 | 'Buy American' Provision Boom or Bust?
Despite criticism that the Buy American provisions in the federal government's stimulus plan have damaged relations with U.S. trading partners, a U.S. trade group credits the measure with bringing streetcar manufacturing to Oregon. |
| | Nuclear Builders Want Revival of U.S. Manufacturing Capability
Executives from utilities planning new nuclear units were asked how much of their projects would be sourced in the U.S. Said Mike Wallace, chairman of Unistar, which is planning Calvert Cliffs-3, "How much can we get?" They pointed out that the first generation of nuclear plants was sourced heavily in the U.S., but as new construction waned, much of that capacity was shut down. Now, the largest components for new plants must be sourced overseas. |
| | U.S. Court upholds country-of-origin labeling (COOL) law
"Canada and Mexico should immediately drop their complaints at the WTO before they further damage the integrity and reputation of their respective cattle industries," R-CALF USA COOL Committee Chair Mike Schultz concluded. "It is indefensible for these foreign countries’'cattle producers to assert that U.S. consumers do not deserve to know the true origins of the beef that they feed their families." |
| | Toyota Tacoma Recall Announced
Toyota has announced yet another recall. The automaker says it's recalling about 8,000 Tacoma pickup trucks from the 2010 model year. The problem is with the front propeller shaft that could cause the vehicle to lose control. |
| | Toyota Recall: Toyota Reportedly Hid Acceleration Problem From U.S. Officials For 1 Year
Toyota waited until Jan. 19 to disclose to U.S. safety officials that millions of its vehicles could accelerate on their own – a problem they had known for one year, the Wall Street Journal disclosed today. |
| | Brazil to Sanction U.S. on Goods, Intellectual Rights
As much as $4 billion in annual U.S. payments to cotton farmers violate global trade rules by encouraging excess production and driving down world prices, the WTO found in 2004. The U.S., the world’s largest exporter of the fiber, hasn’t done enough to scrap aid to its cotton producers, the WTO found in 2008. |
| | Yes, we lied, says Japanese plane seat-maker
In another blow to corporate Japan's image of reliability, Koito Industries has admitted to fabricating safety data for seats in more than 1,000 aircraft used by 32 carriers. Fake data was used for more than 150,000 seats used in the Boeing and Airbus aircraft of customers including Air Canada, KLM, Scandinavian Airlines and Singapore Airlines. |
| | Japanese-based Koito Industries firm ordered to fix airline seats
Toyota owns 20 percent of the shares of Koito Industries' parent company. The aircraft seat problem follows troubles with Toyota automobiles that have tarnished the company's image. |
| | Koito admits seat fraud
Koito has admitted fabricating test results for seat strength and fire resistance. The parent company, Koito Manufacturing, reportedly makes 50 per cent of its revenue supplying products to Toyota. |
| | US steel tubular producers unite against alleged Chinese evasion of import duties
Chinese companies are labeling shipments to make them seem as though they are coming from Malaysia, Vietnam or other countries that do not face duties, said Roger Schagrin, a lawyer for the Committee on Pipe and Tube Imports (CPTI). It has also been claimed that Chinese products are entering the country in containers categorized as other products. |
| | Pipe, tube makers: Chinese companies perpetuating fraud
Last month, Wheatland Tube and V&M Star Steel in Youngstown were among the producers that successfully petitioned the U.S. government for duties on oil-country tubular goods, which is pipe used for oil and natural-gas exploration. |
| | Toyota Used Ex-Regulators to Help Kill Probes
Toyota hired ex-government regulators to kill at least four investigations into problems with its cars in the U.S. That's the conclusion of an investigation by Bloomberg. The news service reports that, "Christopher Tinto, vice president of regulatory affairs in Toyota's Washington office, and Christopher Santucci, who works for Tinto, helped persuade the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to end probes including those of 2002-2003 Toyota Camrys and Solaras, court documents show. Both men joined Toyota directly from NHTSA, Tinto in 1994 and Santucci in 2003." |
| | Safety Agency Scrutinized as Toyota Recall Grows
In November, top auto safety officials made an unusual request of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. After reviewing complaints about Toyota vehicles, the regulators said they believed the automaker was stalling their inquiries and wanted to go to Japan to stress just how serious their concerns had become. Executives at Toyota "were dragging things out, and we'd had it," a senior American transportation official said in recounting new details of the talks. "We were getting excuses that didn’t make sense anymore." |
| | Honda expands recall to over 900,000 vehicles worldwide
"The driver's airbag inflator could produce excessive internal pressure, which may cause the airbag inflator casing to rupture, resulting in metal fragments passing through the airbag cushion material and possibly causing injury or fatality to vehicle occupants," Honda said. |
| | Survey: Buyers Shy Away From Toyota
The Kelley Blue Book survey found that 27 percent of potential car buyers who were considering a Toyota prior to the recall are no longer looking to buy a Toyota. Similar sized declines were seen for Toyota's Scion and Lexus brands. Of those that defected from Toyota, the Blue Book study found that 49 percent said they are not sure they will consider buying from the automaker again. |
| | Consumers Are Shockingly Uninterested In Buying A Toyota Right Now
Of those competing brands offering specific incentives to Toyota owners/shoppers, Ford is garnering the most consumer attention, with 16 percent of car shoppers saying they were not considering a Ford prior to the Toyota recall but now are (due to Ford's Toyota-specific incentives). Chevrolet is in second place with eight percent saying they were not considering a Chevy prior to the recall news, but now are (due to Chevy's Toyota- specific incentives). |
| | BAMW: An American-made Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day is just around the corner. Here are some gift ideas that can still claim the United States of America as the source. |
| | Toyota announces global recall of more than 400,000 Prius, other hybrid cars
The recall will fix a software glitch in the brakes of the Prius and three other hybrid models. It has caused brief and sometimes frightening delays in perceived braking capacity on icy or bumpy roads. |
| | Toyota Dealers Pull Ads on ABC for 'Excessive Stories' on Recalls
Brian Ross, chief investigative correspondent for ABC News, says he’s undaunted that 173 Southeastern Toyota dealers have pulled their ads from ABC-affiliated stations in response to his persistent reporting on the company’s sudden unintended acceleration problems. |
| | State Farm alerted NHTSA to Toyota woes
The nation's largest auto insurer said Tuesday it alerted federal safety regulators in late 2007 about a rise in reports of unexpected acceleration in Toyota vehicles, the latest warning sign to emerge about the massive recall. |
| | Toyota recalls may not solve problem, experts say
According to Michael Pecht, who is an expert in failure analysis and has written a book on sudden acceleration in automobiles, complicated electronics -- not a mechanical issue with the gas pedal -- lie at the heart of Toyota's problems. And three other independent safety analysts contacted by CNN also conclude that neither floor mats nor stuck gas pedals are an overwhelming issue. "If they announce that electronics is a problem, they are probably going to be in a lot of trouble, because nobody's going to drive the car. So at this stage, they don't want to announce there is any electronic problem." |
| | Official: State Farm warned NHTSA on Toyota in '07
Private insurer State Farm informed a U.S. government regulator of a worrying trend of vehicle-caused accidents involving Toyota Motor Corp as far back as late 2007, an official at the company said. |
| | THE INFLUENCE GAME: Toyota's powerful DC friends
Toyota's PAC would have difficulty distinguishing itself from Toyota's Japanese management to the degree needed to be legal under U.S. campaign finance laws. That makes Toyota an unwitting example of an issue that has become a hot topic in Washington in recent days: foreign companies with U.S. subsidiaries and their involvement in U.S. elections. |
| | EU seeks sanctions against U.S.
The European Union is asking the World Trade Organization to approve US$311 million in sanctions on U.S. goods in retaliation for American anti-dumping calculations the trade body says break global rules. |
| | China to Penalize U.S. Chicken Imports
China, the largest market for U.S. chicken exports, plans to impose anti-dumping tariffs of up to 105.4 percent on U.S. broiler chicken imports, starting Feb. 13, that country’s Ministry of Commerce said Friday. In a statement on its Web site, the ministry said the poultry products had been dumped at unfair prices onto the China market, causing "substantial damage" to the domestic chicken industry. |
| | Feingold calls for Buy American provision in jobs bill
Feingold is also the author of the Buy American Improvement Act. This legislation would help close loopholes in the 1933 Buy American Act that have allowed federal agencies to circumvent Buy American requirements. |
| | Lexus hybrid brakes under scrutiny in Toyota investigation
Toyota Motor Corp.'s investigation into brake problems with its Prius hybrid bled over to the Prius' upscale cousin, the Lexus HS 250h hybrid, on Thursday. |
| | Toyota’s Recall Antics Spread Virally
You have to see this John Stewart video on Comedy Central…he’s pretty brutal on Toyota. |
| | BAMW: Toyota finally takes their turn in the barrel
Orlando Sentinel Automotive Editor Steven Cole Smith once told me of a friend he was consoling who worked in public relations at Ford when the automaker was going through a crisis. |
| | Toyota sales off 16% after recalls
Honda sales also down 5%. So who gained ground last month at Toyota’s expense? Number one automaker GM sales rose 14% (21% market share), and Ford reclaimed status as the nation’s number two automaker (16.7% market share) by securing a sales gain of 25%. |
| | Apple's Wozniak: Toyota may have software trouble
Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak suggested Tuesday in media interviews that Toyota's troubles with a defective accelerator pedal may have to do with software, after his Prius sped up while in cruise-control. "Since my foot never touches the pedal," Wozniak told ABC News, the problem "cannot be a sticky accelerator pedal.... There might be some bad software in there." |
| | Venezuela’s Chavez to Automakers: Do what I say or 'pack up and leave.'
Most of Chavez's ire was directed at Toyota, but all foreign automakers were threatened. GM currently leads the Venezuelan market. "Companies who come here to set up must be ready to transfer technology to us," Chavez said. "If they don't want to, they should go away. I invite them to pack up their belongings and leave." |
| | BAMW: China replaces lead with cadmium in children's jewelry
Just when you thought the turmoil with unsafe toys from China was terminated and you thought your children could safely play with any toy imported from anywhere, we learn that Chinese producers have replaced lead with hazardous levels of cadmium. |
| | Industry Group Says 'Buy America' Provisions Are Necessary for U.S. Jobs
Buy America provisions ensure that U.S. tax dollars are directed to purchase American-made manufactured goods to the extent permitted under international trade obligations. A strong majority of Americans (84%, according to a 2009 poll) support requirements for American-made materials in all federally funded infrastructure investment. |
| | Consumer Reports Pulls Some Toyota Recommendations
Consumer Reports, an influential publication for car buyers, has temporarily suspended its "recommended" status for eight recalled Toyota models because of faulty gas pedal systems, dealing another blow to the Japanese automaker's reputation in the United States. |
| | Toyota Speed-Up Suits Say Problem Goes Deeper Than Gas Pedal
Plaintiffs' lawyers claim that Toyota knew of the sudden acceleration problem for years before the November recall. "First they blamed it on the driver, then it was the floor mats, then the accelerator pedal, and now they're shutting down the plants," Edgar Heiskell, one of the attorneys in the West Virginia case, said yesterday in a phone interview. "Toyota's position has changed at least three times." |
| | Doubt cast on Toyota's decision to blame sudden acceleration on gas pedal defect
Toyota Motor Corp.'s decision to blame its widening sudden-acceleration problem on a gas pedal defect came under attack Friday, with the pedal manufacturer flatly denying that its products were at fault. "The way the sudden-acceleration problems are occurring in reported incidents doesn't comport with how this sticky pedal is described," said Sean Kane, president of Safety Research & Strategies, a Rehoboth, Mass., auto safety consulting firm. "We know this recall is a red herring." |
| | Congressional investigators probe Toyota's runaway cars
Officials with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) have been wrangling for at least five years with the automaker over complaints that cars were accelerating without cause, according to the Center for Auto Safety. |
| | Honda recalls 646,000 cars for fire hazard
Fresh on the heels of Toyota temporarily halting sales of eight models over concerns about accelerator pedals sticking, Honda announced Friday a voluntary recall of 646,000 cars worldwide to examine window switches that can melt or catch fire when exposed to an extreme amount of liquid. |
| | Traficant keen on returning to political life
"I'm gonna run," Traficant said. "I don't know where I'm going to run. I don't know what I'm going to run as. But I'm running for, not against. And I'm gonna ask 'em to surrender nice. If they don't, then I'm gonna take 'em to the mat and try to beat the hell out of 'em." |
| | Toyota concedes quality took back seat to 'speedy moves' to global growth
Last week, Toyota recalled 2.3 million vehicles (the eight models it stopped making on Tuesday) and late last year it recalled as many as 4.3 million vehicles. Some of the recalls were to fix gas pedals, and some were to replace floor mats that could jam the pedals. |
| | Camry red flag raised in 2004
As early as 2004, authorities investigated reports of unintended acceleration in Toyota's best-selling model, the Camry. |
| | Ford Posts First Annual Profit Since 2005
The company will have to shrink its total debt which stood at $36.8 billion at the end of the year, almost twice the size of General Motors which, along with Chrysler, filed for bankruptcy protection earlier this year. |
| | Glassmaking Thrives Offshore, but Is Declining in U.S.
The majestic steel beams of a soaring office tower beginning to rise from the ruins of the World Trade Center are a tribute to American resilience, but also a marker in the decline of yet another industry. Not an inch of imported glass went into the two lost towers, built 40 years ago. The lower floors of the new one will soon be sheathed in Chinese glass. |
| | Fallout grows in Toyota sales halt
Toyota took the extraordinary step of halting the sale of the vehicles late Tuesday over issues of "sticky acceleration pedals" because it hasn't yet found a fix. Those eight models accounted for nearly 60 percent of its U.S. sales last year. Toyota has been looking at the issue of sticky pedals since 2007. Avis-Budget Group said it is removing about 20,000 recalled Toyota vehicles from its fleet. |
| | 'Made in USA': Simple in theory, costly in practice
A new state law prohibits cities, counties, the state and other "public employers" from buying uniforms or safety equipment made outside the United States. |
| | Toyota Suspends Sales of 8 Models after Accelerator Pedals Keep Sticking
Toyota has suspended sales of eight of its most popular vehicle models while the motor company investigates sticking accelerator pedals, following reports by ABC News' Brian Ross that examined incidents of random acceleration, some of which resulted in fatalities. |
| | The Glass Industry, Domestic and Foreign
The American glass industry is not dead, but unfortunately Carlisle PPG, a company in the state of Pennsylvania, bid for and lost the contract for the World Trade Center site. The effect of Chinese subsidies and market manipulation can’t be underestimated. |
| | America Absolutely Needs a National Manufacturing Policy, Urges Senator Sherrod Brown
Trade should be practiced in accordance with our national interest, not according to some economic textbook that has been out of print for 20 years. |
| | Fair Trade With China Means Jobs In Lorain
America's steel industry is one of the most competitive industries in the world, having tripled productivity since the 1980s, increased its energy efficiency by about one-third since 1990 and reduced air and water emissions by 90 percent. |
| | U.S pork rind makers angry over imports
"How essential is it that we start importing pork rinds from countries that have really bad diseases?" said Dave Griswold, a veterinarian at the Bureau of Animal Health in Pennsylvania's Department of Agriculture. |
| | U.S. fish importer admits tariff evasion
Sterling Seafood Corp. Chief Executive Officer Thomas George admitted that from 2004 to 2006 he evaded an anti-dumping tariff imposed on imported Vietnamese catfish by having it labeled as grouper, which was not subject to the special duties, avoiding more than $60 million in anti-dumping tariffs. |
| | BAMW: American assets continue to fall into Chinese hands
As the U.S. economy seeks to secure some sense of stability, more American assets are falling into the eager, acquisitive hands of Chinese-controlled companies. |
| | Chinese unchecked
Chinese manufacturers of children's jewelry, recently forced to stop using lead in their wares, are now substituting cadmium. Cadmium, a carcinogen known to hinder brain development in the very young, is just as dangerous to children as lead, but the United States has never banned its specific use in jewelry. |
| | AP Enterprise: US buyers must beware in China
Paul Midler, author of the new book "Poorly Made in China" and who worked for an American company that was making shampoo and skin lotion at a Chinese factory, describes in his book how a Chinese factory was caught changing the formula for products without consulting the U.S. company. Its Chinese partner also unilaterally decided to use thinner plastic bottles to save money. |
| | Building Blocks of MLK Jr. Memorial Made in China
Since made-in-China American flags have been used in the memorial services of those that have paid the ultimate price in Iraq and Afghanistan, perhaps this is not such a surprise. |
| | BAMW: Foreign investment can turn the American economy Chinese
If you've ever bought seemingly innocent consumer products like a Frisbee or a Hula-Hoop, typical food products for your family like Pilgrim's Pride poultry, or an American-made Haier refrigerator, you're a supporting participant in foreign investment in the American economy. |
| | Buy American: "Anti-China Backlash" Coming, Gerald Celente Says
In part because of anti-China sentiment, Celente says the "buy local" movement is going to pick up steam in the coming years - and not just in the U.S. "We're going to start seeing trade barriers go up more and more and more," he says. "It's not isolationism but survivalism. Unlike most mainstream economists, Celente does not believe trade barriers are necessarily bad for the global economy, saying there really isn't free trade today but the "dumping of products using cheap labor." |
| | Valley pipe producers expect more penalties on imports
The U.S. International Trade Commission last week approved duties of about 13 percent on Chinese imports of oil-country tubular goods, which is pipe used for oil and natural gas exploration. The next case alleges that China dumped pipe, which means selling it for less than the cost of production. A final ruling is expected in April, but a preliminary ruling has called for duties of 96 percent on most Chinese producers, said Roger Lindgren, V&M president. |
| | Next Chevrolet Aveo will be bigger and made in Michigan
General Motors is about to turn your world on its head. The new Chevrolet Aveo RS isn’t going to be bland, tiny and foreign made. The move to make the car in the USA starting in 2011 will restore 1,200 auto worker jobs and score points for GM in Congress, where it counts. |
| | New ad campaign touts 'made in China'
"Made in China, made with the world" is the theme of an ad campaign masterminded by DDB Guoan, the Chinese branch of Manhattan-based agency DDB. |
| | America's sputtering economic engine
Now that we have laid down the law to our industrial trading partners, we must put tariffs on countries that employ slave labor and pay wages of $1 to $2 an hour. How can American workers compete with slave labor countries without gradually losing jobs year after year? |
| | Absence of U.S. cars from Japanese 'clunker' program irks lawmaker
The $3 billion U.S. program ran over the summer and was open to all fuel-efficient cars, no matter where they were made. Now the trouble is, as U.S. Rep. Betty Sutton (D-Ohio) sees it, the Japanese government has not returned the favor. Under that country's own incentive program, not a single car from the Detroit Three is eligible. |
| | Scott's Liquid Gold thanks America for their success (video)
An American-owned company with an All-American workforce is proud to manufacture their quality products in America. |
| | Ansonia Copper seeks support of Buy American legislation
The last American manufacturer of copper-nickel tubing for U.S. ships and submarines is warning a German competitor is threatening to torpedo the business. |
| | Rep. Chris Murphy wants government to support U.S. manufacturers
Murphy would like to see manufacturers get a bonus for purchasing more than 50 percent of a product from U.S. suppliers while adding additional jobs in the United States. |
| | Feingold is right: We must 'buy American'
"The federal government needs to be held accountable on whether it is supporting hardworking Americans," Feingold said. "My legislation will help close loopholes in current law that have allowed federal agencies to evade the Buy American Act. By purchasing American-made goods whenever possible, our federal government will send a simple message to American workers: We support you." |
| | Steel becomes the latest Chinese product to face tariffs
All six members of the U.S. International Trade Commission agreed that Chinese producers are dumping steel grating products and should face a tariff of 10 to 16 percent. Close to $3 billion worth of the pipes were imported, a 350 percent increase from 2006 levels. |
| | BAMW: Will there be a Buy American trend in 2010?
As we prepare to usher in a New Year and a new decade with an ongoing unstable and uncertain economy, there is evidence that the New Year's resolution on the minds of many Americans is to pay more attention to domestic products when making their purchases. |
| | Whirlpool to reopen northern Ohio freezer factory
Appliance maker Whirlpool says it will reopen a northern Ohio factory that was shut down when a Canadian company announced it could not find a buyer. The Benton Harbor, Mich.-based company has Ohio plants in Clyde, Marion and Findlay. |
| | BAMW: Supporting American health care and American manufacturing
Many times my 'Buy American Mention of the Week' articles feature products from smaller companies that are based online and aren't available in stores. |
| | Acme can claim made-in-USA label all to itself
Many specialty staple customers value a U.S. source of supply for a variety reasons — shorter development and production lead times, lower shipping costs, secure supply and "Made in America" being among them. |
| | Seattle's SwaddleDesigns® Named to the Inc 500 List of the 500 Fastest Growing Private Companies in USA
SwaddleDesigns' made in USA strategy continues to be an important part of its success. |
| | Japan's Cash for Clunkers Excludes US Cars
Cars made by U.S. automakers, like GM and Ford, are effectively excluded from the Japanese cash-for-clunkers program. "It's outrageous that Japan denies that their 'cash for clunkers' program discriminates against American automakers. When we put together the CARS program, we followed international law and made it apply to all cars sold in the United States--not just American cars," said U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Michigan). |
| | BAMW: The toys under your tree should be China-free
What does "Made in USA" mean to you? It should mean exactly what it says, right? American-made products with no imported pieces and no foreign assembly. |
| | Lawmakers urge Buy American mandate in jobs bill
"If we are going to pass a strong job creation bill then it only makes sense to include strong Buy American provisions to further ensure that the jobs ... are created within the United States," lawmakers Bruce Braley and Mike Michaud said in a letter to House of Representatives leaders. |
| | College Professor: This holiday season be a hero
Every time you buy a product made in the USA , you are telling the store that you support American made product. If you refuse to buy products made in China, the stores will not keep it. Remember the stores do not want to stock products that they can not sell. |
| | BAMW: Visiting the Virtual Old General Store
An upwardly mobile trend is the presence of e-commerce sites that sell only American-made goods, and if you're a supporter of the Buy American cause, this is good news. |
| | Pew Poll: Isolationism and China Rising
For the first time in forty years of polling, a plurality of Americans -- 49 percent -- think the US should "mind its own business internationally." Matched only by this: for the first time a plurality of Americans -- 44 percent -- see China as the world's leading economic power. Only 27 percent name the U.S. Just last year, the US was at 40 percent -- ten points ahead of China. |
| | On jobs front, President Obama needs to show a little audacity
Obama fought for, and won, a "buy American" provision in the stimulus bill requiring dollars to be spent on domestic goods. The policy has rankled Canadian businesses, which lost an estimated $4 billion selling pipes, filters and other heavy-duty infrastructure items to American cities and counties for water and sewage systems. To his credit, Obama has refused repeated requests from Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper to exempt his country from the "buy American" clause. |
| | The Little Company that Did
Mike Whitworth’s small toy-making company, Whittle Shortline Railroad in New London, Mo, gained a national market when Chinese-made trains were recalled in 2007. His American Puzzle Co. now produces its own designs, plus George Luck Puzzles that previously were manufactured in China. "We're actually bringing jobs back here," Whitworth says. |
| | Obama must act to add jobs
When $1 billion in stimulus money was used to boost to the U.S. wind power industry, more than 80 percent of the money went to foreign firms. We're paying to buy wind turbines from China -- even though the Chinese have strict "Buy China" rules for their own $600 billion stimulus program. |
| | Americans favor protectionism in a new Gallup Poll as the best way to create jobs
Out of 17 different responses, "Keep manufacturing jobs here/stop sending overseas" was the most popular response (see complete table at the end of the article). |
| | Lack of Money/Wages Top Family Financial Problem in U.S.
