The momentum now seems to be shifting away from outsourcing to the Far East, with one in five Germany companies pulling production out of the country. Chinese workers, they say, are getting too expensive.
(Excerpt) Read more at spiegel.de ...
China lost its status as the world’s cheapest country for manufacturing some time ago.
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Well, it kept the cheap as in quality...
“Global economy is working”
It looks like it, but I’d guess there are other factors. The price of energy being one. The other factor that wouldn’t be talked about is the lemming factor. Businesses who move based on other business’ experiences. Language barriers, and quality problems would severly limit profits.
Great!
Now our cheap plastic crap will come from Communist Vietnam and Totalitarian countries in Africa.
Gotta follow the slave labor, I guess.
But it's so much more fun to shriek that the world is coming to an end.
Can’t happen soon enough. The other Western countries ought to (and will) follow soon. I boycott Chinese goods wherever it is possible. It’s hard but it’s possible there are always alternatives. I gladly buy Taiwanese (aka Free Chinese) goods.
There is quality and there is cheap. There is no such thing as cheap quality............
Yes, I know that book. Quality is free, but never cheap.........
I have been in executive offices in Germany and they use the phrase “chasing poverty”.
One totalitarian’s poverty is another communist’s slave labor...
agree.
“Citing fast-climbing labor costs and pesky production quality problems, a growing number of German companies are doing an about face and pulling their manufacturing operations out of China.”
They seldom give us the details. How much per hour are these “fast-climbing labor costs” now? I think around $2.00 per hour.
Yes, but Vietnamese slaves will work for $0.30 per DAY and a cup of rice.
This is especially difficult when one purchases items from outdoors stores like REI, L.L. Bean, Cabela’s or Bass Pro Shop. Sometimes the trousers or shorts will be made in Taiwan while shirts or tops are made in China.
And, Chinese-made is hardly synonymous with cheap. Check out the ski and Alpine climbing apparel from companies like Arc’teryx (Canada) or Cloudveil (Jackson Hole, WY); very well-made stuff but equally high prices. What’s really amusing is Arc’teryx moved production from Canada to China but maintained their high price - can we say “bigger profit margin”?
While Filson and Russell still make all their hunting boots in the USA, Chinese-made Browning, Rocky, Chippewa and Irish Setter boots claim a lot of the market due to being 1/3 to 1/2 the cost of the American-made boots.
As a lot of my old American-made hunting apparel wears out, I’m slowly caving in to buying gear made in Mexico, The Dominican Republic, Romania, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and China (hard to find camo waders NOT made in Chna).
No wonder China is moving to Africa big time.
The next great source of cheap labour.
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