{"id":152,"date":"2011-03-08T16:40:54","date_gmt":"2011-03-09T00:40:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/savingusmanufacturing.com\/blog\/?p=152"},"modified":"2011-03-08T16:40:54","modified_gmt":"2011-03-09T00:40:54","slug":"abcs-made-in-america-series","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/savingusmanufacturing.com\/blog\/outsourcing\/abcs-made-in-america-series\/","title":{"rendered":"ABCs ‘Made in America’ Series"},"content":{"rendered":"

On Monday, February 28th<\/sup>, ABC began a series on the World News with Diane Sawyer called \u201cMade in America.\u201d<\/a> John and Ana Ursy of Dallas, Texas agreed to accept the challenge of working with the ABC team of David Muir and Sharyn Alfonsi to furnish three rooms of their home exclusively with products that are made in America.\u00a0 When the team examined everything that existed in these three rooms and removed all foreign-made products, the result was a virtually empty house \u2013 no beds, no tables, no chairs, no couches, no lamps.\u00a0 Only the kitchen sink, a vase, a candle, and some pottery remained.<\/p>\n

The questions posed by the team were:\u00a0 Is buying American-made more expensive? \u00a0What staples are no longer manufactured in the U.S.?\u00a0 And what difference would it make if everyone promised to buy more American-made products?<\/p>\n

The results were somewhat surprising.\u00a0 The kitchen was the most difficult because there are only a couple of companies still making major appliances in America:\u00a0 Viking Products provided the stove, and Sub-Zero and Wolf provided the refrigerator, microwave, and oven.\u00a0 They couldn\u2019t find any coffee makers made in the U.S.; Bun-a-Matic assembled a coffee maker out of parts made offshore.\u00a0 There are no TVs made in America and no light bulbs.\u00a0 General Electric closed the last plant making incandescent light bulbs in the U. S. in July 2010.\u00a0 The team was able to furnish the bedroom with all American-made furniture, lamps, and bedding for less money:\u00a0 $1,699 compared to $1,758.\u00a0\u00a0 All in all, the team found more than 100 manufacturers still making various consumer goods in America, and viewers submitted names of many more.\u00a0 You can view the companies on an interactive map of the USA<\/a>.<\/p>\n

When one of the ABC reporters, Sharyn Alfonsi, examined the toy box of her own child, she didn\u2019t find any American-made toys in it, so the interactive website provides the names of some U. S. toy makers, such as Green Toys in San Francisco that makes toys from recycled milk bottles. There are six other California companies shown on the interactive map:\u00a0 Pure-Rest Organics, making organic bedding in San Diego, Harveys Handbags in Santa Ana, Maglite Flashlights in Ontario, Danmer Custom Shutters in Los Angeles, Glass Darma, making handmade drinking straws in Ft. Bragg, and Sergio Lub Jewelry in Martinez.<\/p>\n

Why does it matter if we buy American-made products?\u00a0\u00a0 First, our addiction to imports has helped create our high trade deficit, especially with China, where most of the consumer goods we import are manufactured.\u00a0 In 1960, imported foreign goods made up just 8 percent of Americans\u2019 purchases.\u00a0 Today, nearly 60 percent of everything we buy is made overseas.\u00a0 In 2010, our overall trade deficit was $97.8 billion, up from $374.9 billion in 2009 but nearly 30 percent below our highest deficit in 2008 of $698.8 billion.\u00a0 Our trade deficit with China has grown from $ $83.8 billion in 2000 when China was granted Most Favored Nation status to a record high of $273 billion in 2010.<\/p>\n

Second, American-made products create American jobs.\u00a0 Each time you choose to buy an American-made product, you help save or create an American job.\u00a0 There is a ripple effect in that every manufacturing job creates three to four other jobs while service jobs create only one to two other jobs.\u00a0 We\u2019ve lost 5.5 million manufacturing jobs since the year 2000, and the number of manufacturing jobs dropped below 12 million in 2010, down from a high of nearly 20 million in 1979.<\/p>\n

You may be thinking, would what I do make a difference? American activist and author, Sonia Johnson said, \u201cWe must remember that one determined person can make a significant difference, and that a small group of determined people can change the course of history.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 Eleanor Roosevelt echoed this sentiment saying, \u201cNever doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change world; indeed, it\u2019s the only thing that ever has.\u201d\u00a0 Remember that our country was founded by a small group of people that did indeed change the world by forming the United States of America.<\/p>\n

Here are suggestions of what each one of us can do:\u00a0 First, look at the country of origin labels of goods when you go shopping.\u00a0 Most imported goods are required to have these labels.\u00a0 Many manufacturers have tried to get the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to relax the rules determining what\u2019s \u201cMade in USA.\u201d\u00a0 After two years of public hearings, studies, and reports, in December 1997, the FTC reaffirmed:\u00a0 A product will be considered Made in U.S.A. if \u201call or virtually all made in the Unites States\u201d only where \u201call significant parts and processing that go into the product are of U. S. origin.\u201d<\/p>\n

Buy the \u201cMade in U.S.A.\u201d even if it costs more than the imported product.\u00a0 It is a small sacrifice to make to insure the well being of your fellow Americans.\u00a0 The price difference you pay for \u201cMade in USA\u201d products keeps other Americans working.\u00a0 If the product you are looking for is no longer made in America, then avoid countries such as China that has the goal of becoming the world\u2019s \u201csuper power\u201d in the 21st<\/sup> Century by winning either an economic war or a military war with the U. S.\u00a0 When you take our trade deficits with China into consideration, it would not be an exaggeration to say that American consumers have paid for the bulk of China’s military buildup.\u00a0 American service men and women could one day face weapons mostly paid for by American consumers. Instead, patronize impoverished countries such as Bangladesh or Nicaragua, which have no military ambitions.<\/p>\n