When asked in an open-ended question to name the most important financial problem facing their families today, one in six Americans (17%) say low wages and a lack of money. Healthcare costs are next, at 14%. |
| | BAMW: Shopping at the 'Made in USA Products Store'
If you were out and about shopping on Black Friday or the weekend that followed, you've probably had enough of the traffic and the crowds. |
| | Farouk Systems is moving 1,000 jobs from China to Texas to make their ceramic hairstyling irons!
Click the link above to see the video. |
| | BAMW: Buy American this Black Friday
Everything we bring to the table this Thanksgiving can be "made in USA" from the plates and glasses, to the silverware, cookware, candles, and coffee. Here is how we can make our Thanksgiving Day table a cornucopia of American-made products. |
| | NBA uniforms may be made in Asia
Senator urges Adidas to keep uniforms 'Made in the U.S.A.' but Adidas is German owned and owes no loyalty to the United States workforce. |
| | Understanding China
The West has gotten it wrong on China for decades -- even as it embraces a market economy, it has shunned Western-style freedoms. And its power is only growing. |
| | Leo W. Gerard: Hell if D.C. Didn't Offshore $849 Million in Stimulus for Windmills Already
Of the $1.05 billion in clean energy grants awarded by D.C., $849 million -- 84 percent -- went to foreign wind companies. |
| | BAMW: Buying American the way of eagles
Bald Eagles were removed from the endangered species list in June 2007 because their population recovered, even though the protections under the Eagle Act continue to apply. |
| | Washington Times Against Protectionism Before They Were For It
President Obama is visiting Asia, and is blasted over and over about America's supposedly "protectionist" policies. Think about it, the country with the massive trade surplus accuses the country with the massive trade deficit of being "protectionist." Call it The Audacity Of Projection. |
| | Wind turbine jobs blow in China's direction
Most of the wind energy projects seeking money under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act rely on foreign-made turbines. There would be perhaps 330 jobs created in Texas. Most would be temporary construction jobs. Meanwhile, thousands of Chinese workers in the northeastern industrial city Shenyang would build the labor-intensive turbines. |
| | China's A-Power to Build U.S. Wind Turbine Factory
China's A-Power Energy Generation Systems Ltd. and the U.S. Renewable Energy Group -- partners in a Texas wind farm that has raised eyebrows and concerns on Capitol Hill -- announced plans today to build a wind turbine production factory in the United States. The 320,000-square-foot plant would employ roughly 1,000 U.S. workers and produce 1,100 megawatts of turbines annually for projects in the Americas, according to an agreement signed by the companies. The turbines would be built with technology licensed by A-Power and mechanical components sourced from U.S. manufacturers. |
| | BAMW: Preserving American military heritage and pride
Cockpit USA has been a supplier of fine civilian and military apparel for 35 years, and now their classic American collection of quality goods are available from their New York headquarters to anywhere in America you happen to be |
| | Toyota recall unable to prevent 19 fatalities
The Los Angeles Times is reporting this morning that over 1,000 Toyota and Lexus owners have reported sudden, spontaneous acceleration of their vehicles. 3.8 million vehicles in the U.S. have been recalled due to an improper-fitting floormat which could possibly get stuck under the gas pedal. The Los Angeles Times is reporting they have found crashes which resulted in 19 fatalities. |
| | BAMW: Christmas and Consumer Patriotism
You may remember back in June of this year when JC Penney came out with a shirt that said "AMERICAN MADE" across the front. |
| | One Million Maclaren Strollers Recalled -- What’s up?
There have been a run of baby products recalled lately including cribs, jog strollers, bassinets, even jars organic apple baby food. There have been 15 reports of children placing their finger in the made-in-china stroller’s hinge mechanism, resulting in 12 reports of fingertip amputations in the United States. |
| | BAMW: Strolling down the American Aisle
Have you ever been strolling down the aisle of a nearby, local retail store and wondered why they don't have an "American Aisle" where you could find only American-made goods? |
| | U.S., EU Seek Trade Probe of China Raw-Material Curbs
The U.S. and the European Union asked the World Trade Organization to probe Chinese taxes on exports of raw materials used in the metals and chemical industries, escalating a third joint complaint against China. The duties discourage the export of commodities including coke, bauxite and manganese that are "critical" for U.S. and European manufacturers, while keeping them cheaper and available in China, the U.S. and the EU said yesterday. |
| | Recovery dollars for foreign-owned companies
The Investigative Reporting Workshop at the American University School of Communication reports that a large portion of clean energy grant money has gone to foreign-owned companies. 84 percent ($849 million) $1.05 billion in clean energy grant money was awarded to foreign-owned wind companies. |
| | BAMW: Protect the 'Made in USA' label
Do you feel the 'Made in USA' label and its integrity and value should be protected? |
| | US wants India to decrease tariffs on industrial goods
Commerce ministry officials are examining a demand made by the US that India should agree to steep tariff cuts on a range of industrial products that cover about 60 per cent of the latterÕs overall imports. Brazil has informed that it cannot accept WashingtonÕs requests made during a bilateral meeting in Paris last month. |
| | China to pursue trade case against US automakers
China has told the U.S. that it will take steps that could lead to higher tariffs on imports of autos made by GM, Chrysler and Ford. |
| | BAMW: Power of the 'Made in USA' label propels domestic sales
Is there any real power in the 'Made in USA' label when it comes to influencing American consumers? |
| | You should buy American
When I graduated from high school, jobs were plentiful and foreign competition was insignificant. I had three auto plants, five steel plants, a copper smelter, an aluminum mill and dozens of other manufacturing facilities to choose from in the Metro area. |
| | Surprise! Buying American still matters
"When it comes to longer term benefits, a lot of activity happens in the country in which the company's world headquarters is domiciled," said Thomas Klier, an economist with the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago who has written extensively on the auto industry. |
| | USW Affirms Report on China Glass Industry Subsidization as Job Threat
The USW currently represents about 15,000 workers actively employed in the North American glass industry at production plants that make auto and truck vehicle glass, office and residential energy efficient windows, fiber optic cable, glass containers, cookware and applications for electronic devices. |
| | Canada turns to WTO over U.S. label law
After months of fruitless talks with the Obama administration, Canada wants the World Trade Organization to settle a dispute over a new U.S. food-labeling law that threatens tens of millions of dollars worth of Canadian hog and cattle exports. U.S. officials counter that country-of-origin regulations are common around the world. "Countries have agreed since long before the existence of the WTO that country-of-origin labelling is a legitimate policy," U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a joint statement yesterday. |
| | Marketing case study shows 10% sales lift from "Made in USA" tag
See how an American furniture manufacturer promoted their products' domestic origins to lift sales more than 10% and orders-per-day 19.1%. |
| | Canada's Mayors withdraw Buy American boycott threat
Welland Mayor Damian Goulbourne said he can understand where the U. S. government is coming from in putting the Buy American campaign in place. "They're trying to stimulate their economy," he said, adding in Canada the prime minister and government are responsible for doing the same. |
| | Feds probe Toyota Tundras
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on Tuesday opened a preliminary investigation into corrosion on 218,000 Toyota Tundra pickups -- the latest safety issue to dog the Japanese automaker. |
| | Toyota asks $2M for Calif. worker training
Toyota Motor Corp. has reportedly touched off a firestorm in Sacramento with a request for a $2 million payment for training workers it will soon be terminating. Labor union lobbyist Barry Broad, acting chairman of the state's Employment Training Panel, said "we can't in good conscience give money to train people how to do
jobs that are about to disappear forever" while calling it "some kind of dreadful corporate welfare." |
| | Runaway Car Triggers Toyota Safety Recall
Toyota is recalling almost four million vehicles in the U.S. because of a risk that the driver's side floor mat could cause the accelerator to stick, leading to a fatal car crash. The move came after a family died in a terrifying 120 mph crash when the accelerator on their Lexus became stuck. Eight models of Toyota and Lexus cars and trucks, including the Camry and Prius, are affected in what is the company's biggest U.S. recall to date. |
| | U.S. Steel Files Dumping Petition Against Chinese Steel Pipes
U.S. Steel Corp. asked the U.S. Commerce Department to impose dumping and anti-subsidy duties of as much as 90 percent on some Chinese steel pipe imports, days after the Obama administration set tariffs on Chinese tires. The petition was filed with the U.S. International Trade Commission against $400 million in imports of pipes used in chemical, petrochemical, refineries and related operations. The U.S. imposed tariffs this month on a different type of steel pipe from China in a separate case. |
| | Change in economic policy sorely needed
Yes, the Japanese and German auto manufacturers have built assembly plants in the U.S, but many of the high-value parts like engines and transmissions are still coming from outside the U.S. And the necessary research and design for those cars is being done elsewhere. Of the developed nations, the U.S. is the only one that has run a chronic trade deficit for the last 20 years. But why should we continually buy more manufactured products from other countries than they buy from us? |
| | BAMW: The Impact of Obama's Chinese Tire Tariffs
As expected (as I expected, anyway) President Obama slapped fairly significant tariffs on Chinese tires that have been flooding the U.S. market and forcing American factories to close and American workers to lose their jobs. |
| | Buy American resolutions pass Ramsey County, St. Paul City Council
The St. Paul City Council and the Ramsey County Board have passed labor-backed resolutions calling for use of American-manufactured steel in public-works projects funded by economic stimulus dollars. Similar resolutions are in the works in Minneapolis and Hennepin County. Buy-American resolutions on the local level, according to Dave Hallas, recording secretary of United Steelworkers Local 7263, reinforce similar provisions written into the stimulus package passed by Congress and signed by President Obama in February. |
| | Obama to hit China with tough tariff on tires
The Obama administration will impose stiff tariffs on imports of Chinese-made tires after finding that a surge of imports has disrupted the U.S. domestic market. The action is the first major trade enforcement action of his presidency and comes less than two weeks before a high-profile summit of the leaders of the Group of 20 nations, including China. It is the first time the U.S. government has imposed special "safeguard" provisions to protect a U.S. industry from Chinese competition. |
| | U.S. Says China Violated Trade Law
To even the playing field, the Commerce Department has ordered that tariffs ranging from an estimated 11 percent to 31 percent be imposed on the steel pipes from China. The volume of steel pipes imported from China more than tripled between 2006 and 2008, rising from $632 million to $2.6 billion, according to the Commerce Department. |
| | Get Toyota to Tell the Truth
"The American legal system and vehicle owners need to rise up to 'get Toyota to tell the truth' about its hidden crash safety data," said Dallas attorney Todd Tracy, recognized as one of the world's top legal experts on vehicle accidents and safety defects that cause crashes. "Toyota was the top benefactor of the 'Cash For Clunkers' stimulus rebate program. Their cover-up of serious safety problems makes a 'chump' out of the American taxpayer." |
| | China's Ring of Power
While nobody was paying attention, Beijing was busy cornering the market on a little-known, but much coveted, strategic commodity.
China caught on to green lanthanide's strategic value early and has been cornering the market ever since. The country now controls more than 95 percent of the world's supply. These metals, today used in commercial products such as mobile phones and iPods, will increase in value over the coming years, as they are essential in a range of energy-efficient applications from hybrid cars to wind turbines. |
| | Marketing Jewelry's "Made in America" Selling Point
For the month of June 2009, Google Adwords keyword tool shows that over 200,000 Internet searchers looked for information pertaining to the keywords "American made." |
| | A Grand Goal for More U.S. Manufacturing Jobs
"We should set a goal...to have manufacturing jobs be no less than 20% of total employment, about twice what it is today," Immelt said. "This is a national imperative." According to Susan Helper, chair of the economics department at Case Western Reserve University's Weatherhead School of Management, the speech turned heads. "GE had been a leader of offshoring, saying it was just too expensive to manufacture in the U.S., so to hear Immelt arguing that we need to rebuild our industrial base is significant," she says. |
| | Suntech Admits Selling Below Cost In U.S. To Gain Share
Suntech CEO Shi Zhengrong told the New York Times that his company is selling solar panels in the U.S. market for less than the cost of materials, assembly and shipping in a bid to boost market share. The Times disclosed the comment in a report today on the rapid growth of the Chinese solar manufacturing sector. The piece notes that "backed by lavish government support," the Chinese are planning to build plants to assemble products in the U.S. to bypass protectionist legislation. Chinese solar companies, the story says, "are encouraging their United States executives to join industry trade groups to tamp down antti-Chinese sentiment before it takes root." Suntech plans to announce within the next two months its plans to build a $30 million solar panel assembly plant in Phoenix or somewhere in Texas. "It'll be to facilitate sales -- 'buy American' and things like that," Steven Chan, the company's president for global sales and marketing, told the Times. |
| | New Zealand's Meridian Energy Buys US Solar Company
New Zealand's largest electricity generator, Meridian Energy, is testing the potential of solar power with the $5.4 million purchase of the San Francisco-based solar firm Cleantech America. |
| | BAMW: Seeking out socks from American sources
When we think of clothing, we often think of shoes or jeans but not necessarily what's in between. Yes, I'm talking about socks. |
| | BAMW: Saving American Manufacturing
When the average American thinks about manufacturing, and it seems most rarely do, they tend to think about it as "dying." |
| | Thousands of Volkswagens and Audis Recalled Because of Transmission Problems Only After 'Good Morning America' Started Asking Questions
Volkswagen and Audi are recalling 6,000 vehicles because of transmission problems that make them lose power -- or completely stall -- out of the blue. What's most startling is that they're brand new vehicles. "The flash of death" has occured after as little as 81 miles or two days. |
| | Toyota Motor Company Profile from Crocody (Collaberative Research on Corporations)
Toyota has used its obsession with quality and efficiency to turn itself into the world's leading automaker. Although the Japanese headquartered company has production and sales operations around the world, its success has been based to a great degree on the United States, where it has built a series of heavily subsidized plants. |
| | U.S. Helps Spanish Company to Buy Texas Bank
Guaranty Bank, a deeply troubled Texas lender, was sold on Friday to Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria of Spain in one of the largest government-assisted deals offered to a foreign firm. |
| | Rebates coming for buying new appliances
Call it "Cash for Clunkers," the home-appliance edition. Now that your gas-guzzler is off the road, the government is moving on to energy-wasting household appliances. |
| | American Protectionist Society
Protectionism Defined: The proper use of government power to: (1) protect the nation from any unfair, institutional foreign interference in the peaceful voluntary cooperation in the division of labor of its citizens; (2) establish taxes on foreign importation as a system of providing a major source of revenue for the general operating expenses of the national government. (Derived from the laws of free market economics.) |
| | US Trade Deficit Grows as Imports Rise
The increase reflects a 2.3 percent jump in U.S. imports of goods and services in June - the biggest increase this year. U.S. exports rose 2 percent in the same month. |
| | American Company's Unique "Made in U.S.A" Formula is Bringing Jobs Back to U.S. from China
According to Rick Admani Abulhaj, Diagnostic Devices, Inc.'s chief operating officer, "At DDI, we analyzed every angle of our overseas manufacturing and devised a means to bring jobs back to the U.S., while remaining competitive and even cutting costs by a projected 40 percent. The answer to the dilemma is the implementation of cutting-edge automation and robotics technologies that deliver an enhanced bottom-line effect and give us greater control of our operations and our intellectual property." |
| | It Is Now Obama's Economy: America's Oldest Printed Circuit Board Company Closes Its Doors
As owner of the Cary, Ill.-based manufacturing company, Doug Bartlett, chairman of Bartlett Manufacturing Co., was hanging on early this year to see if President Barack Obama would change course from the Bush administration's strict adherence to free trade. It was not to be. With the potential for skyrocketing taxes that will be required to pay off the Democrats' massive government stimulus program, which has had little impact on the U.S. electronics manufacturing sector, "I am not going to be the government's sacrificial lamb," Bartlett adds. |
| | China trade official goes to Washington on tires case
China is sending a vice minister of trade to Washington to lobby U.S. administration officials against imposing duties on Chinese-made tires, the Ministry of Commerce said on Monday. The Obama administration has until September to decide whether to levy duties up to 55 percent, in the first of a growing list of trade issues with China. |
| | Actress Sued Over Opposition to US Beef
A U.S. beef importer filed a 300-million-won ($250,000) compensation suit with a Seoul court against actress Kim Min-sun for allegedly misleading the public into a boycott of their product and damaging sales. "Due to Kim's ignorant comments, people refused to eat U.S. beef. She damaged our business and, furthermore, the 300 billion won domestic market," Park Chang-kyu, the head of A-Meat, reportedly said. |
| | China vs. the U.S.- Who Will Blink First?
As of the time of writing this article, we have over $11,675,436,559,627.94 in national debt, with the Chinese holding nearly $800 billion of it. |
| | Foreign Demand for Long-Term U.S. Assets Rebounded
Investors in Japan and the U.K. increased their holdings of U.S. assets as the Obama administration sold debt to finance a record budget deficit and fund economic stimulus spending. China, the biggest foreign holder of U.S. Treasuries, decreased its total holdings of U.S. government securities by $25.1 billion to $776.4 billion. |
| | Join the How Americans Can Buy American group on facebook!
Are you on facebook? If so, you can join the How Americans Can Buy American group on facebook here and post your comments about buying American on the site. |
| | Ford, Toyota in a close race to No. 1
Make no mistake, there's trouble in Toyota City. The Japanese automaker has lost more than $4.8 billion over the past year. Toyota's critical U.S. sales are down 34% -- worse than the industry's 32% decline. At the end of July, just 7,284 vehicle sales this year stood between Toyota (945,321) and Ford (938,037) in the United States. |
| | Japanese sales climb in 'clunkers' program
General Motors Co., Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler Group LLC saw a dropoff in sales while those of foreign rivals rose in the latest tally of "cash for clunkers" sales, as Toyota Motor Corp. dethroned GM as the top seller. Toyota has sold 18.9 percent of vehicles purchased through the clunkers program, surpassing GM's 17.6 percent. |
| | Hyundai decides to import Equus luxury full-size sedan
The move was expected. Hyundai had imported 100 of these fine equine to the U.S. this summer for customers to test. |
| | New law puts locally produced foods on menu
What wasn't calculated in those bids, West says, are the environmental costs - such as carbon emissions - of transporting New Zealand apples to Portland. In addition, West says, public agencies buying local goods keep those dollars in the local economy. And food purchases made from local farmers helps keep local farms viable. |
| | China accuses US of protectionism in tire case
A Chinese trade official said Wednesday that a U.S. complaint about China's tire exports smacks of protectionism and appealed to Washington to avoid taking steps that might harm relations. The United Steelworkers union says Chinese tire exports to the United States more than tripled in the 2004-08 period to 41 million tires a year, and that led to the loss of 5,100 American jobs and another 3,000 jobs could be lost this year. |
| | DPJ chief hits at 'US-led' globalism
Yukio Hatoyama, the leader of Japan's opposition Democratic party who is strongly placed to become prime minister after elections this month, has condemned "US-led market fundamentalism" and vowed to shield his nation from the effects of untrammelled globalisation. |
| | Another Reason To Hate Protectionism
Check out the awesome, well-reasoned response this article. |
| | Survey: Americans don't want Mexican trucks on U.S. highways
A new national survey by Rasmussen Reports shows 66 percent of those questioned oppose allowing Mexican trucks on U.S. roads. The same Rasmussen poll found 52 percent want to keep "Buy American" rules in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act which requires stimulus money to go mostly to American businesses and contractors. Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper wants the U.S. to scrap the rule but only 18 percent in the survey like that idea. |
| | 'Britons losing their cherries' as foreign imports wipe out 2,000 years of homegrown fruit
It was once the nation's favourite summer fruit, outselling even the strawberry. But now the English cherry is in peril. Faced with competition from global rivals, traditional varieties are in danger of disappearing, say food campaigners. But over the past 50 years, Britain has lost 90 per cent of its cherry orchards and foreign imports now account for nearly 95 per cent of the fruit sold in the shops. |
| | Legislation Would Aid Consumers in Holding Foreign Manufacturers Accountable for Chinese Drywall
The Foreign Manufacturers Legal Accountability Act of 2009 (S. 1606) is legislation that will make it easier to hold foreign manufacturers accountable in the U.S. civil justice system, putting them on a level playing field with American manufacturers. Currently, foreign manufacturers are able to skirt the law, exporting billions of dollars of their products to the U.S. without facing accountability for product defects that injure or kill Americans. One example is the 500 million pounds of drywall, made in China, which is plaguing homeowners throughout the country because of the sulfuric gases the drywall emits. Homeowners face multiple obstacles holding the Chinese manufacturers responsible for the destruction the drywall is causing. |
| | U.S. lawmakers urge tariff as part of climate bill
Any U.S. climate change law must include tariffs on some products from countries that do not have carbon restrictions, democratic lawmakers said in a letter to the White House on Thursday. "As Congress considers energy and climate legislation, it is important that such a bill include provisions to maintain a level playing field for American manufacturing," the lawmakers said. Ten Senators from heavy industrial states signed the letter, including Sherrod Brown, Democrat of Ohio and Debbie Stabenow, Democrat of Michigan. |
| | Tide of 'Buy American' sweeping across U.S. as municipalities adopt protectionist measures despite Obama's pledge
A closer look at the resolutions being adopted across the U.S. reveals something bigger - something more organized - is at play in cities as diverse and distant from each other as Ferndale, Mich., and Hercules, Calif. "Be it further resolved that the City of Ferndale is committed to purchasing products and services made or performed in the United States of America whenever and wherever possible with any economic recovery monies provided to the City," reads a resolution adopted by one council on April 27. |
| | How Americans Can Buy American is now on Facebook!
Join the How Americans Can Buy American group and make posts on the site about buying American. There is also a discussion forum where you can discuss what you know about that is made-in-USA so we'll all know! Let's help make this the biggest and best Buy American site on Facebook! |
| | BAMW: Help GM Reinvent itself the Right Way!
As the entire auto industry struggles and GM in particular seeks to reinvent itself, the new GM has started a new website at GMIntervention.com where new CEO Fritz Henderson is soliciting ideas from the car buying public. |
| | DPJ manifesto softens pledge to form free-trade pact with U.S.
The opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) has toned down a pledge to conclude a free-trade agreement with the United States in its manifesto, saying instead it will "promote negotiations." The amendment came in response to criticism from farmers, fearing that they would be washed aside by a flood of cheap imports from the United States. |
| | No One's Minding the Store
To talk of "free trade" when China protects and controls everything is fanciful. China's government even offers incentives to invest and produce in China. China, protecting its economy, has become the superpower in the trade war as the United States refuses to protect its economy and remains AWOL in the trade war. |
| | Insights with host Hugh Downs Launches American Made Products Segments
The Senior Producer for the programs said, "The series will focus on the importance of keeping manufacturing here in the United States, and the advantages of buying "made in America" products." |
| | China Pressures US Treasury Department for Better Debt Terms
The Treasury Department has its work cut out for it this year trying to borrow enough to fund our $2 trillion federal budget deficit, which is five times the deficit of last year. We have already grown quite dependent on loans from the Chinese, which is ironically money earned from selling cheap goods to the USA. |
| | Buy-American vs. safety makes for battle over military uniforms
U.S. troops routinely face the threat of roadside bombs while fighting insurgencies in Afghanistan. They need the most protective clothing the market can bear, and they're getting it - for now. Back home, a battle is brewing in Congress over the next lucrative contract for military uniforms. The issue boils down to the raw fiber used in their construction. Current uniforms are made in the United States, in Georgia, using a fabric called Defender M made by the TenCate company. It is favored by the military for its fire-resistant and breathable properties. But the fabric is made with a type of rayon imported from Austria, which normally would violate the military's buy-American requirement. |
| | Debbie Stabenow: 'Buy American' prohibited in 'cash for clunkers' by international law
In the wake of yesterday's approval of a $2 billion cash infusion for the 'cash for clunkers' program, Senator Debbie Stabenow of Michigan says international law prohibited congress from including a "Buy American" provision in the original legislation. |
| | In Tire Tariff Case, Obama Faces First Chinese Trade Policy Test
In a hearing scheduled for Friday, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative will consider whether to endorse a recommendation by the International Trade Commission to impose tariffs of as much as 55 percent on Chinese-made tires for passenger vehicles and light trucks that are sold by independent tire dealers. |
| | Offshoring by US companies surges: survey
The number of US companies with a corporate offshoring strategy in place more than doubled in the past three years, according to the fifth annual report on offshoring trends, published by Duke University in collaboration with the Conference Board. Of the companies surveyed, 53 percent had a corporate offshoring strategy in place, up from 22 percent in 2005, said the Conference Board, a nonprofit business research organization. |
| | BAMW: American-made home improvement
I received an email the other day, as I often do, telling me that there just isn't much out there that's made in USA anymore. But the truth is that there are more American-made goods available than we think if we know where to look |
| | Japan sends U.S. letter on "Buy American" worries
In the letter, Japan's ambassador to the United States, Ichiro Fujisaki, said "Taking into consideration the flow from the previous stimulus package, we are concerned that there will be more moves to promote purchasing of American products." |
| | STIMULUS WATCH: Foreign firms eye Obama rail plan
The stimulus plan sets aside $8 billion for high-speed rail, a figure that has ambassadors and foreign leaders jockeying to get their preferred companies in on the deal. Though the law requires the U.S. to "buy American" with stimulus money, the rail plan requires so many trains and so much expertise that the administration has conceded foreign companies are likely to be part of it. |
| | Pakistan exports "threat to U.S. jobs"
Plans by Washington to allow garment manufacturers in the Taliban-dominated northwestern parts of Pakistan to export their products duty free to the United States are under attack by American apparel makers and unions that believe the policy could come at a high cost to US workers. |
| | Feds: Manufacturer falsely claims 'Made in USA'
Enhanced Video Systems, which markets computer and television screen magnifiers, falsely advertised that its products were made in the states but actually are manufactured overseas, the FTC reported. Because the 13-year-old company is based in Huntington Beach and does its designing and assembling locally, company officials believe it warrants a U.S. stamp. |
| | US manufacturing jobs go to China
Doug Bartlett's factory used to make electronic circuit boards. But orders collapsed as the recession took hold. The factory shut in March with the loss of 87 jobs. In the past 18 months nearly two million American manufacturing jobs have been lost. |
| | Decline of manufacturing and machine tools
Since the crisis of the 1980s, the U.S. machine tool industry has descended to new lows, now ranked seventh in the world with an output last year of $3.8 billion. At the same time, Japan produced $15.8 billion in machine tools, Germany $15.6 billion, and China a remarkable $15 billion. One report says that China now produces one quarter of the world's machine tools. |
| | More "Protectionism" Fever Swamp Dreams
If you have any interest in some actual data and observations which rise a few notches above Nick Gillespie's fever swamp ramblings, I invite you to read "How Americans Can Buy American" by Roger Simmermaker. |
| | BAMW: How to avoid tainted dog treats from China
When Americans talk about their families, health and safety are obvious primary concerns. And for many Americans, pets are family too, so it makes sense to make sure you feed your pet something that's both safe and won't cause any long-term ill health effects. |
| | US panel OKs two more steel trade cases vs. China
The vote allows the Commerce Department to probe industry complaints that China is subsidizing production of the steel grating and the wire strand. It comes on the heels of another probe that could lead to steep duties on about $2.6 billion of Chinese steel tube products used in oil pipelines. |
| | Smithfield Plant Added to Russia's Import Ban
Despite this week's visit to Russia, where President Obama and his U.S. Commerce Secretary, Gary Locke, addressed import/export issues, Russian officials announce that more pork product imports will be suspended. |
| | Fixing the leak
So how does the American worker compete with four and five dollar-per-day wage scales? You can't, there is no level of productivity, no amount of robots or innovation that will enable you to compete. |
| | BAMW: Bill O'Reilly maintains lame excuse for not buying American
Bill O'Reilly has done it again! In a past column, I wrote about O'Reilly's May 22nd mailbag segment where he claimed his "Bold and Fresh" shirts were made in Central America because "We cannot get the volume of shirts we need in America, sadly." |
| | Appleton urged to buy American with grant money
If Valley Transit receives nearly $400,000 in federal stimulus funds as is expected to buy three hybrid buses, one thing is certain - the buses will carry the label "Made in the USA." |
| | 'Made in USA' required on flags
Governor Corzine on Saturday signed legislation requiring that any flag of the United States or the state of New Jersey bought with state funds be manufactured in the United States. |
| | OUR VIEW - To renew economy, renew manufacturing
By now, we assume, most Americans have been disabused of the notion that our economy can prosper by letting people in other countries make all the things we want to buy. For those who didn't recognize it before, the economic meltdown should have driven home the reality that the hot shots in the financial sector who merely shuffle money around and wager billions on ephemeral investments don't add any real wealth to our economy; instead they have put millions of Americans at risk. |
| | Finally, A CEO Speaks Up on How to Renew America
Immelt exhorted Americans to give up the notion that the U.S. can make it as a services-led, consumption-based economy, where "a mortgage broker is pulling down $5 million a year while a Ph.D. chemist is earning $100,000." The country must refocus on manufacturing and R&D and must strive to be a leading exporter, he said. He announced that GE was opening an advanced manufacturing and software technology center outside of Detroit near the headquarters of Visteon, the auto parts maker that recently sought bankruptcy protection. |
| | Toyota considers shuttering California plant after GM pulls plug on Pontiac
"We need to determine whether it can be economically feasible to contract with Nummi without GM," Toyota officials said in their first statement since GM said last month that it would exit the relationship. |
| | The Price of Cheap: When China's Products Fail, Americans Suffer
Even if an American company goes to court and beats a Chinese manufacturer for providing faulty products, it's virtually impossible to get the overseas company to make good on its legal debt. |
| | U.S. manufacturers continue innovating amid slump
Analysts say it is critical that producers stick to the script and preserve R&D as much as possible. Because once the recovery begins, they will need lots of innovative products in the pipeline if they hope to continue competing against cheaper foreign rivals who, increasingly, cannot be beat on quality. |
| | GM announces $46 million upgrade for Allen County plant
When GM pitched the project to the Allen County Council last month, officials said it would allow the plant to retain 50 employees. But union officials have said the move likely will allow the plant to add workers in the coming years. |
| | Study: Political leanings drive car choice
"Liberals are the least likely to buy American, but I think you also have to look a little deeper to see that a higher percentage of those liberals would buy only American - more than would buy only foreign," said Roger Simmermaker, author of "How Americans Can Buy American: The Power of Consumer Patriotism." |
| | BAMW: You can help build the biggest "American-made e-guide" on the Internet!
Have you ever walked into a Home Depot, OfficeMax, JC Penney, or other major retail chain and thought, "I wish I had a list of products that are made in USA for this store?" |
| | Chinese makers of shoddy goods rarely face U.S. sanctions
Chinese manufacturers made more than half of the goods that the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recalled last year, but few of them paid any price for producing defective wares. Moreover, without the threat of high-dollar damage claims, Chinese and other foreign manufacturers can continue to produce shoddy and dangerous goods undeterred. |
| | Nissan EVs To Be Made In America
The automaker chose the United States because it hopes to tap Department of Energy loans and grants meant to jump-start the production of eco-friendlier automobiles. The automaker had no comment on the Nikkei story, which was reported by Reuters. |
| | Demand for Made in America brands on rise: Survey
As of last month, the research shows that although consumers are still focused on value, there is a rise in those seeking American-made products over cheaper products. There is also a decline in wanting to shop around to save money. |
| | Michaud Introduces Measure to Reform American Trade Policy
Congressman Mike Michaud says his legislation, called the TRADE Act, would address the unfair advantage that other businesses in countries like Canada have over Maine businesses. "Health care -- when they have a nationalized health care system, when you look at other components of what Canada offers versus the United States, it puts us at a competitive disadvantage." |
| | Goldcorp Loses Bid for $50 Million in Compensation From U.S.
"The fact that Glamis' claim was even possible, that a foreign company could try to undermine U.S. environmental laws in the name of higher profits, shows why our trade agreements' foreign investor rules must be altered," said Margrete Strand Rangnes, director of the Sierra Club's trade program. |
| | 100 House Dems want new trade rules
Over 100 House Democrats including nine committee chairmen have signed on to legislation that would require President Obama to submit a plan to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and other trade deals. |
| | Mexican trucking group suing U.S. for $6B
Mexico's National Cargo Transportation Association (Canacar) announced yesterday, June 1, it is suing the United States for $6 billion because of its refusal to allow Mexican haulers onto its roads as required under the North American Free Trade Agreement. |
| | Free trade pacts prospects 'not good': top US lawmaker
Prospects for reviving and approving US free trade pacts with Panama, Colombia and South Korea are "not good," Senate Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell warned Thursday. |
| | I'm Placing My Bet On American Manufacturing
In 10 years, we will look back and say this was our moment in time when we turned it around. The re-trenching--or in the case of the American auto industry, re-wrenching--brings us back to our roots. From this time of crisis, American manufacturing will be reborn. Call me an optimist, but consider what's happening in my world, in the fast-paced world of sport bikes. |
| | Beijing orders 'Buy China' for stimulus projects
China's World Trade Organization commitments require it to treat foreign and domestic goods equally in commercial trade. But Beijing has not signed a WTO treaty that extends such requirements to government procurement, which might limit options for challenging Beijing's "Buy China" order. Beijing has imposed similar requirements on government projects such as China's giant Three Gorges Dam to favor domestic suppliers of equipment and services. |
| | BAMW: Bill O'Reilly's "Patriot Store" parody
If you missed Bill O'Reilly's mailbag segment on May 22, you missed a mockery in the making of any reasonable meaning of what a "Patriot Store" might be all about. |
| | BAMW: American-made, union-made 'Buy American' T-shirts
If you're looking for a way to show your American pride and support for buying American, then check out our American-made, union-made "Buy American!" T-shirts in the USA Shop. |
| | Canada passes "Buy Canada" type resolution
The nonbinding resolution passed 189-175 at the Federation of Canadian Municipalities conference in Whistler, British Columbia. The head of the Federation said the delegates hope the resolution, that will not take effect for 120 days, will help strengthen Prime Minister Stephen Harper's case as he lobbies the U.S. for relief from the "Buy American" provision. |
| | American dream fades at Axle plant in Hamtramck
"They don't want a middle class," said Alford, 34, standing in the rain, the shoe still untied, referring not only to the managers of American Axle, but also the owners of industry in general. "I see that in the future people will have to move to Mexico for a job. This is a dark day for the American laborer." |
| | Mattel to Pay $2.3 Million Penalty for Toy Hazard
Mattel Inc. and its Fisher-Price subsidiary will pay a $2.3 million civil penalty in an agreement with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission for selling Chinese-made toys with hazardous levels of lead. |
| | Lawmaker wants Made in USA Stars and Stripes flapping over state buildings
If the Stars and Stripes flies over state-owned, leased or operated buildings, make sure it has a "Made in USA" label, a lawmaker says. That's the hope, anyway, of Sen. Roger N. Kahn, a Saginaw Township Republican. He introduced a bill that would require an American-made "Old Glory" flapping over state government buildings. "If we want to encourage our people to buy products made in America or Michigan, then the state needs to put its money where its mouth is," Kahn said in a statement. "I hope to see my bill become law." |
| | The new 'good' job: 12 bucks an hour
Massive investment in renewable energy could ultimately create 4 million manufacturing jobs. But for the workers in the bottom rung of this movement, the shift to green jobs could very well mean a pay cut of nearly 60%, a trend spreading across the entire manufacturing sector. Many of the entry-level jobs making green energy components start at $12 an hour, much less than the now extinct $28 an hour job that had allowed high school-educated workers in the auto sector to achieve middle class status. |
| | Dr. Peter Morici: Friday's US Jobs Report: Unemployment and stock prices heading up
Manufacturing remains lower than a snake's belly, because GM and Chrysler are in bankruptcy, and non-auto manufacturing is caught between flagging consumer demand and exports from China subsidized by an artificially suppressed Chinese yuan. Also, China has beefed up subsidies to export recession wrought unemployment. |
| | BAMW: Making your Memorial Day cookout All American
On Memorial Day, many Americans will be firing up their outdoor grills for what has become the traditional start of the grilling season. Most will be throwing chicken, ribs, or beef on to the grill, but there's another American favorite you might consider that may be a little less traditional for grilling but certainly no less American. |
| | Class War in America, the Ongoing Assault
Protectionism. Capitalists were all for it before they were against it. |
| | Lawmakers Hear Testimony on Importance of Manufacturing Sector to Economy
Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) said that a "continuing loss of US manufacturing means a greater dependence on foreign factories to produce both everyday consumer goods and the key elements of our national security, including the building blocks of our nation's infrastructure and the equipment crucial to our nation's military." |
| | TriActive Fitness E-Line Designed and Manufactured in U.S.A.
New Made-in-America TriActive Fitness E-Line Outdoor Exercise Products Awarded Contractor Status for the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) Schedule. Made of recycled steel and e-coated for extended durability, the nine new E-Line outdoor exercise products are designed and manufactured in the United States. |
| | 'Born in the USA,' a fashionable rallying cry?
From the East Coast to the West Coast, and everywhere in between, patriotism prevails with apparel and accessories companies forging ahead in honor of some good old American fashion. Bobbie Thomas, TODAY style editor and author of the Buzz column for In Touch Weekly, highlights brands that take pride in their "Made in the USA" label. |
| | Cars hold up South Korean trade deal
Under a free trade agreement, the U.S. would drop its 2.5% tariff on auto imports from South Korea. In turn, South Korea would phase out its 8% levy on American cars. The problem, however, is that South Korea is a much smaller market - and American cars suffer from an image problem. "Popularity is very low," say Kyung-Tae Lee, president of the Institute for International Trade in Seoul. "They say craftsmanship is much better (on) Japanese and European (cars) than American." |
| | US lawmakers to revive China tariff bill
"By illegally subsidizing its exports through the undervaluation of its currency by 30 per cent or more, China distorts the gains from trade, creates barriers to free and fair trade, harms US industries and has destroyed millions of US jobs," those sponsoring the bill said in a statement. |
| | FDA Recalls Dangerous Face Paints Made In China
The Shanghai Color Art Stationery Company and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are issuing a recall for children's face paint that may be harmful when used. The FDA issued a recall after exposure to the product led to "rashes, itchiness, burning sensation, and swelling where the face paints were applied." The FDA tested the paint and found "significant microbial contamination" in "most of the products." |
| | Don't bank on Panama trade pact for job gains
In the State Department's own words, "Panama is an offshore financial center that includes offshore banks and various forms of shell companies that have been used by a wide range of criminal groups globally for money laundering." |
| | US lawmakers target China currency policy
"The time has come for Congress to stand up for American workers and not allow China to run roughshod over the American economy. With this legislation we will finally force China to stop cheating and level the playing field for America's manufacturers," said Republican Representative Tim Murphy. |
| | Tour promotes buying American cars
Jesse B. Jackson about a hundred joined the "Keep It Made in America" bus tour at the hall Tuesday. The tour utilized four buses to visit 36 cities in 11 states and aimed to bring attention to the 7 million jobs supported by the U.S. auto supply chain. The Alliance for American Manufacturing, the Mayors and Municipalities Automotive Coalition and the USW hosted the event. |
| | BAMW: Buying tough American-made work boots isn't tough at all
With the ranks of American manufacturing jobs wearing thin these days, wearing American-made work boots from The Union Boot Pro can show you're standing up for an American industry that is in danger of extinction. |
| | Bellevue businessman charged in alleged honey-smuggling operation
A Bellevue businessman and his Chinese partner have been charged in Seattle with conspiracy in connection with an international honey-smuggling operation. According to a news release, they hoped to avoid paying huge anti-dumping tariffs on Chinese honey by saying their product was from Thailand or the Philippines. |
| | Honey importer charged
A 68-year-old Bellevue resident is charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States in a case involving honey imports. Authorities say Chung Po Liu submitted false paperwork to hide the origin of Chinese honey imports.Ê Liu and Boa Zhong Zhang, a citizen of China, were arrested this morning, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. Authorities say the two conspired to avoid import fees by claiming the product was manufactured in Thailand or the Philippines. |
| | Canada challenges U.S. meat labeling at WTO
Canada took action against the United States at the World Trade Organization on Thursday over a U.S. meat labeling law that Canadian producers say has hurt their hog and cattle sales. |
| | Laid-off Freightliner workers, union members protest outsourcing at Gastonia march
Fraley called for government officials to increase import tariffs so that American manufacturers can compete with foreign plants whose workers earn less in wages and benefits. "The government is not doing what is right for this country," he said. "NAFTA has done more damage to the United States of America than any terrorist group ever could." |
| | Auto workers blame NAFTA for layoffs
"Free trade is something I always believe in from the standpoint we have to trade with different people," Representative Sue Myrick said. "That's what happens in a global economy." |
| | Reviving industrial jobs could boost U.S.
Using her own money, Michele Nash-Hoff wrote and published a book - "Can American Manufacturing Be Saved?" - and she'll be taking her campaign to the Del Mar Electronics Show on Wednesday and a Republican women's caucus next week. "Manufacturing is the foundation of the U.S. national economy and the foundation of the country's large middle class," Nash-Hoff said. "Losing the critical mass of the manufacturing base will result in larger state and federal budget deficits and a decline in U.S. living standards." |
| | Governor signs 'Made in Georgia' bill
Governor Sonny Perdue signed the "Made in Georgia" legislation (SB 44) requiring state agencies to give preference to locally produced items when purchasing or contracting for supplies, materials, equipment, or agricultural products. Nearly 10,000 manufacturing facilities are located in the state, providing jobs for approximately 450,000 Georgians. |
| | Does the U.S. Need an Auto Industry?
Without competition from American companies, nothing can stop foreign companies from raising prices, closing American factories or compromising quality. Foreign-owned companies owe no loyalty or corporate responsibility to America. We cannot claim to be an independent nation if our manufacturing base is under foreign ownership or foreign control. If you fly the American flag, then you should drive an American car. |
| | Textiles laud 'made in USA' law
The nation?s textile industry has been in a free-fall for years, like much of the U.S. manufacturing base. In an attempt to arrest the plunge, legislation recently passed in Congress mandates that uniforms and other textile products bought by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) be American-made. |
| | Marchers to protest NAFTA in downtown Gastonia Saturday
Union leaders from Freightliner are planning a march in downtown Gastonia on Saturday - a week ahead of another 80 layoffs at the Gastonia components and logistics plant - to protest the North American Free Trade Agreement. |
| | Sen. Sherrod Brown wants to halt new trade deals pending review
U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, concerned that President Barack Obama has backed off a pre-election pledge to get tough with trading partners over environmental and labor standards, called for a time-out Wednesday on new United States trade deals. Brown, an Ohio Democrat, said Wednesday, "If in fact President Obama does not open up NAFTA for review, we must not continue the failed system for future trade agreements." |
| | American Cars Shouldn't Be Foreign to Liberals
Roger Simmermaker, author of "How Americans Can Buy American: The Power of Consumer Patriotism," says buyers need to get past their foreign-brand loyalty and long-held misconceptions. "It's a really tough thing to get people to change their minds about the quality of American cars, but the quality is there," he says. The self-described protectionist also makes a patriotic argument that buying U.S. cars helps the country. American automakers have more factories in the United States, Simmermaker says-more than 100, compared to eight apiece for Toyota, Honda and Nissan. He says U.S. firms buy more parts from American companies and they pay more taxes to the U.S. government. "We should be supporting the companies that support America the most," Simmermaker says. |
| | The Flip Side of the Perfect Prius
Sometimes the cars accelerate on their own. Sometimes they stop dead. Drivers of the hybrid Prius have discovered they can be an unexpected adventure. |
| | Canada revives WTO complaint on U.S. meat label law
Discrimination against Canadian companies due to implementation of Buy American provisions in the recently passed U.S. stimulus bill has already appeared on some U.S. water and sewage treatment projects, prompting at least one Canadian city government to press for a ban on U.S. companies and goods doing business in Canada's public works sector, Canada's Trade Minister Stockwell Day said. |
| | Nearly 400 Communities Pass 'Buy American'
As of Friday, a "Buy American" resolution pushed by United Steelworkers members and the Alliance for American Manufacturing has passed in 362 states and municipalities nationwide. In all, more than 1,000 resolutions have been introduced in cities, towns, villages, states, school boards, counties and other localities from Akron, Ohio to Salt Lake City, Utah and beyond. |
| | BAMW: Quality American-made cutlery and more
If you've had trouble finding American-made kitchen cutlery, utensils, bakeware and other accessories at retail stores, maybe you should try shopping online instead. |
| | Pipe Made in India Incenses Illinois Town
Jeff Rains, a retired steelworker went out walking a month ago, and waited impatiently at a rail crossing while a freight train slowly passed, its flatbed cars stacked with steel pipes, each wide enough for a child to crawl through. Then he noticed "Made in India" stenciled on the pipes. Hundreds of sections of imported steel pipe have been moving into Granite City for use in an oil pipeline. The steel mill, meanwhile, has been shut since December for lack of orders - the first time in its 130-year history - and nearly 2,000 workers are on furlough. |
| | Buy Indonesian label 'not protectionism'
President Susilo Bambang Yudho-yono officially launched Wednesday the "Love Indonesia 100%" logo, a sign of the government's intensifying effort to bolster the consumption of domestic products. The campaign is aimed at helping local industries survive the impact of the global economic crisis, which has caused global demand for Indonesian products to shrink. "The 'Love Indonesia' campaign does not mean protectionism," Yudhoyono said. |
| | Japan Pays Foreign Workers to Go Home
Rita Yamaoka, a mother of three who immigrated from Brazil, recently lost her factory job here. Now, Japan has made her an offer she might not be able to refuse. The government will pay thousands of dollars to fly Mrs. Yamaoka; her husband, who is a Brazilian citizen of Japanese descent; and their family back to Brazil. But in exchange, Mrs. Yamaoka and her husband must agree never to seek to work in Japan again. |
| | Free trade advocates overlook China's predatory trade policies
A handful of individuals questioned whether it was such a good idea to be spending so much money moving materials, such as cotton, from the West Coast to the Far East and back when we had a perfectly good textile industry in the United States. The retail establishment - the Macy's, the Dillards, the Wal-Marts, the Targets - turned a deaf ear. Their attitude, in general, seemed to be: Don't bother us, we're making money here. If the United States could count on others to develop industries where they have an economic advantage and not use predatory pricing that would be one thing. But, too often, countries such as China have poured billions of dollars into industries where they had no such advantage unless you count dollar-a-day labor. |
| | Pa. Senate urges local buying
In an effort to deter further economic erosion, the Pennsylvania Senate is working on a resolution urging Pennsylvanians to buy domestic goods. Senate Resolution 62, which was referred to the Labor and Industry committee on April 2, said the economic downturn is having a "critical impact on everyday Americans" who are struggling to find jobs. It goes on to say that if recovery funds are reinvested into American products and services, it will help stabilize the economy, creating additional jobs and "restoring the economic vitality of our communities." |
| | Iowa House passes "buy American" resolution
The Iowa House has taken action on one measure so far this morning. It wasn't a bill, though. It was a resolution urging congress to "buy American" when spending the money in the federal economic stimulus package. |
| | Steel Associations Protest Chinese Trade Policies on Steel
Eight steel trade associations from three continents have jointly submitted comments to the Chinese Industry Policy Department of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology over trade policies in regard to steel. "Invariably, these problems can be traced to China's pursuit of industrial policies that rely on excessive, trade-distorting government interventions intended to promote or protect China's domestic industries." |
| | Get American-made khakis and support a U.S. Military supplier
Ever wondered how you could order from the same suppliers to the U.S. military for yourself on a consumer level? |
| | Buying American: Helpful or hurtful for the struggling U.S. economy?
