[Dr. Eckleburg]

Last year, 96 per cent of apparel purchased in the US was made in other countries.

Amazing. What happened to "Buy American?"

Wonder what companies make up the remaining 4 per cent.

[EdJay]

Actually, you can't even trust the products that say "Made in America" any more.

A lot of "Made in America" clothing is made in places like Samoa and the American Marianas, which are allowed to use the "Made in America" label and to come to mainland America without import quotas or tariffs and bear a "Made in America" label. Garment factories in Saipan, for example, make clothes for dozens of American brands like Gap, Dayton Hudson and The Limited. The garment workers in Saipan are largely women recruited from China. Essentially, they're sweatshops, but the workers are glad to come (and even to pay fees to recruiters) because conditions, while bad, are still better than they are in mainland China.

Bills to bring the Northern Marianas under mainland minimum wage or immigration laws have extensive support in Congress but have been blocked, largely due to the influence of Tom DeLay, the congressman from Texas.

Frankly, as long as such practices continue -- and as long as we continue to have almost free trade with China and other countries with substandard labor practices, there is little we can do about American companies going elsewhere to manufacture their goods. If you were running a company, wouldn't you go where the costs are cheaper -- where the wages were lower and you didn't have to spend money to avoid polluting the air & streams? Even the maquiladoras in Mexico along the Tex-Mex border are now losing out to China and other places, because the costs are less than even in the maquiladoras.

[TheBattman]

Are Wranglers still made in the USA?

How about Carhart?


Just more reason to tell Levi's to go take a jump.....

The Levi's Brand clothing hasn't gone down in price (at least not the pants), yet they have supposedly been moving their manufacturing out of country as a cost cutting move..... Where's MY cost cutting? So now a pair of Levi's that use to cost $4.00 per pair to make in the US, now costs $1.75 per pair to make elsewhere. That same pair of jeans will still cost $55 in the store.....

Even if Levi's cut is only $10.00 per pair (really doubtful), I don't see how 150% profit per unit looses money.....

[Napoleon Solo]

Remember that great retailer, retail killer, Wal-Mart? Just a few years ago they spouted Buy American like crazy. Well old Sam is probably spinning in his grave with what they have done and will continue to do to this countries manufacturing base. Unless he really set the tide in motion. All I know is that there is little room for more consultants from dead industry running around in the USA like chicken little. Nobody cares any longer about the American Middle Class. What they fail to realize is that when the middle class goes, so does the American mystique. Next the Islamofacist sleeper cells are awakened and voila, anarchy. Sound too severe, just watch.

[bc2]

just curious, how much do you think the percentage of American made clothing would increase if it was easier to make clothing from industrial hemp? 4% to 8% or 10%?