In addition, you would be reducing your \u201ccarbon footprint\u201d by buying a product made in America instead of a product that is made offshore that will use a great deal of fossil fuel just to ship it to the United States.<\/p>\n

If you have a \u201cMade in USA\u201d appliance that needs repair and all the new ones are imported, try to get it repaired.\u00a0 If it can\u2019t be fixed, and it is a small appliance that you can live without, then don\u2019t buy a new one.\u00a0 We Americans buy many things that we really don\u2019t need just because they are so cheap.\u00a0 If a product that you are considering purchasing is an import, ask yourself, \u201cDo I really need this?\u201d\u00a0 If you don\u2019t need it, then don\u2019t buy it.<\/p>\n

If you are willing to step out of your comfort zone, ask to speak to the department or store manager of your favorite store.\u00a0 Tell the person that you have been a regular customer for x amount of time, but if they want to keep you as a customer, they need to start carrying some (or more) \u201cMade in USA.\u201d products.\u00a0 If you buy products on line or from catalogs, you could contact these companies via email with a similar message.\u00a0\u00a0 Your contacting a company does have an effect because there is a rule of thumb in sales and marketing that one reported customer complaint equals 100 unreported complaints.<\/p>\n

Buying American has been made even easier by a new guide to buying American \u2013 \u201cHow Americans Can Buy American:\u00a0 The Power of Consumer Patriotism<\/em>\u201d first released in March 2008 and updated in 2010.\u00a0 Author Roger Simmermaker says, \u201cSupporting American companies leads to a more independent America.\u00a0 Ownership equals control, and control equals independence.\u00a0 We cannot claim to be an independent country or control our own destiny if our manufacturing base is under foreign ownership or foreign control.\u00a0 A nation that cannot supply its own needs is not an independent nation.\u00a0 If we are to claim independence from the rest of the world and truly be a sovereign nation, we must begin supplying our own needs once again.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to Simmermaker, \u201cbuying American\u201d is not just about buying \u201cMade in USA.\u201d\u00a0 \u201cBuying American, in the purest sense of the term, means we would buy an American-made product, made by an American-owned company, with as high a domestic parts content within that product as possible\u2026\u2019American-made\u2019 is good. \u2018Buying American\u2019 is much better!\u201d<\/p>\n

One of our greatest statesmen, Thomas Jefferson, stated, \u201cI have come to a resolution myself, as I hope every good citizen will, never again to purchase any article of foreign manufacture which can be had of American make, be the difference of price what it may\u201d (pg. 9 of Simmermaker\u2019s book).<\/p>\n

Simmermaker has made it easy by listing companies and their nation of ownership and view his list of American owned companies at his website: www.howtobuyamerican.com<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 In addition here are some other websites.<\/p>\n

www.buyamericanmart.com<\/a><\/p>\n

www.madeinusa.org<\/a><\/p>\n

www.americansworking.com<\/a><\/p>\n

www.shopunionmade.org<\/a><\/p>\n

www.MadeInUSAForever.com<\/a><\/p>\n

As American consumers, you now have more American choices so you can live safely and have more peace of mind.\u00a0 It\u2019s high time to stop sending China our American dollars while they send us all of their tainted, hazardous, and disposable products.\u00a0 If 200 million Americans refused to buy just $20 each of Chinese goods, that\u2019s would be a four billion dollar<\/em> trade imbalance resolved in our favor \u2013 fast!\u00a0 In the ABC World News program, Diane Sawyer said, \u201cif every American spent an extra $3.33 on U. S. -made goods, it would create almost 10,000 new jobs in this country.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 The ABC World News series \u201cMade in America\u201d continues with a look at the garment industry the week of March 7th<\/sup>.<\/p>\n

Manufacturing jobs are the foundation of our middle class, and we are losing our middle class in state after state.\u00a0 From December 2000 to December 2010, 22 states have lost a third or more of their manufacturing jobs.\u00a0 Massachusetts, New York, and Ohio have lost 38 percent of their manufacturing jobs, New Jersey 39 percent, North Carolina 42 percent, Rhode Island 44 percent, and Michigan 48 percent.<\/p>\n

We cannot afford to export our wealth by buying imports from China and finance our more than 10 years of deficits by borrowing an average of $1.553 billion every day.\u00a0 We cannot lose our manufacturing base and be able to remain the world\u2019s \u201csuperpower.\u201d\u00a0 In fact, we may not be able to maintain our freedom as a country because it takes considerable wealth to protect our freedom.<\/p>\n

Remember, the company you save or the job you save by your actions may be your own.\u00a0 More importantly, you can play a role as an individual in saving our country\u2019s sovereignty by following the suggestions in this article.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

On Monday, February 28th, ABC began a series on the World News with Diane Sawyer called \u201cMade in America.\u201d John and Ana Ursy of Dallas, Texas agreed to accept the challenge of working with the ABC team of David Muir and Sharyn Alfonsi to furnish three rooms of their home exclusively with products that are […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,6,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-152","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-outsourcing","category-reshoring","category-tradepolicy"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/savingusmanufacturing.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/152","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/savingusmanufacturing.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/savingusmanufacturing.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/savingusmanufacturing.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/savingusmanufacturing.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=152"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/savingusmanufacturing.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/152\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":153,"href":"https:\/\/savingusmanufacturing.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/152\/revisions\/153"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/savingusmanufacturing.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=152"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/savingusmanufacturing.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=152"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/savingusmanufacturing.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=152"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}