"If you have a Toyota made in the U.S.A. and a Chevrolet made in the U.S.A., it does matter," said Simmermaker, whose book "How Americans Can Buy American" is in its third edition. "Toyota's having trouble, just like all the automakers, but Toyota doesn't need to be saved right now. General Motors does. Charity starts at home - let's keep our home companies operating." |
| | Lawsuit alleges that Chinese drywall corrupted home, caused health problems
Some unseen force was corroding Jill Donaldson's house. Almost immediately after she and her husband moved into the home they built in Pearl River in 2007, the coils in their air-conditioning system blackened and fizzled. The faucets in the master bathroom began to pock and rust. Three of their television sets burned out within a year. |
| | China, 2 Chinese firms to buy 2 Delphi businesses
Two Chinese companies and the Chinese government signed an agreement Monday to acquire Delphi Corp.'s brakes and suspension businesses, the most high-profile acquisition yet by the Chinese in the American auto industry. The Chinese auto supplier Tempo Group, which has its U.S. research and development operations in Canton, will acquire a 24% stake in the Delphi businesses. China's Capital Iron & Steel Co. will purchase a 51% stake, and the Beijing government will own the remaining 25%. The Delphi businesses will be owned by a new Chinese company called Beijing West Industries Co. Ltd., based in Beijing. |
| | China Offers Subsidy to Boost Spending At Home
Facing slumping demand for Chinese goods overseas, China's government is trying to stimulate consumption at home - spending $2.25 billion to subsidize discounts on made-in-China fridges, washing machines, mobile phones, TVs and cars for its rural residents. |
| | Make America's economy greater while enjoying the great outdoors
If you plan to spend more time enjoying the outdoors now that Spring is finally here and fishing is one of your hobbies, you might want to check out the American-made fishing reels by Ardent Outdoors. |
| | Trade barriers rise as the recession's grip tightens
Russia has raised tariffs on used cars. China has tightened import standards on food, banning Irish pork, among other things. India has banned Chinese toys. Argentina has tightened licensing requirements on auto parts, textiles and leather goods. And a dozen countries, from the United States to Australia, are subsidizing embattled automakers or car dealers. |
| | Japan automakers' sales tumble in February
Toyota Motor Corp., Japan's largest automaker, reported that worldwide auto production, fell by 49.6% in February from a year ago, to 434,179 units. February auto output in Japan fell by 64% and domestic sales were down by 32.5%, with exports falling 68.5%. Including the two subsidiaries, Japanese production was down 56.4%, domestic sales fell 25.2% and exports sank 68.4%. |
| | China Draws Nearer
China's low-cost manufacturing hubs, like the Pearl River Delta near Hong Kong, now control an overwhelming share of the world market in everything from toys to low-end electronics. "China has become the quintessential trading nation, whose international commerce dramatically increases its national power," notes David Zweig, an expert on China's trade and investment at the Center on China?s Transnational Relations at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. |
| | 'Buy American' pitch worries Canada
Buried deep in the Water Quality Investment Act of 2009 -- a proposed piece of legislation that would grant billions to state and local governments -- Buy American is alive and well. Unless the water legislation is changed, John Hayward, president of Hayward Gordon Ltd., a small pump maker in Ontario, said he'll have to lay off more than 10 per cent of his work force and shift some production to the United States -- a scenario that could be replicated hundreds of times as Canadian suppliers are shut out of lucrative local projects. |
| | BAMW: American Art on American-made canvases
How would you like to beautify and brighten up every room in your home in a one-of-a-kind fashion that literally no one else could duplicate? |
| | WTO to look into US rules on 'dolphin-safe' tuna
The World Trade Organization will consider a complaint by Mexico next week alleging that U.S. rules on "dolphin-safe" tuna are illegal, according to an agenda released Tuesday. Mexico says U.S. labeling restrictions effectively exclude Mexican tuna from the U.S. market and have caused a third of the nation's tuna fleet to shut down. |
| | U.S. to Toughen Its Stance On Trade
The Obama administration is aggressively reworking U.S. trade policy to more strongly emphasize domestic and social issues, from the displacement of American workers to climate change. |
| | Flying the flag
Bryan Aldridge is betting that the recession will encourage more bosses to think like Mr Charles. He and a partner have just kicked off a new venture, My American Jobs, which plans to create a certification process to help customers identify products in which most of the materials and labour were sourced in America. |
| | More catfish exporters escape US anti-dumping tariffs
The US Department of Commerce has decided to abolish the imposition of anti-dumping tariffs on exports from two more Vietnamese catfish exporters, said the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Processors (VASEP). |
| | Trade Concerns Raised in U.S. Climate Debate
"If a U.S. company, say a steel mill in Ohio, if their cost goes up dramatically for cutting carbon, it's one more reason to think they're not going to be competitive.... They lose jobs. [The state] loses manufacturing," Senator Sherrod Brown said during an event on green jobs hosted by the Worldwatch Institute and Heinrich Böll Foundation. "We need some guarantee that my state will not be overwhelmed by the costs [of a climate change bill]." |
| | EU slaps tariffs on U.S. biodiesel
U.S. exporters of biodiesel to the EU must pay additional anti-dumping duties of up to 29 percent, and anti-subsidy duties of between 29-41 percent for an initial six months. The measure will start from Friday. As EU's biggest importing partner, the United States imported more than 1.5 million tons of goods in 2008, while in 2005, the import volume was 7,000 tons. |
| | ECONOMIC PATRIOTISM (or, No Ford in My Futura)
After years of "Free-trade" policies, which have primarily meant that anything could be imported into the United States market without tariffs - though generally, the exporting country doesn't reciprocate - the concept of protectionism is re-entering the discussion. And it's starting in France. This week, French President Nicolas Sarkozy put his foot down. While French carmakers are getting government funding (Citroen Peugeot, specifically), they may not take that money and open plants in the cheaper-labor Czech Republic. The French taxpayer's money must employ French autoworkers in French plants. |
| | China's imports and exports tumble
Lower prices can be good news for consumers. But in times of recession or economic slowdown, they are also a sign that demand has fallen and producers have had to lower prices to sell their products. China had seen double-digit growth since 2001 as consumers worldwide bought Chinese goods. However, exports were hit hard starting in late 2008 because of the global economic crisis. |
| | Winchester plants to cut 450 jobs
Winchester, Kentucky, will receive a triple blow to its economy this year as three automotive parts factories plan to cut more than 450 jobs from the community. The reductions reflect the wide reach of the plummeting automotive industry. Nissan, General Motors and Honda are the biggest customers of Niles America, Patterson said. Reflecting the drop in auto sales, Niles, a maker of switches for cars, has had their sales cut in half. |
| | Obama may face trade showdown with Mexico if Congress ends funding for trucking program
The Senate is considering a $410 billion House-passed spending bill that halts funding for the Mexican truck program. Two years ago, the Senate voted 74-24 to cut off the program's funding. Voting with the majority at the time were Obama and Joe Biden, now the vice president. Senate Republicans don't even plan trying to keep the program alive now that a Democrat is in the White House. |
| | U.S. warns of need to fix "imbalance" in Doha talks
The United States warned on Monday there would be no agreement in long-running world trade talks until other countries make stronger commitments to open their markets to U.S. goods. |
| | Workers in sit-in to get jobs back under new owner
The sale of a Chicago windows factory owned by Republic Windows & Doors where workers staged a six-day sit-in last December has been approved by a bankruptcy judge, clearing the way for the business to reopen in about a month and rehire those workers, union officials said. California-based Serious Materials, who plans to build energy-efficient windows at the site, will gradually rehire workers at the pay rate they received before the plant was shut down under an agreement with United Electrical Workers Local 1110. |
| | Feds give AIG $30 billion more
The company today reported a net fourth-quarter loss of $61.7 billion, the largest quarterly loss in U.S. history. |
| | Bring back manufacturing
A decade ago, Ross Perot phrased the famous line regarding the passage of NAFTA as "the giant sucking sound of jobs leaving the U.S." Nobody paid him much attention. Guess where those jobs went? Our homes and garages are packed full of imported stuff; it's time to buy "made in the USA." |
| | Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger To Congress: My Pay Has Been Cut 40 Percent In Recent Years, Pension Terminated
The reduced compensation has placed "pilots and their families in an untenable financial situation," Sullenberger said. "I do not know a single professional airline pilot who wants his or her children to follow in their footsteps." Sullenberger himself has started a consulting business to help make ends meet. Sullenberger's copilot Jeffrey B. Skiles added, "For the last six years, I have worked seven days a week between my two jobs just to maintain a middle class standard of living." |
| | The Spectacular, Sudden Crash of the Global Economy
For almost 40 years, smooth-talking snake-oil salesmen in well-tailored suits have pitched the wonders of a globalized economy. Politicians and pundits alike insisted that the wealthy states at the core of that worldwide economy could shift labor-intensive production to the poorer countries at the edges, in search of a cheaper pair of hands and less nettlesome regulations, and that ordinary working people would benefit. |
| | Bill aims to halt Mexican truck travel in U.S.
A $410 billion spending bill House Democrats presented Monday includes language that would prevent Mexican-licensed trucks from traveling beyond commercial zones along the U.S.-Mexico border. The wording is aimed at ending a pilot program backed by the Bush administration that permitted up to 500 U.S.-certified trucks access deep into the U.S. |
| | Auto team drives imports
Among the eight members named Friday to the Presidential Task Force on the Auto Industry and the 10 senior policy aides who will assist them in their work, two own American models. Gene Sperling, counsel to the Treasury Secretary, owns a 2003 Lincoln LS, and previously owned a 1993 Saturn SL2. Edward B. Montgomery, senior adviser to the Labor Department, owns a 1991 Harley-Davidson and previously owned a 1990 Ford Taurus L station wagon, public records show. |
| | Buy America means more jobs
For more than 75 years, Buy America laws have been on the books. So it would have been highly unusual if they did not apply to this massive new investment in America's infrastructure. Free market advocate Ronald Reagan actually expanded Buy America rules in 1982, in the midst of a recession. No trade war was sparked then; no trade war will be sparked now. |
| | New Labatt USA owner may add jobs in Buffalo
The new owner of Labatt USA says the business headquarters will stay in Buffalo, and it could add local jobs. KPS Capital Partners, a New York City-based private equity firm, has agreed to buy Labatt USA from Anheuser-Busch In- Bev for an undisclosed amount. The deal needs the approval of the U. S. Justice Department. KPS is also buying High Falls Brewing Co. of Rochester, maker of Genesee and Dundee brands. |
| | 'Made in the USA' label getting harder to find
In January, 207,000 U.S. manufacturing jobs vanished in the largest one-month drop since October 1982. Factory activity is hovering at a 28-year low. Even before the recession, plants were hemorrhaging work to foreign competitors with cheap labor. And some companies were moving production overseas. |
| | Obama vows honesty in budgets
In 2008 alone, we paid $250 billion in interest on our debt - one in every 10 taxpayer dollars. That is more than three times what we spent on education that year; more than seven times what we spent on VA health care. |
| | EU tariffs would be a setback for U.S. biodiesel
The tariffs would be temporary but could be made permanent once the European Commission finishes an investigation of surging U.S. imports, according to Dow Jones Newswires. Nowhere in this story does it mention the Buy American provision of the Economic Stimulus bill as a reason, and the EU certainly doesn't seem to worry about retaliation for their increased tariffs. |
| | BAMW: Shopping with Roger
Have you had trouble finding and buying American-made products? Then buy what I buy! |
| | Fate of American car is unclear
Americans say they would rather buy domestically-made products. Three-quarters of 537 car shoppers surveyed on its Web site by Kelley Blue Book in December said they prefer to buy U.S.-made products. |
| | NC congressman's 'buy American' provision enacted
The law expands a rule that military uniforms be made and assembled in the United States to include textiles worn and used by Transportation Security Administration officers who monitor airports and other transportation systems. |
| | 'Buy American' Concerns Japan's Steel Industry Chief
"It is quite regrettable because this kind of measure that prioritizes products made in one's own country might spread protectionism around the world," said Shoji Muneoka, chairman of the Japan Iron and Steel Federation. |
| | Obama wants to reopen NAFTA but keep trade flowing
"As I've said before, NAFTA, the basic framework of the agreement, has environmental and labor protections as side agreements. My argument has always been that we might as well incorporate them into the full agreement so that they're fully enforceable," he said in the interview with CBC television. |
| | Toyota Takes the Knife to U.S. Labor Costs
Toyota is offering buyouts to 18,000 U.S. workers, reducing wages, and slashing bonuses. |
| | Check out China's "America is For Sale Expo 09"
Expo in Beijing shows Chinese investors how to buy American assets. |
| | FACTBOX: "Buy American" provision in U.S. stimulus bill
The stimulus package includes about $48 billion in transportation projects, roughly $30 billion in infrastructure improvements and additional other spending that could be covered by the Buy American provision. |
| | That 'Buy American' Provision
Author Roger Simmermaker, Senator Sherrod Brown and others weigh in on a New York Times blog. |
| | BAMW: Buying American, recovery, and reinvestment
If you listen to most the media's misguided free market cheerleaders, the "Buy American" provision in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 will prevent our economy from experiencing any kind of recovery or reinvestment. |
| | Commentary: Free trade has sold out the American worker
We face rampant protectionism across the globe. Pursuing a free trade agenda in a protectionist world is tantamount to unilateral disarmament. |
| | Unions call for "Buy Canadian" policy
The CAW and the USW criticized Canada's response to the U.S. provision on Tuesday, saying it ignored the fact that Buy American rules for federal purchases have existed since 1933 and that Buy American rules for state and local transport infrastructure have existed since 1982. |
| | Stimulus Plan Has Limited 'Buy America' Provisions
United Steelworkers Union president Leo Gerard says America's trading partners are hypocritical. "The European economic union has stronger Buy European provisions than we do in the U.S. law," says Gerard. "When the Chinese put forward their multi-trillion dollar economic renewal program, they didn't buy any products here. In fact, they flooded our market with dumped products." |
| | House member open to Senate "Buy American" plan
The Senate Buy American provision is broader than the House version in one important way because it requires public works projects funded by the stimulus bill to use U.S.-made manufactured goods in addition to U.S.-made iron and steel. |
| | CAT chairman named to Obama's team
Other advisory board members include former SEC Chairman William Donaldson; Harvard University professor Martin Feldstein, General Electric Co. CEO Jeffrey R. Immelt; and two labor officials ? Anna Burger of Service Employees International Union and Richard Trumka of the AFL-CIO. |
| | LETTER: Stimulus bill should be for America
Buying foreign goods and materials puts foreigners to work and stimulates their economies, not ours - unless you want to count the low-paying retail sales jobs where foreign-made goods are sold. Even Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke says Americans need to buy more "domestically produced products." |
| | Tentative deal on Senate stimulus bill
There are funds, as well, for construction of highways and bridges, and it also includes a "Buy American" protectionist measure for iron and steel that has drawn strong criticism from major U.S. trading partners including Japan, Australia and Canada. |
| | U.S. FDA Reports Show Unapproved Chemicals Used by Largest Chilean Salmon Farms; Pew Urges FDA to Increase, Expand Tests on Imported Farmed Fish
The documents further show that the farmed salmon containing residues of unapproved chemicals were destined for the U.S. market. |
| | Wal-Mart Aims To Go Green With Global Supply Chain Makeover
Wouldn't it be much easier and cheaper to just return to manufacturing goods in the U.S. instead of trying to monitor and change the rest of the world? |
| | Ports to begin clean-trucks fee on cargo after delays
The ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles will begin collecting a $35 per cargo container fee on Feb. 18 to help subsidize the replacement of thousands of polluting trucks, it was announced Wednesday. The fee is expected to raise about $1 million a day or about $1billion over the next few years at both San Pedro Bay ports to finance 80 percent of the cost to replace many of the 17,000 trucks that are a leading source of air pollution in the region, said Richard D. Steinke, executive director of Port of Long Beach. |
| | Institute proposing fish farm in federal waters
"We really have a choice as a country," said Michael Rubino, aquaculture chief for the U.S. oceanic administration. "If we are going to eat more seafood, we are either going to import more of it - and most of that is from aquaculture - or we can choose to grow more of it at home." |
| | To Survive, Americans Must Assert Themselves as Economic Patriots
Last year, the Government Accountability Office reported that "Buy America" policies are effective by "protecting domestic employment through national infrastructure improvements that can stimulate economic activity and create jobs; protecting against unfair competition from foreign firms as a result of foreign government subsidies; and maintaining national security interests through the continued use and development of certain industries within the U.S. economy, like the iron and steel industries." |
| | Is Obama Forgetting About Main Street?
A country that month after month after month records trade deficits in the range of $50 billion to $60 billion--astronomical levels of imbalance between what is spent on imports versus what is earned from exports--is failing to compete, or even to function, in the global economy. And it certainly is not influencing the shape of that economy for the betterment of workers at home or abroad. |
| | Unless we rebuild our manufacturing base, America cannot restore prosperity
Millions of American manufacturing jobs have now been lost, as they have been outsourced to other nations of the world. America has been transformed from a powerful engine of manufacturing to a docile service economy, and this has been disastrous for our nation and our workers. |
| | Why Buy American?
The allowing of multinational entities to dictate and control American trade policy through their unashamedly bribery of public officials, with contributions and lobbying jobs, has created a situation in which the American worker and citizen has all but no say in the economic policy of our country. |
| | Buy American: Rethinking Smoot-Hawley
It's high time to stop treating "protectionism" like a dirty word when you're talking about protecting American jobs and industry. Look at the real numbers of Americans not just unemployed (rising by the week) but underemployed (the downsized worker from Sun Microsystems whose job went to India and is now working at Starbucks) and also those who have simply given up looking for work. Protectionism? Damned straight, Skippy. And high time for it, too. |
| | Is America Weighed Down By 'Dead Ideas'?
In his new book, The Tyranny of Dead Ideas, Matt Miller writes that while many of our current notions of economic and social well-being made sense when they first gained traction 50 years ago, they don't hold much water today. On the list of outmoded beliefs: the ideas that our children will earn more than we do; that free trade is good; that financial markets can regulate themselves; that taxes are bad; and that the company we work for should provide us with health care and pensions. |
| | BAMW: There is no constitutional right to import
Now that the House of Representatives has passed, and the U.S. Senate is considering, an economic stimulus bill which includes a "Buy American" provision that pretty much prohibits purchasing foreign iron and steel for projects involving rebuilding America's infrastructure, foreign countries across the globe are complaining as if to suggest our U.S. Constitution has it's own clause that guarantees foreign counties' right to import into the United States. |
| | Steel-state lawmakers vow to save 'Buy American'
Senator John McCain, an Arizona Republican, was expected to offer an amendment to strip the Buy American provision from the Senate's stimulus bill, while other lawmakers were working on changes to make sure it was consistent with U.S. trade pacts. |
| | Senate OKs auto-buying incentive plan
Essentially, the amendment would make interest and sales taxes deductible on new-vehicle purchases for the remainder of the year, says Dennis DesRosiers, president of DesRosiers Automotive Consultants in Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada. |
| | Obama's free traders mum on protection
"[I]n this case, when American taxpayers are paying a huge amount of money to stimulate jobs in the United States, the argument can be made that the extra cost to the government and the slight antagonism of foreign governments may be worth it," said Reich, who sparred with Summers and Clinton Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin over trade. He said if the U.S. stimulus bill leads foreign governments to pass similar bills benefiting their own domestic industries, "so much the better." |
| | Top Republican: Scrap 'buy American' stimulus clause
The US Senate should strip a "Buy American" clause from President Barack Obama's economic stimulus plan, the chamber's top Republican said Monday amid anger at the restriction from US allies. |
| | Obama facing dilemma over protectionism
The "buy American" provisions would require major public works projects to favor U.S. steel, iron and manufacturing over imports. |
| | Detroit's pain reaches state
The Pend Oreille Mine, the largest employer in a sparsely populated area north of Spokane near the Canadian border, is closing indefinitely Feb. 16 because of plummeting zinc prices, leaving 217 workers without jobs. Zinc is used to make steel rustproof for use in cars and trucks, among other products. |
| | More Layoffs at Caterpillar
More than 2,000 CAT employees in Illinois were notified Friday that they would be laid off beginning April 13th. More than 750 production, support, and management employees in East Peoria have been laid off. |
| | Buy American, buy local
In days gone by, we did not rely on foreign production as we do now. Historically, we never had trade deficits that were not in our favor. We did not toss away American workers and decent products for inferior, foreign-made goods to save a few dollars here and there. In the past, we as a people made what we bought, and we bought those goods in stores owned and run by our neighbors. We looked out for one another by basing our buying decisions on pride of workmanship, quality and country. |
| | Longaberger unveils pottery made in U.S.A.
