Port move too late for Asian exporters

Rocksalt, My comments aer not personal toward you. Its just that silver plated bell anklets are not made in America, they are only made in India. Puka and other shell necklaces I sell come from the Phillipines. THe industrial style metal necklaces come from Korea and China. Body Jewelry comes from THailand. Other stuff I make such as incense burners and tye dye.

Don't get me wrong, I understand just what you are saying about junk...But that is another issue regarding our disposable society. If folks want to get away from all the "crap" in the marketplace, I suggest joining a Quaker or Mennonite community.

But that is unrealistic. I am frustrated because I will not have product for my last nine day fair coming up (Lake Perris Farmers Expo)===luckily for me this is at the end of the year and will only take a few grand out of my pocket...But that means I wonke be able to make other purchases, such as lumber for a new shed. New tools, molds and equipment that I was planning to purchase from AMerican firms....

See its a circle. THe money I won;t be making be selling overseas baubles will not be spent on other unrelated goods such as a new fridge for the RV, or that generator, or the ladder I badly need, or repairs to the tractor, or the chainsaw...the list goes on and so does the circle. Its all interconnected globally for better or worse.

For me, the issue is not against trade. Really it is not. Its against trade imbalance, such as the case with China.

They can make those same things all over the place, in India, and whereever and make the same profit. We should think about diversifying our holdings if you will.

The countries that import more US products per their ability to import (ie, Vietnam would not be on a dollar to dollar ratio with China, but rather come up with some ratio for fair comparison), agricultural or whatever, should get rewarded more contracts.

One way "trade" sucks.

"I'm happy to hear that, so go ahead and pay more... I for one don't wish to do so. I want the best product for the best price, no matter who makes it. I am a student of economics and the union arm twisting and "monopoly" on shipping is inefficient and overly expensive! More importantly this slowdown that precipitated the lockout was intended to harm the economy, just in time for the election!!!"

I don't disagree with you about unions and their tactics. Where we part company is that we can have our cake and eat it too. While there are places in the world to manufacture goods cheaper, I really don't see a lot of that being passed along to the consumer. At least not the things I buy. I don't know what you do for a living, but people of the third world are as capable as Americans and will always work cheaper. What are we going to do when all the technology jobs are sourced out to the other countries. A country cannot exist unless they DO something. It seems to work well for politicians, but we can't all be in politics.

We will pay for those so-called 'cheap' goods one way or another. WE will pay in taxes to care for the unemployed or underemployed workers who have lost their tax-paying, middle class jobs. We will pay for the upkeep of the underpaid legal and illegals that are brought in to do the jobs. Personally, I would rather pay a man to work than not. Personally, I would rather pay an American to work than pay for someone not an American to take jobs and drain the social services of this country just to add to the pocket book of billionaires.

Believe me, we pay either way. But let's don't delude ourselves that those products are inexpensive. Theya re not. They have a very high price. One I don't believe this country can afford and continue to exist.

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