U.S. trade deficit smells bad for a reason
The following is a Counterpoint:
By Judy Godfrey
Elizabeth Edwards wasn't the only one trying to purchase Christmas gifts made in America. I found this a most daunting task. One store employee even told me I was in the wrong store. They were an import business.
We can forget the notion of quality control. Think the American toy companies got what they paid for? Maybe so at 50 cents an hour.
According to the Economic Policy Institute, since 2001 our trade agreement with China has cost American workers 1.8 million jobs in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. North Carolina was second on the hardest-hit list, losing 77,200 jobs or 2 percent of our total state employment. Virtually all of these jobs were in manufacturing. Do textiles and furniture ring a bell?
Additionally, the U.S. Census Bureau reports a trade deficit with China of more than $25.9 billion as of Oct. 31, 2007. This cannot be considered a healthy situation for our economy.
Next time you are shopping for clothes, household goods or even pet accessories, read the label.
The icing on the cake was a bed I purchased for my dog. She refused to have anything to do with it. After her reaction, I sniffed it to find a heavy petroleum/chemical odor. Sure enough, it was made in China. After I aired it in the sun for a day and dried the cover with six dryer sheets, it was still offensive. Needless to say, I returned it.
Washington, wake up and smell the coffee, or tea in this case. What were you thinking? Rethink and repair this misguided and unfair practice. Foreign trade, in this case, has gone to the dogs.
The writer lives in Greensboro.
Comments (3)
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Be sure to check the country of origin on food products too. I was at Kmart/Walmart grocery a while back and every can of Mushrooms I looked at were from China or other third world nations, and the same for a significant portion of other cans of name brand veggies.
Dollar Store food products? Most of the ones I checked were from China. Some from EU countries, all the pasta was made in Mexico.
Yeah, I'm cheap.
Posted on January 8, 2008 8:12 AM
Hugh,
It's been about 2 years since you predicted we'd invade Iran---are we getting close yet???
Posted on January 8, 2008 9:35 AM
Judy says: Washington, wake up and smell the coffee, or tea in this case. What were you thinking?
As much as I don't like Washington, I feel I must dissagree.
Unless you are talking about your neighbor Mr. Washington. I'm affraid the American consumer must share the blame. When given the chance to purchase American goods, they all opted for cheap crap from overseas. Until there was nothing left but cheap crap. It comes from one cheap country of origin to another even cheaper, now to the cheapest yet.
Wonder who will replace China with even more worthless stuff? Maybe it will all come full circle and return to the latest 3rd world country, "the USA".
Posted on January 8, 2008 2:26 PM