"Made in America matters," company president and chief executive Tami Longaberger said in a press release. "Rebuilding our nation's economy requires an investment in America and its workers. It is the right thing to do. It is what we're about." |
| | 'Buy American' not protectionism, says union
Instead of complaining about U.S. policies, Gerard said the Canadian government should work to protect their own domestic industry. |
| | Wiley Rein Wins Diamond Sawblade Dumping Appeal
The Court of International Trade ruling comes too late for two members of the U.S. coalition, which Pickard told us have gone out of business. But the remaining U.S. manufacturers, he said, can now expect a level playing field in the diamond sawblade industry: In the next few weeks the U.S. Department of Commerce will begin to collect deposits on the imported blades. |
| | WTO Agrees to Rule of Chinese Complaint
The United States has imposed anti-dumping and anti-subsidy duties on two types of steel pipes, pneumatic tires and woven sacks, the Financial Times reported Tuesday. Dumping is the practice of selling products abroad at prices lower than the products fetch in the producer country. |
| | Home inspectors learning more about dangerous Chinese drywall
Inspectors say copper wiring found in air conditioning units seems to break down because of the sulfur compounds being put off from the Chinese drywall. "What we learned is that the Chinese drywall was shipped into Port Manatee in Tampa, and then distributed to local suppliers." |
| | Drywall case expands
The Gypsum Association said its analysis of government trade data found about 300 million square feet of drywall from China was imported into the U.S. from 2006 to 2007. Experts say dozens of Southwest Florida builders might have used the material. "It's going to be the exception to be a builder that wasn't touched by this," Foreman said. |
| | Bills push for Hoosiers to "buy American"
The buy-American bill, sponsored by David L. Niezgodski, D - South Bend, gives a $1,000 tax credit to Hoosiers who buy construction equipment, cars, trucks, tractors or recreational vehicles that includes 70 percent of American-made products. |
| | GE, Caterpillar Fight 'Buy American' Rule in Stimulus
General Electric Co. and Caterpillar Inc. are among U.S. exporters that oppose "Buy American" provisions in the $825 billion stimulus legislation, saying it might spark a trade war. The companies say that proposals pushed by companies such as U.S. Steel Corp. and Nucor Corp. to limit spending in the stimulus plan to American-made iron and steel risk igniting retaliation from other countries. |
| | US and France at War over Food Tariffs
France and the United States are engaged in another food war, and this time it's not over fries. The French government was infuriated by the legacy that President George W. Bush implemented right before leaving office: enacting a colossal tax on France's prized Roquefort cheese. While he imposed a 100 percent import duty on many products from the European Union, the former US President singled out the pungent blue cheese for a 300 percent tariff. |
| | Geithner signals tougher stance on China
Treasury Secretary-designate Timothy Geithner says President Barack Obama believes China is "manipulating" its currency, a declaration that American manufacturers have long sought in their efforts to combat America's soaring trade deficit with China. |
| | BAMW: American-made products for American outdoor living
There's a friendly and growing company in the largest alpine valley in America, inside the beautiful Sierra Valley of California, that offers American-made products that embody the pioneer spirit when America was discovered and settled. |
| | Florida Citrus Faces Tax War in Battle over Orange Juice Imports
Florida Department of Citrus officials have been warned a proposed new tax on orange juice imports faces a certain legal challenge, but foreign importers have threatened a much bigger fight against the federal tariff on OJ imports if the Florida Legislature approves the new tax. Eliminating the federal tariff would wipe out any competitive advantage Florida citrus growers have against the citrus industry in Brazil, the world's largest orange grower and juice processor. Brazil is also the source of most OJ imports to Florida and would bear the burden of any new state imports tax. |
| | China Slams Geithner's Comments on Currency
A top official at China's central bank hit back Saturday at comments by U.S. Treasury Secretary-designate Timothy Geithner, who said the Obama administration believes that China is manipulating its currency. "We should avoid any excuse that might lead to the revitalization of trade protectionism. Because it will do no good to the fight against the crisis, nor will it help the healthy and stable development of the global economy," Su said during a visit to a Beijing business newspaper. |
| | China Jittery About Obama Amid Signs of Harder Line
China starts off on weaker footing with Mr. Obama than it did with his predecessor, George W. Bush. Mr. Bush and his last Treasury secretary, Henry M. Paulson Jr., cultivated Chinese leaders and refused to call Beijing a manipulator. |
| | Our Current Economic Environment Is No Longer Sustainable
The reality, however, is that Sherrod Brown, the junior Senator from Ohio, just gets it, writing in an April Op-Ed piece "Eight times I have taken the oath of office to support and defend the United States. My colleagues and I commit ourselves to protecting our nation from all enemies, foreign and domestic. That includes protecting our neighborhoods from unsafe products. And, yes, that also means protecting our workers and businesses from unfair competition." |
| | 'Buy American' support builds as sales fall
"Buy American" is a revived sentiment these days in Michigan, particularly after lawmakers from states where foreign automakers have operations opposed loans to Detroit automakers. A 2007 Free Press poll found that only 15% of Michigan families owned a car from a foreign-owned company. In the United States, about half the new passenger vehicles purchased are products of the foreign-owned companies. |
| | Bowling balls rolling again at Muskegon plant
Taking up the Brunswick Corp. tradition of bowling ball production that was moved to Mexico in 2006, a small independent producer of bowling items has launched a new line of professional-grade balls. The Motiv line of bowling balls is being made out of the Wilbur Products plant in Muskegon Heights. |
| | Obama Team Reviewing 'Buy American' Plank in Stimulus
President-elect Barack Obama's advisers are looking at including a "buy American" provision in the economic-stimulus legislation that the incoming administration has made its first priority. "We are reviewing the buy American proposal and we are committed to a plan that will save or create 3 million jobs, including jobs in manufacturing," said Jen Psaki, a spokeswoman for Obama's transition team. |
| | The U.S. Trade Deficit Caused the Recession and the Financial Crisis
The recession and financial crisis has been caused by the transfer of jobs and our wealth to foreign countries. First we lost our jobs, and then our wealth. |
| | Made in America: True independence
Unfortunately, America has little production capacity to build storage batteries any more. There are some small start-up companies in America hoping to build batteries, but chances are they would struggle to meet the huge, growing demand. It is sad to see our country developing new vehicles and having to rely on foreign companies to power them. Can we learn nothing from our past? |
| | Look At All Those New Cars
As we watched and they commented on relatives lost long ago, I would periodically ask my father-in-law, "How did you ever get by without foreign cars?" No Toyotas, no Hondas, no Kia or Subaru, and yet somehow these people seemed happy. They had a nice home, a nice car, a good Christmas for the kids, and all on a middle-class income. |
| | A123 Systems plans U.S. battery production
Battery maker A123 Systems plans to build automotive battery manufacturing facilities in the United States and has applied for $1.84 billion in government loans to fund the construction, the company said on Wednesday. |
| | New Round Lake Beach business sells only U.S.-made merchandise
Nitai Pandya and Mia Kenig-Bujnarowski recently opened American Aisle, a shop where all the merchandise is made in the United States. |
| | Unhealthy trading
Despite trade and health issues, Chinese producers and cohorts are using a number of other countries as transshipment points to conceal the origin of their honey before it enters this country. |
| | BAMW: Toys Made in America
Have you been looking for toys made in America? Then why not visit www.toysmadeinAmerica.com, where you'll see literally dozens of links to all kinds of toys, games, puzzles, books and sports accessories? |
| | US steel industry urges 'buy America' recovery plan
Daniel DiMicco, chairman and chief executive of Nucor Corp (NUE.N), a giant steel maker, told the paper the industry was asking the incoming administration to "deal with the worst economic slowdown in our lifetime through a recovery program that has in every provision a 'buy America' clause." |
| | U.S. blocks China trade dispute at WTO
China is objecting to duties imposed by Washington to counter what it sees as unfairly priced imports. According to U.S. authorities, the goods were sold in the U.S. market for less than they cost at home and benefited from subsidies. |
| | China protests US import duties at WTO: report
Import duties on four product categories including steel pipes and off-road tyres were first levied by the United States in September. Despite China's protests, the US International Trade Commission claimed the duties were necessary to offset subsidies by the Chinese government to those exports, the report said. |
| | Cooper Tire to close Georgia facility, affecting 1,400 jobs
Cooper Tire cited pressure from increased lower-priced imports and softening domestic demand for products. |
| | Administration refuses to cite China on currency
But in the report, which must be submitted to Congress every six months, the administration said China did not meet the standards set in U.S. law for being cited as a currency manipulator. |
| | George Bush, Protectionist
Bush may believe he has sinned against free-market principles, but he is following the path of his great free-market predecessor. Ronald Reagan, too, was not prepared to see Japan take down the U.S. auto industry, or steel industry, or computer chip industry, or Harley-Davidson. |
| | US drags China to WTO over 'protectionist' policy
We are going to the WTO today because we are determined to use all resources available to fight industrial policies that aim to unfairly promote Chinese-branded products at the expense of American interests, said US Trade Representative Susan Schwab. |
| | Hypocrisy of auto buyers of America
As you are sitting in your car at an intersection, take a look around you at what kind of vehicles surround you. You will be aware, as I have become, that the vast majority of the cars Sioux Falls drivers are driving are either pickups, minivans or SUVs. Detroit made the mistake of following one of the oldest rules of capitalism - make the products that are most profitable and most popular with the buying public. |
| | Trade Barriers Toughen With Global Slump
Moving to shield battered domestic manufacturers from foreign imports, Indonesia is slapping restrictions on at least 500 products this month, demanding special licenses and new fees on imports. Russia is hiking tariffs on imported cars, poultry and pork. France is launching a state fund to protect French companies from foreign takeovers. Officials in Argentina and Brazil are seeking to raise tariffs on products from imported wine and textiles to leather goods and peaches, according to the World Trade Organization. |
| | Woes of U.S. auto industry cross border into Mexico
Volkswagen is producing nearly as many vehicles in Mexico as GM. Just two weeks ago, Norwegian automotive supplier Kongsberg Automotive announced it would close facilities in Ohio and Kansas and move work to Mexico. China's state-owned FAW Group is building an auto-assembly plant in Michoacan state that by 2010, will be the first to produce Chinese cars in Mexico. |
| | BAMW: Welcome to the Congressional Car Company, Inc.
Apparently the Bush Administration thinks the government can run a car company better than the longtime American auto executives who they charge with being unable to "come up with" a viable solution for success. |
| | SW Florida man makes a statement about the economy by refusing to decorate
There are signs of the season inside Tom Shoecraft's home: a real tree with homemade decorations from his five grandkids. He says it's their future he worries about most. Roger Simmermaker, Florida-based author of "How Americans Can Buy American" also recommends these sites: ChristmasbyKrebs.com, ByersChoice.com, ChristmasForest.com for Christmas wreaths and ornaments made in the USA. U.S. made artificial Christmas trees can be found at uschristmastree.com. |
| | Toyota Forecasts Its First Operating Loss in 71 Years
I guess Toyota isn't building cars people want to buy either. |
| | Bush outlines auto bailout conditions
His plan requires carmakers to show positive net value by March 31 and strive to reduce two-thirds of their debt. Detroit's Big Three also must get their wage structure with the United Auto Workers union competitive with foreign-owned carmakers who manufacture in the United States by the end of 2009. |
| | Over 3,000 Unsafe Toys From China Seized In Florida
A total of 2,160 plastic toy airplanes and 1,440 plastic toy rattles were taken into custody, because they either were found to be in violation of the small parts requirements of the Consumer Product Safety Commission and pose choking hazard to young children, or had high quantities of lead paint on them. |
| | Can you buy All-American this Christmas?
In his 2008 book, "How Americans Can Buy American: The Power of Consumer Patriotism," Roger Simmermaker reports a 2007 study showing that 33 percent of Americans say they would be willing to pay four times as much for American-made toys. |
| | Mom, Apple Pie, and Hyundai?
India imposes a 100 percent tariff on imported U.S. vehicles. China's tariff rate is 25 percent. Korea has long-run national anti-import campaigns that include targeting for tax audits anyone who buys a foreign car. Unless foreign economic protectionism is confronted immediately and at the highest levels of the U.S. government, the American auto industry cannot survive. |
| | GM puts Volt engine plant on hold to conserve cash
GM said it is putting the brakes on the construction of a factory in Flint, Mich., set to make 1.4-liter engines for the Chevrolet Cruze and the Chevy Volt plug-in electric car. |
| | Another South-North fight over labor
Ford and GM each obtain at least 80 percent of their parts from American factories. Toyota, Honda and Nissan get only 45 percent to 55 percent of their parts from the U.S., according to car industry observer Roger Simmermaker. |
| | Senators carping about Big Three tax subsidies should look at plants in their backyard
When Alabama gave Mercedes-Benz $253 million to build a factory there ($168,000 per job), that was considered a good thing. Honda was worth $158 million, and Hyundai's Southern site choice forced the state to cough up $234 million more. In 2003, Mercedes brought in Polish workers on questionable B-1 work visas to expand the factory because they could be paid far less than the local workforce. |
| | Toyota Delays U.S. Plant Opening Indefinitely
Well whaddya know! Toyota may not build the Prius in America after all. Could it be because sales of the Prius were down 48.3% in November? Are the people not buying Priuses the same ones that claim the Big Three don't build cars people want to buy? |
| | Local CEO: Buy American And You Shall Be Rewarded!
Mount Vernon Businessman Offers Employees Serious Cash Incentives To Buy U.S.-Made Cars And Trucks. $500 To Buy Or Lease 'Big 3' Car; $1,000 If It Gets 30 MPG |
| | No Jobs, No Recovery
The different wage scales in past history has required tariffs so as not to destroy the economies of all nations. Tariff is not a dirty word. It has been used to correct disparities in wages for thousands of years. |
| | Port approves $3.5 million rise in tariffs
The $3.5 million from tariffs will go toward increasing the port's reserve fund, which has about $19 million, LaRue said. Reserve funds are tapped to handle infrastructure demands, such as those that will be needed for projects such as the proposed La Quinta Trade Gateway Terminal, or in case of natural or man-made disasters, he added. |
| | China says to take more steps to help industry
The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said in a statement that industrial output growth continued to slow in November, from the 8.2 percent annual pace in October, and that some industries had faced 'serious difficulties' during that month. |
| | Made in America is motto of American Aisle
Only U.S.-manufactured products offered in Round Lake Beach store. One would think that the store must be owned by an American. Not so. The owner is an immigrant from India and his working partner is from Poland. |
| | Made In America
For many products, there are benefits to manufacturing them in the U.S. |
| | Carolina Manufacturers Fear Fall of Chinese Trade Barriers
Some hard-hit Carolina textile and apparel manufacturers are bracing for another blow to their industry when restrictions on Chinese imports expire at the end of the year. |
| | Domestic Steel Producers Feeling Sore Over Soaring Imports from China
Steel demand is slack and prices are low because sales of automobiles and appliances are down and residential construction is weak. So it?s not surprising that U.S. steel producers were dismayed when imports of Chinese finished steel products in October reached 713,000 net tons, an all-time monthly high. |
| | Half of Americans say NAFTA has mainly negative effect on the economy
In August, a slim majority of American respondents (53%) told Gallup that the effect of NAFTA on the U.S. economy has been "mainly negative," while 37% said the effect has been "mainly positive." |
| | Toyota likely to report loss in second half
Analysts say that with the yen soaring and global vehicle sales sliding more than expected, Toyota was well on its way to falling into the red in the second half. |
| | GM, Chrysler Bankruptcies Would Hit Confidence, Deepen Slump
A GM or Chrysler bankruptcy "would be the start of a cascade of failures," says Dennis Virag, president of Automotive Consulting Group in Ann Arbor, Michigan. "The economy will be in chaos within weeks." |
| | Rasmussen survey finds shoppers wouldn't buy cars from bankrupt auto makers
A new poll by Rasmussen Reports of consumer found that 51 percent said they would not buy a car from a manufacturer who is in Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization. Thirty-one percent in surveyed said they would be "OK" buying a car from a bankrupt car maker. Another 18 percent weren't sure. |
| | UAW Condemns GOP for Scuttling Bailout
The Republican Senate proposal sought to cut UAW wages, bringing them in line -- or at "parity" -- with what workers earn at foreign-owned, non-unionized plants in the United States. "If we work for nothing, it wouldn't help them limp into January," United Auto Workers President Ronald A. Gettelfinger said. |
| | Buying Big 3 brings bonus
Some companies give cash deals to workers who buy a car from domestic automakers. |
| | Hey, Senator, check out the 43 mpg Ford Fusion hybrid
If I had my way, carmakers would create vehicles that run off of hot air. It's the kind of development that might make the U.S. Congress useful. |
| | Big 3 rescue wins rivals' support
The risk that one of the U.S. car companies could collapse deeply worries Asian and German manufacturers with U.S. factories. "We're joined at the hip with our Detroit brethren in manufacturing," said Irv Miller, group vice president and chief spokesman at Toyota Motor Corp.'s U.S. sales subsidiary. Whatever the U.S. government proposes to keep the U.S. automakers afloat, "we support it," Miller said. |
| | Southern senators like Shelby, McConnell and DeMint backed $3 billion of government aid they received to locate foreign-owned plants in the United States
Frank Larkin, a General Motors retiree from Newfane, recently called Shelby?s office to complain that the senator was looking out for his home state at the expense of the country. "It?s a protectionist deal, pure and simple," said Larkin, 70. |
| | BAMW: The Big Three may perish through people's lack of knowledge
Never before has their been such a large national debate over an issue so critical to the American economy accompanied by such large misconceptions of what the true facts really are as there has been over whether or not to extend a bridge loan to the Big Three. |
| | A Bridge Detroit Needs
The effects of a shutdown would multiply beyond the auto industry and would significantly postpone our nation's economic recovery. If Congress fails to act now, U.S. real gross domestic product could decline by more than 1 percent and the country would be likely to lose more than a million jobs. |
| | Syracuse China: Made in China?
Salina, NY -- In another blow to Central New York's slumping manufacturing sector, Libbey Inc. said Tuesday it will close its Syracuse China ceramic dinnerware factory in Salina in March, eliminating 275 local jobs. Syracuse China, which makes dinnerware for restaurants, hotels and institutional customers, is one of the region's oldest manufacturers. It was founded in 1871 in Geddes as the Onondaga Pottery Co. |
| | Foreign tax policies put U.S. cars at disadvantage
The $20,000 American car exported to Germany is saddled with the VAT (Value Added Tax) at the border -- which is imposed not just on the base price of the car, but the shipping and insurance costs as well -- and winds up costing $25,792 in Germany. This VAT disparity is reliably estimated to place an extra $290-billion burden on American manufactured goods and $85 billion on U.S. services -- or roughly half our yearly trade deficit. |
| | GM retiree launches anti-Shelby Web site
A retired engineer from General Motors Corp. has launched a new Web site, BoycottAlabamaNow.com, aimed at Republican Sen. Richard Shelby and the state he represents in Congress, Alabama. |
| | The American Car Industry
Never has the American car industry had a poorer press. No epithet these days seems too contemptuous in referring to the industry's managerial competence and no policy proposal too heartless in addressing the industry's high labor costs. |
| | China irks US with computer security review rules
The Chinese government is stirring trade tensions with Washington with a plan to require foreign computer security technology to be submitted for government approval, in a move that might require suppliers to disclose business secrets. |
| | Pickens: Energy, fuel should be 'Made in America'
Texas oil magnate T. Boone Pickens gave a rousing endorsement of American-made energy and fuels during the first Oklahoma Wind Energy Conference Tuesday, which drew more than 1,100 people. "We're going to go with everything American," he said, touting his Pickens Plan for energy independence. |
| | Camry purchases by Indy draw fire
"We're going to have layoffs before Christmas because sales of the Malibu have gone down," Bill Matthews, bargaining chairman of United Auto Workers Local 23, said Thursday. "The mayor overpaid for the Camrys and should have bought Malibus to support workers in Indianapolis, but he chose not to do it." |
| | Mom, Apple Pie, and Hyundai?
Consider quality. In 2007, Ford won 102 quality awards, including AutoPacific's Best in Class for three models and Germany's largest auto magazine's Auto 1 of Europe Award for its S-MAX. Forbes awarded the 2008 Chrysler 300 "the highest-quality car in the near-luxury category" over the Audi A4, BMW 3 Series, Lexus IS, and Mercedes-Benz C Class. Of the 15 global finalists for the 2008 Motor Trend Car of the Year Award, the Big Three manufactured nine, the Japanese four, and the Europeans two. The 2008 winner was GM's Cadillac CTS, which Motor Trend described as "proof that Detroit can still build a world-class sedan." |
| | Obama, Who are You Wearing?
Like many of his Cabinet picks, President-elect Barack Obama is remaining loyal to Chicago and wearing a locally-made Hartmarx tuxedo for the inauguration. |
| | BAMW: American-made presents under an American-made tree
With Christmas Day about a month away, many patriotic Americans are thinking about what kind of American-made gifts they can find to put under their Christmas trees. These same patriotic Americans may want to get an American-made, artificial Christmas tree to decorate and display as a gathering place for all those great and thoughtful gifts for friends and loved ones as well, but the problem is many consumers don't know where to go to get one. |
| | Can Obama Keep New Jobs at Home?
"The coming debate over "Buy American" restrictions in the fiscal stimulus is no sideshow. The financial crisis was caused, in large part, by U.S. consumers borrowing trillions of dollars from the rest of the world to buy imported cars, clothes, and gasoline, even as jobs slipped overseas. As long as the U.S. is running a big trade deficit and borrowing from abroad, a fundamental cause of the crisis remains." |
| | Remember 'buy American'? Given a bailout, Detroit Three need to 'make American'
What's an auto job worth? In Tennessee, where Volkswagen was offered incentives worth $577 million to build a 2,000-worker assembly plant near Chattanooga, each job is worth about $285,000. Translate that to the 235,000 workers employed by GM, Ford and Chrysler, and the total worth of those jobs nears $70 billion. So $25 billion in federal bridge loans would seem like a relative bargain to avert bankruptcy that auto experts say would wreck the industry. |
| | Buy American and Save America
Is it wise to continually ship your money out of the country, when you have a choice? How long can you do that before your country is owned by someone else? |
| | After APEC, free trade orthodoxy questioned
"People now look at the financial crisis and the lesson they learn is, 'See, globalization doesn't work,'" said Vinod Aggarwal, director of the APEC Study Center at the University of California-Berkeley. |
| | Mexico's Calderon Warns Obama Against Renegotiating Trade Deal
"Obama's signals have not been very positive as far as free trade is concerned," Luc Gerard, president of Bogota-based private equity fund Tribeca Partners, said in an interview. "There's definitely a concern." |
| | Shrimpers cheer U.S. Customs
But that doesn?t mean the SSA is pleased with the status quo. It?s estimated that upwards to $60 million worth of Chinese shrimp entered the U.S. market in 2005 that were falsely labeled as a product of Indonesia. Additionally, U.S. import data suggests that transshipment of Chinese shrimp through Malaysia continue unabated. |
| | Fewer food inspections? That's foolish
In brief, Chinese officials want U.S. inspectors to ease their oversight at ports of entry so China's manufacturers can get their products to market faster and without the stigma of being under watch. |
| | China syndrome: Free tree was a bad deal
This China syndrome is the result of free trade. It has caused the worst global economic meltdown since the Great Depression. Free trade was a bad deal to both American and Chinese workers who ultimately pay the price for the uncontrolled and inappropriate economic expansions which occurred in the U.S. and in China since 1997. |
| | USW's Conway Says Final China Import Duties Needed on Line Pipe
Conway made a personal plea, "Imagine what it would be like to see your job put at risk - not because of anything you did wrong, not because of factors beyond anyone's control, but simply because your government did nothing to prevent a flood of dumped and subsidized imports from slamming into this market. What kind of message does that send to hardworking Americans?" |
| | BAMW: The present and potential future price of depending on foreign producers
With the still recent rise of gas prices to $4.00 per gallon forever ingrained (hopefully) into the memory of American consumers, many of us have realized the real danger of dependence on foreign oil. |
| | Chinese want to buy Big Three automakers
With no big three making cars what's to stop Toyota and Honda from moving the plants to Mexico where costs are really low. It's only the threat of being shut out of the American market that keeps the Japanese building cars here. If we no longer have cars made in America by American companies we will have no choice but to buy their cars no matter where they are made. |
| | BAMW: Support American-made products and spend less
Never before has a presidential campaign addressed buying American so directly. In the 2008 presidential campaign, John McCain talked about creating jobs by selling American-made products into foreign markets, and Barack Obama started a "Buy American - Vote Obama" campaign in August. |
| | Obama expected to bolster FDA oversight of imports
"An Obama administration would swing the pendulum back more to protection of public health," said William Hubbard, a retired FDA official who held top posts. "This bodes well for greater regulation in the food safety area, on imports, and on drug safety." |
| | Fair Trade Gains Ground in Congress
Trade played a key role in congressional races, netting the "fair trade" movement 30 new seats in the House and Senate, according to a consumer advocacy group report. |
| | China flexes military hardware muscle
Some analysts believe China's ability to copy overseas technology, witnessed in countless industries over the past 20 years, could soon be powering its defence complex. |
| | South Korea warns next U.S. president on trade deal
South Korea on Wednesday urged the new U.S. president not to renegotiate a free-trade deal signed last year, saying the winner of the vote will find the pact beneficial to both sides. Democrat Barack Obama has said he opposes the free-trade deal with South Korea unless it is renegotiated to grant greater access to the Asian market for U.S. automakers. |
| | Fears over Obama's protectionism in Thailand
Pramon Suthivong, chairman of the Board of Trade, admitted that Obama's economic policies would be different from those of the Bush government to some extent. While Obama may not adopt a total protectionist policy on trade, he may raise some barriers against emerging markets to protect local industries, Pramon said. |
| | China, Emerging Asia to Fight 'Protectionist' Obama
Asia's leaders, led by an ascendant China, say they hope Barack Obama didn't really mean those campaign promises to protect American trade. And if he did, they are in better shape to object than ever before. |
| | U.S. ordered to repay tariffs on Canadian wheat
Are our amber waves of grain no longer a national symbol because we buy wheat from Canada because of free trade? |
| | U.S. Light Duty Vehicle Sales 'Probably the Worst Sales Month in Post WWII Era'
Chevrolet Malibu retail sales were up 129%; the Pontiac Vibe recorded a 6% total sales increase; and GM sold 44,500 Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra, and Chevrolet Avalanche full-size pickups in October, further solidifying its segment leadership. |
| | Yamaha Rhino ATV Rollover Accidents Injure Hundreds, Yet No Recall Issued
Yamaha Rhino All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) rollover accidents have injured - and in some cases killed - hundreds of people. |
| | Factory closing slams Ga. Town
It's not merely that Shaw Industries Group Inc.'s Plant 76 is the economic lifeblood of Trenton and Dade County, its 440 good-paying jobs make it the county's largest private employer. |
| | Vise Grip plant closes, ending an era in DeWitt, Neb.
