Buying USA?

[Cyrille de Brébisson]

hello,

and when they do that, what do you think will happen? the RMB will go up? this is only partially true, the RMB will go up compared with the $, but it's because the $ will be going down compared with the rest of the world curency. this means expensive gaz and imported goods. China is protecting the $ by keeping their $ stock unused (at great cost for them at the moment) but it will not last forever, and once they stop, it's going to be a bad news.

on a per product basis, it's the manufacturing business owner (often from taiwan) that make the most money.

The government redistributes a lot of that welth in other places (such as public project and construction) and to stabilize the economy (buying US bonds among other things).

regards, cyrille

[Edwin Pawlowski]

It even gets better when you consider that we've been trading with our rivals in the Soviet Union during the cold war when both our countries needed what the other had.

[evodawg]

Wow, that was a hell of an economics lesson. You must be a teacher. No I have noticed for years but within the last couple of years noticed you can't find anything made in the USA anymore.

My mom is an Interior Decorator and she insists on buying American made furniture for her clients. She buys most of this stock in North and South Carolina and told me last night on the phone she can't find any suppliers anymore that use only USA manufactures. She talked to one of the Furniture Organizations to try to get a list of only made in USA Suppliers and Manufactures but was told none is available. She won't take that as an answer and is still doing her best to find one.

Wondering what's next?

Rich

[evodawg]

Wow, that was a hell of an economics lesson. You must be a teacher. No I have noticed for years but within the last couple of years noticed you can't find anything made in the USA anymore.

My mom is an Interior Decorator and she insists on buying American made furniture for her clients. She buys most of this stock in North and South Carolina and told me last night on the phone she can't find any suppliers anymore that use only USA manufactures. She talked to one of the Furniture Organizations to try to get a list of only made in USA Suppliers and Manufactures but was told none is available. She won't take that as an answer and is still doing her best to find one.

Wondering what's next?

Rich

[KaiS.]

Took a cruise in the Caribbean last spring. Was rather surprised to find quite a few items made in USA at the gift shops - clothes and trinkets. Go figure.

[David Stuve]

I think it's time to put some trade barriers back in place. We're being sold out by the 'free trade' advocates who claim that 'capital just wants to be free.' My answer to that is 'yeah, well, Americans want to have jobs too.'

When we signed free trade agreements (NAFTA was a good one,) there was a flood of jobs and money to other countries where things are cheaper. Fewer jobs here and less capital to invest domestically on modernizing our production to keep us competitive puts us in a downward spiral to the bottom. The free traders promise us that we'll reach an equilibrium point soon and then we'll be happy with cheap goods and the poor exploited workers will be happy with the $20 a week they get paid.

The problem is that no one knows where that equilibrium point is, but it doesn't take much common sense to see that there are billions of people in the world making $100 a year, which means we have a LONG way to go down as Americans if we blindly follow this path.

I remember reading a while back that every dollar spent on domestic goods produces something like $7 of economic activity in the US. I saw a free trader recently bragging that we get $1.14 in economic activity for every $1 spent on outsourced activities in other countries. That's a hell of a pay cut for the US economy.

My advice is to buy American when you can - ultimately it helps protect your job. I doubt if we'll ever get places like WalMart to carry USA made goods, but it sure would help if we could pressure the US government into preferring USA made goods - that would be a huge boost to our economy.

Dave

[Steve Hopper]

There are some small furniture makers still operating in North Carolina, most seem to be located around Hickory, NC. Almost without exception the larger, more well-known brands are merely marketing, warehousing and distributing entities. Like with textiles, there just isn't much manufacturing going on. Job losses have been devasting to many local economies - Caldwell, Catawba and Rutherford Counties in NC in particular.

Appalachian State University actually still has a furniture manufactur> Greg G. wrote:

[evodawg]

I would appreciate that she has tried the Website buyusa.com but then again there are no lists. If you could get some contacts I would happily pass them onto my mom. Just email me at rent_my [e-mail]

Thanks, Rich

[Eugene Nine]

Yes there are a lot of newer joint ventures but they are still in a small number compared to the rest,

[Eugene Nine]

Not many. The local Ohio Honda plant was shut down after shipping was backed up after 9/11 because they ran out of parts and the rest were stuck in customs coming from Japan but they still get to advertise as made in Ohio.

[Charles Self]

One old line chair manufacturer (going back at least to the '40s) is still doing business with U.S. made chairs. Sam Moore's of Bedford, VA, is no longer a family owned company (the owner put off his retirement at least a decade looking for a "small" businessman or woman to take over, but finally had to sell to a large entity, LaZBoy), but it still makes its top quality chairs in the same factory it has been in for years...though the factory is now much larger and more modern.

In line with the former owner's concepts of business, the company found its niche and filled it exceptionally well. It has been corporate owned for a few years now, but so far, the corporate SEEMS to have been wise enough to let it do what it has done for decades.

[jo4hn]

It's amazing what peoples can accomplish with Asian knowhow and cheap American labor. humbug, jo4hn

[Edwin Pawlowski]

The Hitchcock Furniture Company announced today that they are for sale. Same location in CT for 180 years. If she buys it, she will have control over what is made and can keep it in the USA.

[Greg G]

For anyone interested:

--------- HITCHCOCK CHAIR COMPANY COURTS BUYERS

NEW HARTFORD, Conn. - October 2005 -- Hitchcock Chair Company, a

180-year-old Connecticut manufacturer of distinctive hand-crafted hardwood furniture collections, has announced plans to sell its venerable brand and wholesale business.

This action is a direct result of the recent decision to pursue retirement on the part of Robin Faccenda, the current owner, said Ron Coleman, Hitchcock President since 1996.

We are considering offers from manufacturers in the industry and local Connecticut businesses who will embrace Hitchcock?s place in New England history, and continue its legendary craftsmanship, quality standards and distinctive brand heritage, added Coleman.

---------

I were wealthy and wanted to live in Connecticut, I'd buy it. ;-) I remain hopeful that someone worthy buys the business and the name.

Greg G.