“Made in the USA” products need a content consisting of 51% or more of domestically produced or manufactured parts, labor and or value-added content or any combination thereof. The ownership of a company is not the key factor. The fact that a company is a good corporate neighbor by manufacturing or buying goods and services domestically for sale in the local markets and providing jobs, is of key importance. This is a fundamental ingredient of employment stability and economic growth.” (This is our opinion)
Why Care?
Most Americans don’t know or care where products are made, and if asked will say only that they would buy American-made products if the cost were the same or nearly the same as the imported versions. I suggest some reasons why consumers should care about looking for products that are made in the U.S.
Jobs and Communities
The loss of American manufacturing jobs is more than a trend line on a graph. It has meant hardship for families and entire communities. Closed and abandoned buildings, lost retirement pensions, lost hope. Domestic companies that seek to keep production in the U.S. face daily battles against lower cost production in other parts of the world. Some U.S.-based manufacturers win out because they can deliver product more quickly to a changing market, their reputation for quality or company ethic creates loyal customers, and/or they have innovated to keep costs down. Many, however, are barely hanging on, and unless consumers make an effort to support them, the choice to buy American-made will be gone.
Product Quality & Safety
The recent epidemic of product recalls–toys, pet food, vitamins–brought home to many consumers that imported products may not be as subject to regulation and inspection as we would like. I do not say that imported products are inherently unsafe, just that it is harder to do “quality assurance” on production that is subcontracted out half-way round the world.
Environmential Concerns
The market for “green” products has continued to grow, and companies are more likely now to discuss their “carbon footprint” or green sourcing practices. Some of these claims to greenness are suspect, but even then the changes mean that business is listening to the consumer voice. The Buy Local movement stresses purchase of items grown or produced “locally,” although the definition of “local” varies. Buying from U.S. companies often means reduced transportation impacts (from shipping of inputs and finished products), and cleaner, more energy-efficient production relative to imported products from less developed nations.
Competitiveness
Our economic competitiveness is threatened when we lose the edge on crucial skills and cutting-edge technologies. This gets back to the jobs issue, and what fields of employment will be viable for our children. A professor in manufacturing engineering told me he worries about whether his students will be able to find work…is manufacturing design and engineering a vanishing field in the U.S. labor market?
Below are link to sites I found helpful in understanding why we as Americans should buy AMERICAN MADE PRODUCTS. “YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE” BUY AMERICAN MADE PRODUCTS!
Can American Manufacturing Be Saved? (book excerpt): A thoughtful and well-researched book on the topic by Michele Nash-Hoff.
American Jobs is a independent film, documentary, written, produced and directed by Greg Spotts. The film is about the loss of American jobs to low-wage foreign competition, covering the phenomenon of outsourcing in manufacturing and high-paying white-collar jobs.