The last Vise Grip locking pliers and Unibit drill bits to be manufactured here were boxed for shipping at 10 a.m. Thursday. |
| | Detroit Has to be Saved
The cost of bailing out Detroit, which will end up being one automaker not three shortly, is cheap compared to the enormous cost of bankruptcy. |
| | Our debt to China is also to blame for financial crisis
The big global engines of growth in the last seven years have been American consumers and Asian producers. They make stuff. We buy it. The trouble is, we borrow money from them to buy. And they've been too happy to lend. Next year, with all the rescue measures moving through the Treasury, the federal budget deficit may reach $1 trillion. This is a classic "guns and butter" budget, where we spend much more than we take in from taxes for two wars, Medicare, and on and on. |
| | Democrats campaign to keep jobs at home
Lori Wallach, director of Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch, counts 35 close Senate and House of Representatives races where Democrats are raising trade as an example of President George W. Bush's "failed economic policies." |
| | High Point Market Fall 2008: 'Made in USA' selling well
"Retailers tell us that a growing number of consumers are coming into their stores and asking for furniture that is made in the USA," said Becki Gould, director of marketing for Saloom. Thomasville Furniture plans to increase the use of its domestic wood plants after this market. The company will add 100 jobs at its 1 million-square-foot, 700-worker plant in Lenoir, N.C., by the end of the year to produce a new modular home entertainment wall program. |
| | US cuts off trade benefits to Bolivia over drugs
The suspension will raise U.S. tariffs on imports of Bolivian jewelry, textiles, wood and other products. Bolivia estimates that 30,000 workers would lose their jobs and more than US$300 million in exports would be priced out of the U.S. market. |
| | 'Made in America' forum sees China as competitor
U.S. Rep. Chris Carney, D-Dimock Township, told the audience he authored the Made in America tax cut that would give tax benefits to companies that keep manufacturing jobs in the country. When America loses the ability to make products, Carney said, "We will be little better than a banana republic and the fact is we can't grow bananas." |
| | China Is Buying American Too
It's not just Warren Buffett who is buying beaten down US equities. China is buying American too. In an SEC filing yesterday, China's sovereign wealth fund revealed that it is upping its stake in the private equity company Blackstone Group to 12.5%. |
| | Unfair trade hurts U.S. jobs
Southwest Ohio has been a cradle of research and innovation for over a century and we intend to be leaders in the new economy that is developing everyday. We know that we can compete with any country in any industry if there is a level playing field. Unfortunately, American companies, many of them in southwest Ohio, have been hurt by the unfair trading practices of their foreign competitors. One such company is Appleton Papers, which has a mill in West Carrollton that employs nearly 500 people. |
| | Trade deficit takes toll on Fla. Jobs
Florida ranks among the top 10 states for jobs lost because of the growing U.S. trade deficit, a report released Thursday by the nonprofit Economic Policy Institute said. The state’s 233,800 jobs lost in 2007 were the seventh most in the nation, the report said. The report said the U.S. trade deficit resulted in the loss or displacement of 5.6 million jobs in 2007. |
| | Illinois Losing Jobs to Unfair Trade
Illinois lost 260,800 jobs in 20076 to rank sixth in the nation in the total number of jobs lost, according to a new report by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI). Even without considering the glut of foreign oil imports, the United States' massive trade deficit with all its trading partners resulted in the loss or displacement of 5.6 million jobs in 2007. |
| | Report blames U.S. trade gap for 5.6 million lost jobs
The U.S. trade deficit in goods other than oil cost American workers 5.6 million jobs last year, with Michigan and South Carolina leading the list of hardest-hit states, a report issued on Thursday said. |
| | Notice of NAFTA Chapter Eleven Claim Submitted to Canadian Government on Behalf of U.S. Investor
This action by the Government was taken discriminatorily, without legal authority and in violation of NAFTA and raises issues regarding the unfair treatment of American citizens investing in businesses in Canada. |
| | Melamine Tainted Cookies Found in Alabama
The Chinese import crisis continues. |
 | BAMW: Choices for a China-free Christmas
Don’t be fooled. The problem with Chinese imports is still ongoing even if it no longer commands front page news courtesy of the recent financial crisis. |
| | Stop free trade binge, tax cuts, deregulation
Globalization and outsourcing have imperiled our security. We had to await flat panel displays from Japan before invading Kuwait. We had to await Swiss crystals before invading Iraq. We can't produce planes unless we get the parts from India. We can't produce helicopters unless we get the parts from Turkey. This nonsense has got to stop. We must place tariffs or quotas on military imports and produce in this country the supplies necessary to our security, which will help put America back to work. |
| | NTSB told of trade loophole for Mexico buses in U.S.
Mexican-made buses are getting across the border and past U.S. safety requirements because they are involved in international trade and are not considered imports, a federal inquiry revealed on Wednesday. |
| | PerioLase(R) MVP-7(TM) Dental Laser From Millennium Dental Technologies Proudly Made in USA
"In a struggling economy and in hard and uncertain economic times, other laser companies are selling laser devices to American dentists that in whole or in substantial part are outsourced and manufactured in foreign countries and then imported to the U.S.," said Millennium Dental Technologies President Robert H. Gregg II, DDS, a practicing dentist and co-developer of LANAP. "Millennium is proud to say that our dental lasers are Made in the USA and continue to contribute to and support the U.S. economy and the American worker." |
| | Virginia Physicist Charged With Selling Space Technology Secrets to China
While the technological data that Shu allegedly sold wasn’t used in the rocket that launched the Shenzhou 7, the juxtaposition of events undercuts the message the Chinese government hoped to broadcast today: that the country has come into its own as a mature, space-faring nation, and that it needs no outside assistance to achieve its goals. |
| | Microsoft Battles China Pirates With Office Price Cut
It's no secret that Microsoft has been hit hard by software piracy in China. So in an effort to recoup at least a portion of what it sees as lost revenue, Microsoft has drastically cut the price of its Office suite. According to Reuters, Microsoft has reduced the price of its Office Office 2007 Home and Student Editions from 699 yuan ($102) to 199 yuan ($29), as part of a promotion that began on Monday and runs through Oct. 4, the end of China's National Week holiday. |
| | US tries to calm fears about anti-piracy trade pact
A proposed international agreement to reign in the huge worldwide trade in fake and pirated goods will not require customs officials to search laptop computers and music players for illegal downloads, a U.S. trade official said Monday. But digital rights advocates, who have filed a lawsuit to force the Bush administration to provide more details of the negotiations, said they remained concerned about the pact. |
| | US autoworkers, Chrysler warn against Korea deal
Last year, South Korea exported 668,000 autos to the United States, but imported only 6,500 U.S. vehicles |
| | John McCain's claims of always buying American don't hold up
McCain said recently in an interview with WXYZ-TV in Detroit: "I've bought American literally all my life, and I'm proud." Of the 13 cars McCain owns, only nine of them are considered American. The other four are a Toyota Prius (that he bragged about having), a Lexus, a 2005 Volkswagen convertible, and a 2001 Honda sedan. Shouldn’t John McCain have known that claiming to buy American when you really don't isn't a good thing, especially if you want to win Michigan. |
| | Barack Obama, What's Wrong with Protectionism?
Protectionism is villainized by the Republican right (and even the center by groups like the Democratic Leadership Council), but all protectionism really is, is democracy functioning in the economic arena. It’s the regulation of market forces, to reign them in to benefit the many (instead of the few). Protectionism is done to provide quality jobs to workers, and good environmental and safety standards too. |
| | G7 vows to help US fight global financial crisis
Details of the US Treasury proposal revealed over the weekend show the 700-billion-dollar US bailout of financial institutions includes foreign firms with operations in the United States. |
| | Japan's biggest bank to buy 20% stake in Morgan Stanley
Japan's biggest bank said Monday that it planned to spend as much as $8 billion for a 20% stake in investment banking firm Morgan Stanley in New York. Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group in Tokyo is one of a number of Asian banks that appear primed to seize buying opportunities. |
| | Michigan sugar beet growers unhappy with McCain
The GOP senator is a longtime critic of tariffs on imported sugar. He says they force consumers to pay more for products containing sugar. During an interview that aired on CBS’ "60 Minutes" program Sunday, McCain was asked what he would cut in the federal budget. He replied that, among other items, "I would stop these protectionist tariffs. I would stop subsidizing sugar." |
| | Made in USA? Soon you'll know, sort of, with country-of-origin labeling
Federal Country of Origin Labeling rules go into effect Sept. 30. After that date, meats, fruits, vegetables and nuts must be labeled to indicate what country they were produced in. |
| | 'Made in America' label beginning to pay off again
Thomasville Furniture and Exxel Outdoors, a maker of camping gear, who have brought production back to the United States because of the soaring cost to transport goods. But even with high production costs, retailers can make more money on domestically produced products because of lower inventory requirements and faster turn-around times. Regal Ware Inc., for instance, gave up on manufacturing its high-end cookware in China, because it gets delivery in 24 to 48 hours from its Wisconsin plants, rather than the 30 to 60 days it takes from China. |
| | Buy American as 'economic patriotism?'
One of the reasons usually cited for the U.S. automakers' loss of market share are consumer perceptions that imports are higher in quality -- although several recent surveys by various research groups have revealed that Detroit carmakers have closed the "quality gap" in recent years to the point that it is almost negligible. |
| | China Appeals WTO Ruling Against Car-Parts Tariffs
The three-member panel's judgment "leaves no doubt that China's discriminatory treatment of U.S. auto parts has no place in the WTO system," U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab said in a statement following the July ruling. Unless WTO judges uphold today's appeal, China may face retaliatory tariffs on its exports. The appeals procedure can last up to 90 days. |
| | Rahall Votes to Stop NAFTA Mexican Trucking Program
As Vice Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, U.S. Rep. Nick J. Rahall, D-WV helped lead the House of Representatives late Tuesday, Sept. 9 in voting to immediately end a North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) pilot program that allows Mexican trucks to operate beyond commercial zones at the U.S. - Mexico border. |
| | To Michigan, Former Mexican Pres. Fox Says Get Over Job Losses
Former ultra-conservative Mexican President Vicente Fox took a swipe at Michigan workers this week while appearing to endorse John McCain. In an interview with The Detroit News, President Fox seemed to suggest that Michigan workers should get over the loss of jobs caused by free trade agreements like NAFTA, federal tax policies that help corporations move Michigan jobs out of the state, and globalization generally. |
| | Vicente Fox Favors a North American Union with a Common Currency and Criticizes U.S. Immigration Policy
Former Mexican President Vicente Fox criticized the U.S. immigration policy and outlined his plan for a North American Union on Friday in Detroit. He addressed a crowd of 1,500 during the kickoff of the second season Wayne State University's Forum on Contemporary Issues in Society (FOCIS). The speech was followed by a book-signing session. |
| | BAMW: American-made bags and cases of all kinds
Part of the reason Waterfield chooses to produce locally is so they can control every step of the process, which has enabled the company to independently unleash innovative and creative ideas that oftentimes come from customer feedback. |
| | Lawyer plans to sue to block Anheuser-Busch takeover
Joseph Alioto, a San Francisco lawyer, said he plans to file a lawsuit in federal court in St. Louis because he says the merger will cause harm to consumers by charging higher prices for beer and diminishing competition. |
| | Vise-Grip plant moving to China
About 300 people work at the plant, which for decades has anchored the southeast Nebraska town of DeWitt, population 572. Roughly 40 of the employees make Unibit tool parts. According to Oden, managers said Unibit operations are moving to Maine. |
| | If U.S. Auto Market Looks Tough Now, Wait ‘Til the Chinese Get Here (Soon)
A joint venture between Chrysler and Chinese manufacturer Chery looks like it has the inside track to be the first Chinese imports to arrive in the U.S. market, but the details are sketchy, especially the timing. |
| | Obama, McCain differ on trade issues
McCain: "It sounds like a lot of fun to bash China and others, but free trade has been the engine of our economy." |
| | BAMW: Why General Motors and Ford Should Not Be Allowed to Fail
GM and Ford don’t deserve to go bankrupt any more than any other automaker since all of them are taking their hits because of higher gas prices. |
| | Toyota Offers to Buy Back Rusty Tacomas
"These vehicles may not have been properly treated in the plant with the undercoating that they use," said Sam Butto, a Toyota spokesman. |
| | Be Loyal, Buy American
The September issue of Consumer Report wrote of six million faulty tire valve stems imported from China. These stems are used in replacement tires. |
| | Why Our Food Is Dangerous To Our Health
The waterways of China and Hong Kong are so polluted with industrial chemicals, farm effluents, and human waste that seafood exporters must rely on antibiotic treatment just to keep the fish alive. |
| | Cheap labor? You get what you pay for
What does a company give up when it decides to outsource? It gives up some form of control. In our case we gave up the control of our software development. |
| | It Should Now Be Called Cheap, Outsourced Labor Day
Since Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton died in 1992, the company has been suggesting to their suppliers that they re-locate their factories to China. Wal-Mart sets a price which can only be met with slave labor. |
| | U.S. weighs WTO case on China steel prices
United States trade officials are planning to file a complaint against China at the World Trade Organization challenging export quotas and taxes on raw materials used in steel production, saying the measures put U.S. steelmakers at a disadvantage and violate the trade rules that China agreed to when it joined the global trade body in 2001, according to a report published in the Financial Times Thursday. |
| | GDF to Buy FirstLight Power as Part of U.S. Expansion
Paris-based GDF Suez SA, the world's second- biggest utility, agreed to buy U.S. hydroelectricity producer FirstLight Power Enterprises Inc. from Energy Capital Partners, making it the third-largest supplier to businesses in the U.S. |
| | The biggest loser in Beijing? American workers.
Choate argues in his latest book, Dangerous Business: The Risks of Globalization for America, that China’s melding of capitalism and communism is nothing more than a return to the days of mercantilism, the dominant economic theory in the West from 1600 to 1800. |
| | Chattanooga: VW celebration represents shift in consumer thinking, experts say
Local officials and residents are excited about the coming VW plant because they "are looking at this in the short term," Mr. Simmermaker said. He pointed out that profits from American-made Volkswagens ultimately go back to Germany, so buying a Volkswagen because a family member might work at the plant would be "helping Uncle Bob, but hurting Uncle Sam." |
| | BAMW: Organizing: American-style
All Peterboro baskets are made in Peterborough, New Hampshire where the family-owned and operated company has been making them for 153 years. |
| | BAMW: Dreaming of Made in USA Forever
Should we accept endless Chinese products and the resulting trade deficits or is it possible we can return to the days when American-made products were in greater supply and easier to find? |
| | Foreign-owned operations in U.S. often skate free of taxes
Foreign corporations with operations in the U.S. tend to pay less in taxes than their domestic counterparts and are more likely to pay no income taxes at all, according to a federal report released this week. The U.S. Government Accountability Office report said 72 percent of foreign companies in the U.S. reported no federal tax liability for at least one year between 1998 and 2005. |
| | Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group to buy UnionBanCal for $3.5B
Union Bank is the 10th-largest bank operating in the Sacramento region |
| | Rochester-area farmers fight cheap imports with U.S. Grown label
Wayne County farmer Clifford J. DeMay says farmers don't need a handout or a government subsidy - they need a market where they can sell their goods. Sitting on the third-story balcony of his Williamson home, DeMay is surrounded by apple orchards where apples sometimes go to waste because of cheap imported apple juice concentrate from China and other countries. |
| | Taiwan Avoids EU Duties, Moves Shoe Factories to Bangladesh
Taiwanese industrialists are relocating their shoe, furniture, and tent fabric manufacturing units to Bangladesh. The units were in China and Vietnam before, but now that the U.S. and EU have levied anti-dumping duties on the two Asian countries, the change became necessary. |
| | Obama Camp Unveils "Buy American, Vote Obama" Campaign
Obama's Pennsylvania campaign, the aide says, will be hitting the ground this weekend in around five towns around the state with stickers and flyers bearing a "Buy American, Vote Obama" logo. |
| | Obama goes after McCain over Harley
McCain has been a critic of provisions that require the US government to buy American products, saying they are costly to taxpayers and antithetical to free trade. One such rule requires the Secret Service to buy American-made motorcycles; Harley-Davidson, headquartered in Milwaukee, is the only major US manufacturer. |
| | A bad deal was made in the name of trade
Line by line, Clinton and the GOP erased every protection our factory workers and entrepeneurs had against China’s low wages, bestial labor practices and aggressive cheating. The China advocate in the Clinton White House was Robert Rubin, once a Wall Street colleague of Bush’s treasury secretary, Henry Paulson. |
| | U.S. Sugar buyout comes as industry pressures rise
U.S. Sugar, which grows about 10 percent of the nation's sugar supply, has been well-known in the industry for its fierce opposition to free-trade pacts. "There are almost 40 different free-trade agreements currently lined up like airplanes on the runway," Coker told The Palm Beach Post in 2004. "They are scheduled to land here." Under trade pacts, the U.S. must import 1.2 million tons of sugar annually from 40 countries. The biggest share of that foreign sugar is provided by Mexico. |
| | Buy U.S. cars, Warren mayor tells appointees
"I felt that it was time to take some sort of definable stand," he said. "I informed staff that my expectation would be when they choose to buy a new car, they would buy an American car. It sets an example for the rest of the cities to follow." |
| | Preliminary Ruling of Dumping in Innerspring Case
Chinese mandatory respondents Foshan Jingxin Steel Wire & Spring Co. Ltd. and Soho International Group Holding Co. Ltd. received preliminary anti-dumping margins of 118.17 percent and 234.51 percent, respectively. |
| | Bill would charge fees at ports for cleaner air
Cargo shipping companies that send goods through ports in Oakland, Long Beach and Los Angeles would be charged new fees to fund efforts to reduce pollution under a bill approved Tuesday by the state Senate and sent to the governor. |
| | Chinese flock to prestigious, gas-guzzling cars
"In China, size matters," says Zhang, the 44-year-old founder of a media and graphic design company. "People want to have a car that shows off their status in society. No one wants to buy small." Zhang grasps the wheels of his Hummer, called "hanma" or "fierce horse" in Chinese, and hits the accelerator. General Motors has the number two market share in China behind VW. |
| | Farewell, free market
Here in the United States, consumers have already realised most of the possible gains from importing different and cheaper goods any further liberalisation won’t help them much. But because the government has refused to deal, in any serious way, with the dislocation and economic insecurity that increased trade has spawned, too many lower-skilled workers have concluded, with reason, that they are the inevitable losers from globalisation. |
| | Nissan seeks to cut 1,200 jobs in Tennessee
And you thought only U.S. auto companies were cutting American jobs. |
| | Mexican Serrano Peppers Have Salmonella, U.S. Says
Consumers shouldn't eat serrano peppers from Mexico, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said after tests showed a sample of the peppers from a farm there was contaminated with salmonella. |
| | Mexico criticizes US salmonella findings
Mexican agriculture officials said Thursday that U.S. colleagues hunting for the source of a salmonella outbreak are rushing to a conclusion about finding the strain at a Mexican pepper farm. |
| | Area firm recalls bagged cilantro
NewStar was not available to comment on Wednesday evening. But according to the company's web site, they produce cilantro in Mexicali, Mexico. |
| | Steelworkers Union Blames Free Trade For Job Loss
The head of the International Steelworkers Union, Leo Girard, is blaming free trade for sapping jobs from the nation’s steel industry. Girard cites a new study showing that trade with China alone is responsible for more than 2 million American job losses since 2001. |
| | Wal-Mart bows to union in China
Wal-Mart has never been union-friendly, but China has a lot of leverage with the big retailer. It has pushed a union into Wal-Mart, and now organized labor wants some changes. The All China Federation of Trade Unions has been able to get 8% wage increases in two regions for this year and next. Inflation in China is currently running just under 10%. |
| | China Makes Wal-Mart Toe the Labor Line
Wal-Mart Stores may stiff-arm unions in the U.S., but not in China. The giant retailer has just signed a new collective bargaining deal with the All China Federation of Trade Unions, the government-controlled union representing Wal-Mart's Chinese workers. |
| | US textile state lawmakers want China monitoring
Anxiety amongst US textile producers is rising, as a three-year bilateral agreement limiting 34 categories of apparel and textile imports, expires on December 31. |
| | America for Sale
Recent big deals include the July 13 acquisition of Anheuser-Busch, the owner of Budweiser and other iconic American beer brands, by Belgian brewer InBev for $52 billion. On July 21, Swiss biotech company Roche Holdings said it will swallow the rest of San Francisco-based Genentech that it doesn't already own for $43.7 billion. And on July 23, Japanese insurer Tokio Marine Holdings announced plans to buy U.S. insurance company Philadelphia Consolidated Holding for $4.39 billion. |
| | America for Sale?
This year, investors from the Middle East have spent nearly $1.8 billion on commercial property in the U.S., according to Real Capital Analytics, Inc. With no signs of these trends letting up, Americans are starting to wonder what’s next? Is the USA on its way to becoming the United States of Arabia? |
| | BAMW: Boycott Anheuser-Busch InBev and buy American beer instead
If Americans stop buying Anheuser-Busch products and sales of the new Belgian company plummet, foreign companies will be forced to think twice in the future before trying to buy American companies and American assets. |
| | COLUMN: Saluting our Chinese flag
Congressman Filner from California introduced a bill back in May that would have required that all flags purchased and flown by the federal government be made in America. The well-intentioned bill was shot down last week. It couldn’t get anywhere because of China. |
| | American dollars don't have to leave America
The Made in the USA movement is politically charged. What some see as protectionist, others see as necessary to protect the US against economic depredation that robs us of our jobs and our hard earned cash. |
| | Busch-InBev beer deal may bring bitter results
A Belgium-based brewing company's purchase of the USA's top beermaker, Anheuser-Busch, could spell trouble for the American sports industry, sports marketing executives say. |
| | Lawmakers want US-made flags
Congress can't halt the flow of Chinese-made flags, but lawmakers can try to control where they are flown. The House declared Monday that any flag flown on federal property should be made in the U.S.A. |
| | Beijing officials want dog meat off the menu during Olympics
Fearful of offending western sensibilities about eating man's best friend, Beijing tourism officials have asked hoteliers and restaurateurs to take dog meat off the menu for the duration of next month's Olympics and September's Paralympics. |
| | U.S. Identifies $80M in Illegal China Transshipments
Trade officials said today they had identified more than 1,000 cargo containers of illegally transshipped apparel from China valued at $80 million that entered the U.S. in 2006 and 2007. |
| | US sets steep final duties on China off-road tires
The U.S. Commerce Department on Tuesday set final duties ranging up to more than 210 percent on millions of off-road tires it said were being sold in the United States at unfairly low prices. |
| | China's Tire Makers Not Deflated By Dumping Duties
Although China protested the ruling, Chinese tire manufacturers did not see a drastic drop in their business. Chinese-fabricated off-road tires make up about four-fifths of U.S. imports, which amounted to about 12.4 million in 2005 and rose to nearly 15.0 million in 2006. After the Commerce Department imposed its initial preliminary anti-dumping duties, in 2007, imports declined only slightly, to 13.7 million that year. |
| | Multiple Toys Recalled Due to Risk of Lead Exposure
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), in cooperation with the firms named below, today announced a variety of children’s product recalls due to high lead contents and concerns over adverse health effects. All of the items were manufactured in China. |
| | BAMW: Memo to McCain: You’re Wrong
Sen. John McCain had it all wrong when he claimed while campaigning in Michigan that the American jobs lost overseas never were coming back. The examples of American jobs returning home are growing. |
| | Why They're Slinging Mud Over Bud
"More Americans are realizing that we can't remain an independent country if we are under foreign control," says Roger Simmermaker, author of How Americans Can Buy American: The Power of Consumer Patriotism. "The Anheuser-Busch brand has a lot to do with American culture and American life." |
| | BAMW: Keep Budweiser American!
