Agreed. However Japan is leading the way out of foreign country dependency. They just passed a stimulus package that will pay all costs for Japanese owned companies that operate in China to relocate back. I believe it also includes tax incentives. I believe the US and other nations will follow suit.
Whether accidental or intentional, the Chi-Coms haves screwed the pooch. No mater what propaganda the Chi-Coms attempt, anything Made In China will be suspect. Although there are many other countries that sell to US consumers at close to same cheap prices, China is looking at a very dim economic future.
I have a ‘newfangled’ stove that has an electronic control panel. Stove needs a new one of those every cpl of years. It’s about 200 bux. So far, it’s been cheaper to replace that every 2 or 3 years vs a new stove. New stove would also have electronic control panel so the difference, other than the cost delta between panel and new stove, no big gain from new purchase.
These control panels are all MIC.
One of the FIRST things I did when they started closing the ports in China at the end of January was buy a cheap 2 burner hotplate.
IF my stove goes out this summer (it’s about time for that), I can at least cook bacon or make pancakes.
Ditto spare parts for our central A/C. We got a window unit for the bedroom. For a great price, in January, as you can imagine. If our main unit kicks the bucket on Friday night, we don’t have to pay the cpl hundred bux upcharge for the tech to come out on the weekend. AND, if the spare part isn’t available anyways, we at least won’t swelter.
Even if the control panels are made elsewhere, they likely include chips or other bits that ARE MIC.
It’s a total cluster f*ck for manufacturing now.
And not just them, retail.
I’ve got a friend who owned a clothing boutique that sold ‘fast fashion’.
She got in shipments from China every week of the newest and latest stuff.
She closed her doors 2 weeks before we ‘locked down’.
No inventory coming in, and none for the forseeable future either.