Yes! More people need to understand that. China doesn't built crap just to build crap; they build crap when they're told to build crap. It's amazing how capitalistic this society is, and how communistic the US society has become...
In China, there's tremendous competition up-and-down the supplier chain. You get bad quality from one source? You go to the next. That hurts the first, rewards the second. You will get the quality you want, if it can be done for the price you want to pay...
Negotiations usually revolve around costs of QC and shipping and storage, rarely labor or raw materials. Higher QC costs more - more people, more equipment, more rejects. And it's often where companies cut corners.
I tell my clients I will design and source and QC exactly what you want; you want cheap junk? You'll get cheap junk. You want the best possible bar none? Then you get the best possible bar none. And anywhere in between. The client is always right, they get what they want.
And I tell all my clients there are three parts to any product: design, manufacturing, and QC. You have to "own" at least two to get the product you want. If you do not own two, then you will not get what you want - guaranteed.
Given the current economic and Governmental position in the US, it does not make fiscal sense to often do the manufacturing in the US. So own the engineering and the QC. If you do that, then you will get the product you want.
If you outsource QC or engineering, you're up the proverbial creek without a paddle...
You’re teaching some great lessons here. Here’s some more anecdotal info: One of the big wigs at my company was telling us that what often happens is that the country folk from China come to work at our plant for 5 years or so, live fairly spartan existence, and save up money to go back to their home turf and start their own businesses. Everyone wins! You can hardly think that way in the States. It takes most of your life just learning all the regulations, much less figuring out how to weave through them. Hats off to you and anyone who manages to make their own way in this climate!
Recent article talking about China manufacturing. It explained the real negotiations did not start until after the contract was signed. The product would be done right the first few times and overnight change the formula with cheaper products without telling you. Promising to make it up next time. It tells of how they would be the low cost provider all the while they stole the formula and selling the same product under different names.
OK, here’s how it works in real industry:
Let’s take steel quality. US steel is tested for conformance to ASTM standards - by the steel companies. US engineers have, for quite some time, been able to assume that steel of “specification XYZ” meets the ASTM standards for that material when it is sourced from US steel companies that adhere to ASTM standards and testing. The steel company is doing the testing - not the customer. The customer is making the selection of steel, knowing that it meets the standards for the type of steel being marketed.
Not so with Chinese steel. The Chinese steel companies take your position - it is the customer’s responsibility to perform QC.
And at that point, I call bullcrap. Most customers are not in a position to set up a materials testing lab, nor are they going to be in a position for time or money to test every lot of steel coming out of a Chinese plant.
For myself, I refuse to buy or use Chinese steel in anything I make or use where I need it to last or my ass is on the line. I’ve seen Chinese steel fail again and again in farm and construction applications, and the more specialized the steel (eg, bearing or bolt steel), the greater the tendency to failure.
When I call up a US outfit like, oh, Lawson or similar vendor for bolts, I don’t need to send their grade-8 bolts off to a lab with a question “Is this really grade 8 bolt steel?”
If you’re using grade 8’s from China, you’d better test every lot you buy.