As we prepare to celebrate Independence Day later this week, we should be reminded that America can no longer remain an independent country if its manufacturing base is under foreign ownership or foreign control. |
| | BAMW: U.S. Grown and U.S. Owned
The time is now to buy American in areas from toys to food and beyond, and we should especially shun potentially dangerous products from China. Our health, our standard of living, and our sacred national independence are all at stake. |
| | Fritz Hollings criticizes free trade, war in new book
"We're in a trade war. China is winning," he said. "We're going out of business." |
| | The Toyota You Don’t Know
The Race to the Bottom in the Auto Industry |
| | Toyota Looking Into Allegations of Human Trafficking and Sweatshop Abuses
The Toyota Prius may be the darling of environmentalists and Hollywood celebrities, but a new report by a self-described human rights advocacy group accuses Toyota of "human trafficking and sweatshop abuses" in the building of its vehicles. |
| | Checking the Tag May Be The Most Patriotic Act of All
If you believe in clean air standards, fair wages, employee benefits, good working conditions - buy American. |
| | US steel industry wins trade case against China
The commission ruling means penalty tariffs ranging from 99 percent to 701 percent will be imposed on Chinese imports of circular welded pipe, a form of pipe used in a variety of construction jobs, such as home plumbing and sprinkler systems. |
| | Italians buy county medical device firm
In an all-cash deal, an Italian lamp maker said today it will buy medical device materials engineering and manufacturer Memry Corp. for $77.7 million. |
| | Boeing wins key round in Air Force tanker protest
Congressional investigators have upheld Boeing's protest of a $35 billion Air Force tanker contract awarded to Northrop Grumman Corp. and Airbus parent European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co., and recommended that the service hold a new competition. |
| | Engineer is first sentenced for economic espionage
An engineer who admitted he tried to sell fighter-pilot training software to the Chinese Navy was sentenced Wednesday to 24 months in federal prison, in the first sentencing for a newly defined intellectual property crime. |
| | China’s Secret War
Cyber warfare officially arrived on Capitol Hill last week. Two Republican congressmen, Rep. Frank Wolf of Virginia and Rep. Christopher Smith of New Jersey, went public last Wednesday with the news that in 2006 and 2007 their office computer networks had been breached by Chinese hackers. |
| | Free Trade in Food Is `On the Ropes' Amid Shortages, Price Rise
"The idea of trade liberalization was that you could count on global markets, but they're not proving reliable," said David Orden, a fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute in Washington. |
| | Trade envoys told 'go like hell', reckoning nears
The United States is hosting the make-or-break industry talks with Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, the European Union, India, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Pakistan and South Africa. |
| | Obama Goes Soft on Free Trade
If Obama does not change his tune, he's likely to get burned in Ohio, Wisconsin and other states where primary surveys showed that the vast majority of Democratic, Republican and independent voters felt that the radically pro-corporate free trade policies of the Clinton and Bush years had harmed rather than helped America. |
| | Exclusive: The Sham Dialogue with China
That Ford will get to sell 30,000 U.S.-made cars in China next year is hardly a drop in the bucket. |
| | South Korea unions may strike over beef imports, more talks set
The agreement to resume the imports, suspended in 2003 after a mad cow case, was reached in April. But it has not gone into force due to the storm of Internet-fuelled protests, which caught Lee's government by surprise. |
| | Rising costs affect China, plus firms that import
Rising factory wages, shipping costs and exchange rates are all adding to the price tags of Chinese products - and the costs of U.S. companies that have moved their production and supply lines to China. |
| | High Cost of Cargo Shipping Could "Reverse Globalisation," Report Says
Rising international shipping costs driven by high oil prices could effectively wipe out decades' worth of trade liberalisation, according to new research from CIBC World Markets. |
| | One man says buy American when you buy a grill
Walt Groll owns Starlight BBQs in North Phoenix. He says there are a couple points to keep in mind. First, if you want quality and longevity in a product, don't buy imports. |
| | Budweiser waves the flag to foil raiders
By last night more than 27,000 had heeded the call, signing an online petition to stop the takeover of the brewer of Budweiser. Only days after launching its $46 billion unsolicited bid for Anheuser, Belgian/Brazilian rival Inbev is facing its first big obstacle: American politics in an election year. |
| | A defect on tires has links to China
Poisonous pet food. Lead paint on children's toys. The latest potentially defective Chinese import to hit American shores: tire-valve stems, the rubber shafts that allow motorists to fill their tires with air. |
| | Distributor recalls 6 million Chinese-made tire valve stems
Tech International, a Johnstown, Ohio-based distributor of the Chinese-made parts, announced a recall of 6 million TR413 model valve stems, offering free replacements and to pay for any tire damage caused by the defective part, according to a June 2 letter made public on NHTSA's Web site. But Tech International doesn't know who actually owns tires with the recalled tire valve stems and said it believes just 8,600 of the stems -- or less than 1 percent -- are defective. The valves are manufactured by Shanghai Baolong Industries Co. |
| | Changes in China could mean more North American jobs, Home Depot chief says
The rising value of the Chinese yuan, higher pay for Chinese workers and $136-a-barrel oil may mean more factory jobs in North America, the Home Depot chief executive, Frank Blake, says. |
| | China clearly overtakes U.S. as leading emitter of climate-warming gases
The increasing emissions from China - up 8 percent in the past year - accounted for two-thirds of the growth in global greenhouse gas emissions in 2007, the study found. |
| | One of Mexico's wealthiest to testify in mining case in US federal court in Brownsville
One of Mexico's richest men and the alleged "mastermind" of a deal that Asarco LLC attorneys say stripped the Arizona-based mining company of its most valuable asset is expected to testify Tuesday as a four-week trial in federal court enters its final days. |
| | European Union Threatens Tariffs on U.S. Biodiesel
The European Union threatened to impose tariffs on biodiesel from the U.S., saying EU producers may be victims of American subsidies and price undercutting. |
| | Senator Brown Calls for FDA Evaluation of U.S. Pharmaceutical Company Outsourcing and Impact on Drug Safety
Brown requested that Pfizer report to the Senate HELP Committee how much Pfizer saves each year from outsourcing as well as on the frequency and nature of its outsourcing to countries with less stringent drug oversight standards. |
| | Free Trade Agreements Have Hurt Mid-Willamette Region, Residents Say
The Mid-Willamette Assembly on Free Trade and Job Loss will feature testimony by displaced workers who say trade policies like the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) cost them their jobs and that a new model for international trade is needed to improve the economy. |
| | Cargo has L.A. traffic at a crawl
Frank Schiavone fumed inside his Acura MDX, stuck behind the gates of a railroad crossing in downtown Riverside. Schiavone, a Riverside councilman, wondered how late he would be for an appointment at City Hall as he stared at the freight cars double-stacked with shipping containers. |
| | Pilates and Yoga Clothing Line Designer Strengthens Inventory with New USA-Made Products
"I wanted to do something important and meaningful for our environment and economy," said Douglass. "Adding a single made-in-USA product may not seem like a big leap to others, but the reality is, this helps me do my part to grow a socially responsible economy in the United States." |
| | ‘US Is Not a Model for Korea'-Free Trade
Cho added that the financial capitalism of the United States didn't contribute to sound development of the economy though it returned huge profits to Wall Street. "The real income of the low-income class has been at a standstill since the end of 1970s, and the middle class, which the United States boasted of, is going downhill." |
| | Flag Day patriotism stirs 'Buy American' measure
Imports of American flags from foreign countries totaled $4.7 million last year, including $4.3 million from China, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. |
| | Critics of the Bud Buyout Are Frothing
InBev could be in unfriendly territory. "The heartland of America doesn't take to foreign ownership easily," says Scott Goodson, founder and chief executive of StrawberryFrog, a branding firm in New York that used to handle Heineken's (HEIN.AS) worldwide marketing strategy. |
| | Hyundai, Kia Workers to Vote on Strike over U.S. Beef Imports
South Korea's two largest carmakers, will vote this week on whether to join a proposed industry-wide strike against the government's decision to resume imports of U.S. beef, according to their umbrella labor group Tuesday. |
| | France, China Make Gains On U.S. Woes
In the last week, two French companies have cashed in on the weak dollar and acquired American companies. China is hoping to do the same later this month. |
| | Shareholder files suit against Anheuser-Busch
A shareholder lawsuit has been filed against Budweiser maker Anheuser-Busch Cos Inc and its board of directors, claiming they failed to properly consider signs of interest in a possible takeover by Belgian brewer InBev NV |
| | St. Louis fears loss of Budweiser brewer as InBev bid looms
The editorial team at the St Louis Post spoke for many locals this week in voicing its alarm at reports that InBev, the world's biggest brewer, was preparing a bid for its US rival. |
| | U.S. shrimpers warn of risks with imports
The images and stories are not pleasant: shrimp raised overseas, en masse in stagnant ponds pumped full of antibiotics so the shellfish won’t die from their own filth. |
| | Globalization Exposes Food Supply To Unsanitary Practices
As the United States continues to import increasingly more of its food from developing nations, we are putting ourselves at greater risk of foodborne disease because many of these countries do not have the same sanitary standards for production, especially in the case of seafood and fresh produce, say scientists June 2 at the 108th General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology in Boston. |
| | Bush Administration Prioritizes Trade Over Food Safety
A Bush Administration interagency working group is pushing a flawed import food safety system that prioritizes trade considerations over public health, finds a new report by the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP). |
| | Braley bill requires feds to buy American flags made in U.S.
If the federal government is going to buy a United States flag, shouldn't it be made here in America? |
| | U.S. Company Offers Alternative to Chinese-Made Stands Holding the American Flag and Military Colors
The American Flag is being supported and displayed all around the USA and the world in plastic sand-filled Chinese flag stands. |
| | Chinese Poisons in Your Medicine Cabinet
"Chinese Counterfeits and American Failures," the title of a congressional hearing on April 29, laid bare shocking problem. |
| | Race to the bottom: Mexico lowers wages to snare international auto production
Mexican auto unions are taking a cue from U.S. labor leaders by offering two-tier hiring schemes and salary cuts that bring already low wages down to near-Chinese levels. |
| | BAMW: Buy American online, and say bye-bye big box
Supporting smaller American companies like these that employ American workers will go a long way to ensure that not only are jobs plentiful, but also to avoid losing entire American industries like the ailing textile industry. |
| | Keep Anheuser-Busch American
America’s last major brewer under threat of foreign takeover! |
| | Be Patriotic, Vote America When You Shop
After all the import problems associated with loose safety standards, etc., for Chinese and other foreign products, Americans are more aware of the fact that we have lost much of our manufacturing base and hundreds of thousands of American-worker jobs. |
| | Park Your Money With GM - Barron's
Sales in China, Russia and Latin America are rising -- GM posted a $1B international profit in Q1 (vs. a $611M domestic loss). It's cars are back in vogue too, winning accolades and a bunch of media and industry awards over the last year for its Malibu and Cadillac CTS. |
| | Lawmaker wins spot on national TV opposing NAFTA super highway
CNN commentator Lou Dobbs also believes this is a threat to national sovereignty and recently featured Morrison on his nationally televised program. |
| | India's Sterlite to buy US copper miner Asarco assets
The U.S. copper mining company Asarco LLC will sell virtually all its operating assets to Sterlite Industries (India) Limited for $2.6 billion in cash. |
| | US hits China steel pipe with 700-percent duty
The U.S. Commerce Department said Friday it has set a combined import duty of around 700 percent on a major Chinese steel pipe producer to offset unfair pricing practices, and combined duties of more than 106 percent on many other Chinese manufacturers and exporters. |
| | Pipe companies win a battle, but 'D-Day' is June 20
In its final decision, the U.S. Commerce Department ruled that Chinese pipe producers were dumping their products on American shores at rates ranging from 69.20 to 85.55 percent. The ruling means Chinese producers were selling pipe below the cost it took to produce products. |
| | Feingold presses India to lower Harley motorcycle tariffs
"The high tariff placed on Harley-Davidson is patently unfair, especially since there are no heavyweight motorcycles manufactured in India," Feingold said in a statement Friday. |
| | Is 'Made in USA' Backlash Next?
"Let's boycott U.S.-made products," read one posting Friday on a popular Korean Internet portal. |
| | Get ready to pay more for everyday items, especially imported ones
"Exploding transport costs may soon remove the single most important brake on inflation over the last decade - wage arbitrage with China," says Jeff Rubin, Chief Economist and Chief Strategist at CIBC World Markets. "Not that Chinese manufacturing wages won't still warrant arbitrage. But in today's world of triple-digit oil prices, distance costs money." |
| | Bill would require ships to burn cleaner fuel in US ports
Republicans said the U.S. could be put at an economic disadvantage if it has tighter pollution rules for its ports than other countries. Some 90 percent of emissions come from foreign-flagged ships, according to Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA). |
| | Kids Station recalls 1 million toy cell phones
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said the hinge cover on the Chinese-made toys can detach from the phone, posing a choking hazard to young children. |
| | Container Cranes, Delivered
Isn't it nice of China to send us more cranes so we can unload more of their imports? |
| | Import inquiry
An allegation that private U.S. laboratories have selectively withheld test results on imported food from the federal Food and Drug Administration reveals what seems like a serious flaw in the nation’s food safety network. |
| | Buy local initiatives gain ground
An offshoot of the American Independent Business Alliance in Montana, Buy Local in Kalamazoo includes a variety of local businesses that have banded together to form a not-for-profit coalition aimed at increasing use of locally owned businesses, said leader Gloria Tiller, owner of Kazoo Books. |
| | Made in America: the kazoo
The name of the place says it all: The Original Kazoo Co. And, boy, do its owners mean original. |
| | Mentos Gum Bursts Into the U.S.
The Erlanger, Ky.-based division of Italy's Perfetti Van Melle tried in 2003 with Mentos NewCharge. The mint gum has since been discontinued. |
| | Suspicions deepen on food labs
A congressional committee is investigating whether some private U.S. laboratories were instructed to withhold samples of tainted food so that importers could get their goods into the United States. |
| | Textile Executive Cites Major Problems With US Trade Policies
James R. Copeland, chairman, Copeland Fabrics, said the United States runs trade deficits in products where it normally should have a comparative advantage because of the way foreign governments intervene with subsidies, manipulated currencies, tax breaks and other policies to make their industries competitive. |
| | Chinese electric car headed for U.S.
The Miles XS500 will be the first highway-speed car made in China on sale in the U.S. |
| | US-Europe chicken trade dispute seen lingering
A trade dispute over exporting U.S. chicken to Europe is unlikely to be resolved soon even though Brussels has recommended lifting an 11-year ban, U.S. agriculture and chicken industry sources said on Wednesday. |
| | U.S. in Difficult Position Over Japan’s Rice Plan
Only a small amount of the imported rice has been sold to Japanese consumers, allowing rice prices in Japan to remain four times higher than the world average. |
| | Dulcinea Media
Check out the online American-made toy store! |
| | Bush: U.S. 'turning inward,' world wary
President Bush, who talks to a lot of world leaders, says they are "amazed and, two, very concerned that the United States is turning inward." |
| | Oklahoma Recalls Bill That Would Have Facilitated NAFTA Superhighway
Some have argued that Bill 1507 would have allowed for the creation of foreign owned smart ports. This would have allowed for imported goods to pass through the U.S./Mexican border without going through customs until Oklahoma. |
| | Buying American is Back in Style
An influx of dangerous imports from abroad combined with newfound patriotism are inspiring consumers to buy American. |
| | What So-Called "Free Trade" Means in China Land
This represents enriching China on the back of middle- and lower-class, i.e. those Western workers who will never have the skills to shift magically into a knowledge-based worker. |
| | Severstal Buying American Esmark
Severstal intends to buy the American company Esmark, owner of Wheeling Pittsburgh Steel, for $668 million, not counting its debt. That is the same amount offered by Severstal’s competitor, the Indian company Essar, which was unable to buy Esmark because of union opposition after it could not guarantee the preservation of jobs at the plant. |
| | Ohio's Vets Might Not Receive American Products
An internal document from a former employee of Cen-Tex Dental Lab in Waco, Texas found that Cen Tex employees shipped work to China and passed the work off as their own. |
| | Senator wants only American-made flags sold in country
Retailers that sell U.S. or Ohio flags made in other countries would face possible jail time and fines, under legislation proposed by one state lawmaker. |
| | The Rise of China and America’s Day of Reckoning
Now it is Chinese goods that are sold in markets once dominated by the U.S. Just a year and a half ago, China surpassed the U.S. to become the world’s second-largest exporter. It was only a short five years ago that America exported more than double the amount of China. And if current trends continue, in another decade China will surpass the United States as the world’s largest economy. |
| | Disney recalls Chinese-made sleeping bags, magic wands over lead paint
Thousands of sleeping bags and magic wands contaminated by excessive levels of lead paint are being recalled by Walt Disney, federal inspectors said today. |
| | Simmermaker Quoted on
MSNBC.COM
"People can complain, well, 97 percent of the clothes we buy in the United States are imported. Well, I know where to find the 3 percent," said Roger Simmermaker, who runs the "How Americans Can Buy American" Web site and has a how-to book by the same name. "Awareness is the key." |
| | BAMW: Being red, white, and blue while going green
For patriotic-minded consumers who want to buy American products that save energy and preserve precious natural resources at the same time, patronizing Preserve products is a good place to start. |
| | High gas prices our own fault
We all need to ask, "Where is this made?" If not in the United States, say "I'm not buying." It will help to bring companies back to this country. If they don't come back, it's an opportunity for new companies. |
| | U.S. imposes duties on Chinese, German paper producers
Some Chinese producers of lightweight thermal paper face duties of nearly 133 percent imposed by the U.S. Department of Commerce because the agency found evidence that the firms exported the products into the country at prices below fair value. |
| | Seafood imports: worries growing
In March, inspectors checking Chinese seafood arriving at U.S. ports made some unsettling discoveries: fish infected with salmonella in Seattle and Baltimore, and shrimp with banned veterinary drugs in Florida. Meanwhile, a shipment intercepted in Los Angeles on March 19 labeled "channel catfish" wasn't catfish at all, although records don't say what it was. |
| | EU Extends Chinese-Shoe Duty to Macau, Cites Cheating (Update1)
The European Union extended to Macau a tariff on shoes from China, saying Chinese exporters use the former Portuguese colony to evade the levy and undercut EU producers in countries such as Italy. |
| | Colombian Workers to Join U.S. Workers in Opposing the Colombia FTA
Colombian union leaders and workers will join Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, Rep. Michael Michaud, D-Maine, Communication Workers of America president Larry Cohen, and UNITE HERE general president Bruce Raynor for a news conference on Wednesday, May 14, at 11:00 a.m. ET, to highlight their opposition to the pending Colombia Free Trade Agreement. |
| | 'Made in USA' gaining favor
If you've been in the business for a while, here's something I bet you haven't heard in some time: Made in America. But based on a recent series of events, that appears to be changing. |
| | Buy American buses
I read with great disappointment that the Utah Transit Authority is buying buses from Belgium |
| | New York's Gray Lady: Times Editors and Staff May See New Era of Cloak and Dagger
United States Attorney Thomas P. O’Brien stated in a press release, "Mr. Chung is accused of stealing restricted technology that had been developed over many years by engineers who were sworn to protect their work product because it represented trade secrets. Disclosure of this information to outside entities like the PRC would compromise our national security." |
| | Hoekstra hears pleas for fair trade with China
Andrew Jensen, of die maker UEI Incorporated in Grand Rapids, said that to sell a $100,000 die in China, his company must pay about $30,000 in tariffs. But turn the tables and a Chinese company would incur only about $3,000 in tariffs selling the same die here. |
| | Honda FourTrax Foreman ATVs recalled
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced a voluntary recall Friday of Honda Motor Co. all-terrain vehicles due to loss of steering control. Riders could risk injury or death, the statement said. |
| | Bottle warmers recalled
About 5,000 deluxe bottle and food warmers, manufactured in China by Munchkin Inc., pulled back because they can overheat, posing a risk of fire. |
| | Lipinski Rips Pollutants And Biz in China
Chicagoland has been particularly hard hit by unfair Chinese competition, losing over 100,000 manufacturing jobs in the past decade. The pollution in China is so bad that several Olympic athletes have expressed concern for their health in the run up to the Beijing Olympics this summer. |
| | BAMW: A gift for Mom can be a gift for the U.S. economy, too
This Mother’s Day there are patriotic ways to thank Mom for all the times she’s on the go and selflessly doing things for other family members or loved ones. |
| | UK Press Release: American Cars Offer Great Value for Money Compared to Their European Counterparts. With a Weak Dollar, Now is the Time to Buy American
It’s too bad our press does not tout our American cars like the UK. |
| | Trade Deficits: The Cause of Our Economic Troubles
Many of the most serious economic problems facing the U.S. today are the result of the trade deficits of the past 2½ decades which exploded from $96.2 billion in 1996 to $708 billion in 2007, equivalent to the output (value-added) of 6.4 million industrial workers. |
| | 3Com hitches its wagon to China
The telecommunications equipment maker 3Com is based in Marlborough, Massachusetts. But the announcement that its new chief executive will be based in Hong Kong leaves no doubt the firm's future is in China. |
| | U.S. lawmakers seek more foreign drug plant checks
One proposal would require drugmakers to pay fees to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to boost capacity to check overseas manufacturing sites in an effort to keep counterfeit or contaminated drugs from reaching the U.S. market. |
| | Indian steelmaker to buy US firm
Indian steel producer Essar Steel is to buy American steel firm Esmark in a $778 million deal. |
| | BAMW: American-Made Options for Washers and Dryers
Staber Industries has been family owned and operated since 1976 when they began re-manufacturing laundry equipment from American manufacturers like GE, Maytag and Whirlpool. |
| | Bush Reaffirms North American Union Agenda At Leaders' Summit
President Bush yesterday reaffirmed a commitment to progress the much maligned Security and Prosperity Partnership agenda, amid intensified opposition from commentators and critics concerned that the plan constitutes an undermining of national sovereignty. |
| | Alliance for American Manufacturing blames unfair trade practices for drop
When AAM executive director Scott Paul and his wife were looking for a crib for soon-to-be born twins, product recalls and lead paint problem with China-made goods convinced them to look elsewhere. The only places in North America he could find that made cribs were Amish craftsmen and a Canadian company. |
| | La-Z-Boy plant to close; town shocked
630 will lose their jobs when furniture maker shifts operations to Mexico. |
| | U.S. Identifies Tainted Heparin in 11 Countries
A contaminated blood thinner from China has been found in drug supplies in 11 countries, and federal officials said Monday they had discovered a clear link between the contaminant and severe reactions now associated with 81 deaths in the United States. |
| | FDA says new evidence links heparin problems to China
Food and Drug Administration officials said Monday they have new evidence that links hundreds of serious adverse reactions and scores of deaths among patients given the blood thinner heparin to a man-made contaminant introduced during production in China. |
| | America's Fastest Dying Industries
According to the Labor Department, apparel manufacturers are expected to decrease by 54 percent while their output falls more than 43 percent between 2006 and 2016. Jobs in the ailing printing business will drop by 22 percent during the next decade, with output falling by 12 percent. |
| | How to stop China from stealing our jobs
On April 18, China won another battle in its one-sided trade war against the United States when America's last remaining motorcycle maker, Harley-Davidson, announced plans to lay off 730 workers. These workers will join the approximately 2.3 million Americans who have already lost their good-paying manufacturing jobs to the Chinese strategy of selling to the United States without buying from us. |
| | BAMW: It’s Not a New Lamp, It’s an Investment in America
Direct competition through free trade with third world countries that pay pennies-on-the-hour wages can only destine us to a future of lower wages and reduced consumption. |
| | BAMW: Spring for American-Made Goods this Spring
If you’re sprucing up your home to match the sights and sounds of the season, there are certain ways you can buy American and spruce up the balance sheets of American companies employing American workers at the same time. |
| | We trust strangers with our financial future
The challenge for American corporations is to find a way to pay people $15 to $20 an hour and charge the same price as a corporation in a country that pays maybe $1 or $2 per hour. Sound impossible? You’re right, it is impossible. |
| | Patriotism, Protection and Prosperity
After handing the Red Coats a one-way ticket across the pond, the Founders capitalized on their industrial independence by creating an economic system predicated on the commonsense principles of protection and preservation of domestic industry, especially manufacturing. |
| | More Honduran cantaloupes recalled
The FDA previously issued an import alert concerning cantaloupes supplied by Agropecuaria Montelibano, a Honduran grower and packer, since fruit from that company appears to be associated with a U.S. and Canadian Salmonella outbreak. |
| | America's Coming Garage Sale
The upside to greater foreign investment in the U.S. will be the strengthening of the dollar and the resurrection of stock and property prices. The downside is that the foreign business community – especially in Asia – will own larger swaths of the U.S. economy. And it is these foreign buyers who will benefit from the increases in the value of assets and the dollar. |
| | BAMW: 'Free trade' that isn't free
'Neither tariffs nor trade protection is the problem'
American tariffs and trade protection are not the problem. Lack of adequate tariffs to level the playing field by mindless faith in free trade and free markets followed by Federal Reserve intervention which can lead to catastrophes like the Great Depression is the problem. |
| | A Closer Look at Domestic-Parts Content
By most measures, Detroit automakers come out ahead. The sales-weighted content for GM and Ford close to 80 percent, with Chrysler at 74 percent. In comparison, Honda's sales-weighted content is 51 percent, with Nissan at 46 percent and Toyota at 40 percent. |
| | The Cars.com American-Made Index
While Ford and GM continue their reign on the American-Made Index, the long-running No. 2 car, the Toyota Camry, has fallen completely off the list and, just like last time, Chrysler is still missing from the Index. |
| | Pack your pocketbook with patriotism
Citing the belief once expressed by Thomas Jefferson, that, "I 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," the author explains how to buy appliances, electronics, clothing and dozens of other items, still made in America. |
| | BAMW: How to Buy an American Bicycle
If that outdoors time includes cycling and you want to buy American, you’re going to have to think outside the big-box and take a road less traveled to get an American-made bicycle. |
| | Trade, Economy Becoming Focus of Pa. Primary
"The Democratic and Republican presidential candidates remain clueless about the nation's biggest trade challenges, heatedly debating NAFTA and ignoring the far greater damage inflicted by China's mercantilism," said Alan Tonelson, a Research Fellow at the U.S. Business and Industry Council. |
| | Buying American finally made easy
Guide lists thousands of manufacturers who still make it in USA. |
| | To Die for NAFTA
McCain admits to knowing almost nothing about economics and is now being advised by my old friend Jack Kemp. In a Wall Street Journal essay bemoaning my views, Kemp concedes, "I'm on the advisory board of Toyota North America and now drive a hybrid Lexus." |
| | Boeing to challenge Air Force decision on tanker contract
"Our team has taken a very close look at the tanker decision and found serious flaws in the process that we believe warrant appeal," said Boeing Chief Executive James McNerney. |
| | Orlando-area agencies shun hybrid vehicles
Many governments - Orlando is a prime example - will buy only American-made cars, which often limits selections to vehicles that consume more gas. |
| | Denison company uses all American-made materials
Mick Greenway says his cargo nets are more durable than the competition and definitely a lot easier to manage. The shock cord Greenway purchases from a mill in Minnesota. The fasteners are manufactured in Oklahoma. He explained it was important for him to use only materials made in America. |
| | Polaris Rolls Out New Snowmobile Line-up
The Victory motorcycle division was established in 1998 representing the first all-new American-made motorcycle from a major company in nearly 60 years. Polaris also enhances the riding experience with a complete line of Pure Polaris apparel, accessories and parts, available at Polaris dealerships. |
| | BAMW: American-Made Eyewear, No Sweat Apparel, and American Tuna
The Original Pilot Sunglass has been a favorite of U.S. military pilots for over 40 years. These sunglasses are American made, performance tested and have been issued to millions of U.S. soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen since 1958... |
| | Palm Bay policy: Buy local, buy American
Roger Simmermaker, an Orlando resident and author of "How Americans Can Buy American," told the council that it would work to the city's advantage to have a "buy local" policy. "There's not a lot of municipalities out there doing what (you're) doing," he said. "The Constitution says we're to form a more perfect union, not a more perfect global economy." |
| | BAMW: Female Footwear, Union-Made Apparel, and American-Made Decorative Carolers & Figures
Some loyal readers have been asking "where’s the footwear for us females?" |
| | Another American Bank Falls Into Foreign Hands
North Carolina-based RBC Centura Banks, which is a subsidiary of Toronto-based Royal Bank of Canada, will brand Alabama National's 10 subsidiaries and 103 branch locations -- including Florida Choice Bank located in Central Florida -- as RBC Bank starting in April. |
| | Growing Foreign Government Investments May Threaten U.S. National Security
"Governments are motivated by a broader range of factors than commercial investors," said Senator Jim Webb (D-VA). "While foreign governments may invest money in our country to make a profit, they may also do so in order to further their foreign policy ambitions, to acquire national security assets, or to purchase a stake in strategic industries." |
| | Private Sector: How to avoid recession and expand the economy
As Lee Iacocca writes, "We worship at the altar of free trade, and it's killing us. At the very least, it's time we started charging admission to the American market. And the price of a ticket has to be a little fairness and reciprocity." |
| | Free Trade and that Giant Sucking Sound
There are few things that are more repugnant, intellectually and morally, than a person with secure employment in a well-paying job (with health benefits and a pension plan) nonchalantly dismissing the anxieties of workers who become unemployed, or who are under the threat of becoming unemployed, due to the effects of globalization. |
| | BAMW: Toys, Terror-Free Oil, Art, Pillow Cases, Politics, and Glenn Beck
In case you thought our problems with dangerous Chinese imports was over, we now learn that we can’t even buy Valentine’s Day candy without surprises of the wrong kind. |
| | Retailers impose new toy safety rules
After facing recall after recall of millions of Chinese-made items, the nation's biggest toy sellers are imposing stricter measures on their suppliers - including tougher standards for lead content - to get ahead of expected new federal legislation. |
| | Toy makers tweak lines to offset rising import costs
Next holiday, that toy that was supposed to talk for a minute will talk for 40 seconds, and that portable electronic quiz game will ask fewer questions. Facing higher costs in China, the nation's toy makers are tweaking their new product lines and scaling back their offerings. |
| | Importer recalls Valentine's Day lollipops
Voluntary recall comes after pieces of metal found in at least two Pokemon lollipops imported from China. |
| | America for sale
It's not just Wall Street bailouts. Foreign ownership of U.S. assets is accelerating - and that's a worrisome trend. |
| | FDA never inspected China maker of Baxter's heparin
U.S. regulators have never inspected the Chinese plant that makes Baxter International's heparin, regulators disclosed a day after Baxter halted sales of some versions after four patients died and hundreds became ill. |
| | BAMW: Great American Apparel and Great American Work Boots!
All American Clothing Co. is fast becoming one of the most well known sources of USA-made jeans. Their jeans use only USA-made raw materials and are cut and sewn in the USA. |
| | Patriot Corporation of America Act
The Senate's "Patriot Employers" version would give a 1 percent tax credit on taxable income for companies that maintain or increase their U.S. employment in relation to their overseas workers. They must also keep their corporate headquarters in the U.S. |
| | Buy American to help our economy
How are we going to grow our economy when we don't buy products made or built in America? |
| | Senator Pushes 'Buy American' Logo In Tax Rebate
If you're planning on rushing out to Best Buy or Target to stimulate the economy and blow your tax rebate check this spring, Sen. Byron Dorgan is hoping you'll think twice. Instead of spending the money on a TV made in Korea or clothing made in China, the North Dakota Democrat is pushing for taxpayers to use their rebate to buy American. In fact, Dorgan has offered an amendment to the Senate economic stimulus bill that would require millions of rebate checks to have the slogan "Support Our Economy - Buy American." |
| | America for sale
It's not just Wall Street bailouts. Foreign ownership of U.S. assets is accelerating - and that's a worrisome trend. |
| | New US Army action figures made in China
The US Army is now making action figures out of real soldiers from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Army says, "What's the big deal? 80 percent of the toys sold in the US are made in China." |
| | Total Recal
Products recalled from Jan. 29-Feb. 5 include goods from Korea, Mexico, and of course China. |
| | Mattel CEO sees positive 2008, cost concerns
Mattel recalled over 21 million Chinese-made toys worldwide in 2007 due to excessive levels of lead paint and other unsafe components, stoking fears of a loss in consumer confidence. |
| | China's paradox; Bigger economic clout will mean it's more dependent on Western approval
There's a joke making the rounds these days that officials sent a shipment of lead back to China. Why? Because it had too many toys in it. |
| | BAMW: Supporting American-Made Apparel, Display Tables, Games & Toys, and the Second Amendment
Buying American is no sweat either, because all Shivers Wear is made in USA. |
| | BAMW: American-Made Leather Products, Furniture, Pet Supplies and Pool Tables!
Although their name suggests they are from Key West they are actually located in Daytona Beach, Florida, where all their products are made. |
| | Orlando Man Says: Buy American
He’s urging money from the economic stimulus plan be spent on made in the U.S. products or "We’re going to squander all the benefits from that economic stimulus package." |
| | Sock industry suffers more; trade sanctions against Honduras expected
A deluge of cheaper sock imports from Honduras has hurt the domestic industry enough to warrant new trade sanctions, the federal government announced Friday. The government said the U.S. imported 27.3 million dozen pairs of cotton socks from Honduras in the first 11 months of 2007, an increase of 99 percent over the same period the year before. |
| | Made in America?
Still, growing numbers of Americans have become tired of shoddy and sometimes dangerous imports. They're taking time to find and buy domestic substitutes, even if those products cost more, said Roger Simmermaker, an Orlando-based author who has been crusading against outsourcing for more than a decade. |
| | Blue-Collar Jobs Disappear, Taking Families’ Way of Life Along
Slammed by the continued decline in the automobile and steel businesses, Ohio never recovered from the recession of 2001-2, and blue-collar families who had made it partway up the economic ladder find themselves slipping back, with chaotic effects on families and dreams. |
| | Study: American-Made Still Matters
According to a recent study, Americans still look to support their own economy when it comes to vehicle-buying decisions. Research from the Level Field Institute indicated that 79 percent of the 715 nationwide "likely car buyers" surveyed were more apt to buy a vehicle if it was American-made. |
| | Layoffs expected at sock plant in Alamance
Since Jan. 1, 2006, the state's sock mills have laid off more than 3,600 employees, industry representatives say. Many of those losses have been blamed on the Central America Free Trade Agreement, which removed tariffs from all sock imports from that region beginning in April 2006. |
| | Trouble With Trade by Paul Krugman
A committed free trader admits flaws in free trade |
| | Many problems from 'free trade'
One of Santa's biggest surprises this Christmas has been the storm over unsafe toys for children. Should we have been so surprised? |
| | Iowa Caucuses: The Good Guys Are Winning on Trade
So-called "free trade" agreements start out from the wrong premise: that trade agreements should be primarily about protecting investment and capital and, then, only as an afterthought, do the agreements wrestle with how workers and the environment should be treated. |
| | Trade policy comes under the spotlight
The most bellicose rhetoric has come from John Edwards, the third-placed Democrat whom polls have shown surging back into contention ahead of tomorrow's Iowa caucuses. He has called for "trade without trade-offs" that puts the interests of "regular families" ahead of multinational corporations. |
| | Select few see benefits of free trade: report
The large Canadian-based corporations and their CEOs that led the campaign for North American free trade are the major beneficiaries of the agreements, while their employees and Canadian workers in general have been the victims, an economic think-tank said yesterday. |
| | Terror-Free Oil!
Want to buy American gasoline from American oil companies? See this list and find out where to fill up and where not to! |
| | Orlando man's message: Buy made-in-U.S. products
We are, Simmermaker says, supporting companies that "employ Chinese by the millions, sending money to people who don't pay taxes to America, or contribute to our Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid -- this is why it's so important to buy American-made products from American-owned companies." |
| | Christmas ... Made in China
So Santa, what I want next year is a new president. I want one who will bring jobs back to the United States. |
| | Campbell Soup selling Godiva to Turkish company
Campbell Soup Co. said on Thursday it agreed to sell its Godiva Chocolatier business for $850 million to Yildiz Holding A.S.
Yildiz is the owner of the Ulker ULKER.IS Group, a diversified food company based in Istanbul, Turkey. |
| | Teamsters to Leaflet at United Airlines Terminals During Busy Travel Day
They will tell air travelers that United Airlines outsources all heavy maintenance of its Boeing 747s and 777s to South Korea and China. In the Beijing repair facility, only five of 2,179 mechanics are certified by the Federal Aviation Administration. United now wants to sell its San Francisco maintenance facility. |
| | Local Man Leads Buyers To U.S.-Made Toys
"The polls have shown that especially with these China recalls that have happened recently that people are more aware of buying American. Some polls have even shown Americans are willing to pay even more money for an American-made product whether it is out of safety, patriotism or whatever," said Simmermaker. |
| | Free trade finding more resistance
A poll conducted last month by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press showed that 44 percent of S.C. Democrats surveyed said free-trade agreements were a bad thing -- roughly the same figure as four years ago. On the other side of the political spectrum, a Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll in October showed that 60 percent of Republicans agreed that free trade has been bad for the country. |
| | China-Made Face Paint Found to Be Toxic
Two Chinese-made toy makeup sets seized in Hong Kong contained high levels of lead, chromium and barium, the local government said Wednesday. |
| | Groups Release Guide to Toxins in Toys
Tests on more than 1,200 children's products, most of them still on store shelves, found that 35 percent contain lead - many with levels far above the federal recall standard used for lead paint. |
| | M&M looks for bargain basement buys in US
Helped by a booming economy at home, Anand Mahindra, chief of India's $6 billion Mahindra Group, intends to use the weak US dollar to buy manufacturing plants in "bargain basement" America. |
| | Keep it `Made in Carolinas'
Voters must make politicians take a stand on U.S. manufacturing |
| | BAMW: American Hero Companies
Next time you hear about a U.S. factory about to close and move overseas, check the price tag of that product currently made by the domestic factory, and then check it again once that product begins to be sourced offshore. You might be surprised that there is little, if any, price difference... |
| | America’s Largest Bank Turns to Abu Dhabi Wealth Fund:
The largest state of the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi, now ranks as the largest shareholder for Citigroup Inc. |
| | Philips to Buy Genlyte for $2.7B
Louisville, Ky.-based Genlyte makes fixtures for lights used mostly by companies. |
| | Sweatshop Crucifixes Pulled from Saint Patrick's Cathedral and Trinity Church
While it was an excellent first step for Saint Patrick's Cathedral and Trinity Church to pull the sweatshop crucifixes from their gift shops, their responsibility does not end there. |
| | Slaughter asks Mattel to open plant here
Rep. Louise Slaughter thinks she knows how Mattel can bounce back from the bad publicity of its toy recalls: Have Fisher-Price start building toys again in Western New York. |
| | Seeking Safer Toys? Buy American is Back in Vogue
Parents looking to fill their children’s holiday wish have more to worry about that whether Johnny or Susie was naughty or nice. |
| | Goldman Sachs: Indian/Chinese Institutions Could Buy American Banks
I never thought I would see this in my lifetime but emerging market financial institutions from India or China may be able to buy out American banks due to the fallout from mortgage crisis, according to the latest Goldman Sachs report. |
| | BAMW: Long-Awaited Third Edition Almost Here!
The long-awaited third edition of How Americans Can Buy American: The Power of Consumer Patriotism will be available soon for $18.95. This new and updated book will be printed in early December, 2007. |
| | What is Made in America?
"Everything I'm wearing right now, every single thing I wear every day is made in America. If I can do it, everyone can do it," said author Roger Simmermaker. He wrote the book, "How Americans Can Buy American." |
| | Apple drinks a favorite during the chill of the season
Martinelli’s (www.martinellis.com) is one nationally recognized company that sells only USA grown apple juice and cider. |
| | BAMW: So Chrysler Is (Mostly) American Again - Now What?
In any case, American car buyers who buy from Chrysler because they want to do the patriotic thing and save an American icon may destroy one or two others in the process. |
| | Recent recalls of foreign-made toys have consumers looking for made-in-U.S.A label
Roger Simmermaker -- the author of "How Americans Can Buy American: The Power of Consumer Patriotism" -- said there are three ways to strengthen the movement. "Let the companies and our representatives know about the issue, buy American where we can, and raise tariffs on Chinese products," said Simmermaker, who also runs a Web site, howtobuyamerican.com. |
| | Patriotic holiday shopping: How to buy American
"What we can do is buy American made toys and other products where they’re available," says Roger Simmermaker who runs a website on how to buy American. |
| | Harkin remarks on Maytag closing
According to a study by economists at Iowa State University, the average income in Jasper County in 2005 was $34,400 with Maytag jobs in the mix. Without the Maytag jobs, the average income will drop by nearly $5,000. |
| | Edwards' attack on Peru deal shifts debate
The Democratic presidential field tilted to the left over the weekend as John Edwards came out against the US free trade agreement with Peru. |
| | U.S. recalls more Chinese-made toys; lead paint mars bobble heads
The government said it was recalling 142,000 toy buckets decorated in a Halloween theme that have been sold by Family Dollar stores across the country. |
| | Senators Call For 'Sweatshop-Free Barbie'
"If you move production to Chinese factories that cut every possible corner to lower costs," said bill co-sponsor and North Dakota Democratic Senator Byron Dorgan at a Senate Commerce subcommittee hearing today, "You end up with young women worked to death in China and products that end up poisoning our kids here at home." |
| | Bear Sterns/CITIC to invest $1B in each other, develop Chinese businesses
Bear Stearns Cos. and CITIC Securities Co., a China-based securities services firm, agreed to invest $1 billion in each other and plan to form a strategic alliance that will share management expertise and technology to develop financial products and businesses in China. |
| | Florida City Tries to Ban Chinese Products
Palm Bay, Fla., is considering a ban of the purchase of products made in China. If it passes, the central Florida town would be the first in the nation to ban goods from one particular country. |
| | Intel to start production at new $3 billion plant
Intel plans to start production this week at a new $3 billion factory in Arizona that will be its first to mass-produce chips with circuits almost a third smaller than before. |
| | Rising trade gap with China worries E.U.
European Union officials are in a quandary over the multi-nation organisation’s trade and economic relations with China in the context of the ever-widening trade imbalance in favour of China, currently growing at the rate of $15 million to $20 million per hour. |
| | U.S. eases rules for five companies importing technology into China
The Commerce Department said five Chinese firms had been granted "validated end-user" status as part of a program aimed at boosting U.S. trade with China. |
| | USA : Duty-free LDC bill another China giveaway
The legislation would give duty-free access to the U.S. market to imports of all products from virtually all Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) countries. |
| | Free trade and the US election
America, it seems, is experiencing a revival of protectionism. |
| | More China Recalls
Are You Surprised? |
| | J.C. Penney, others recall 90,000 toys for lead
J.C. Penney Co. recalled more than 70,000 imported children items, including Winnie the Pooh play sets that were made in China, because they contained unsafe amounts of lead paint. |
| | Winnie the Pooh toys the latest recall out of China
The U.S. Congress held hearings in September on lead in children's toys, which may cause brain damage if ingested, and the safety of Chinese imports. |
| | U.S. slams Brazil, India, South Africa for refusing to open up goods markets
Washington conceded ground on farm subsidies on condition that other countries accept Falconer's plan for cutting tariffs on farm products. |
| | Wal-Mart defends low-cost imports as serving customers
Chief Executive Lee Scott defended Wal-Mart's reliance on low-cost imports Wednesday against what he called emerging economic nationalism and said he would like to stock more American-made goods but that Wal-Mart's business model is based on offering the lowest price for consumers who cannot afford to spend more. |
| | Palm Bay Mayor Wants to Ban All Products from China
Here we go again: Razor recalling 20,000 electric scooters. Turns out the handlebars can fall off. That makes nearly 700,000 Chinese- made items recalled just this week. |
| | Made in China: it's not just toys
Martinelli's is one of a few companies that use only American-grown apples to make juice. That's something he boasts about given the recent problems with Chinese products. |
| | Going, Going, Gone........America
Our national highways and other infrastructures were bought and paid for by the citizen taxpayers of this country. Now, those same assets are being offered to the highest bidders, mostly foreign ones. |
| | Toxic Pet Toys: A Doctor's Advice
Are pet toys safe? Answer: Hot air aside, no one knows |
| | eToys finds support for U.S.-made toys
Online retailer eToys.com said Friday consumers surveyed are taking a buy-American approach to toy shopping. |
| | U.S. recalls 635,000 Chinese-made products
The US consumer safety agency announced Thursday the recall of more than 635,000 Chinese-made toys, key chains and other products that contain unsafe levels of lead or pose a choking hazard. |
| | Government Agency Plays Catch-up
The Department of Health and Human Services may send information about fuel-efficient American-made vehicles to its 67,000 workers after the agency was criticized for issuing a government newsletter that touted foreign automakers. |
| | People Need Choice To Buy Products Made In America
The American people should have the right to buy American goods manufactured and produced in the good old U.S.A. Making such a choice available will have many benefits, including the creation of more U.S. jobs, an increased tax base and most likely better quality products. |
| | Selling American Brick by Brick
Bain Capital LLC and Huawei Technologies Co., China's largest maker of equipment for telecommunications networks, hired five banks to arrange $1.2 billion of loans for their proposed buyout of 3Com Corp., said three people with direct knowledge of the deal. |
| | Bills Targeting China’s Trade Practices Draw Concern From Business Leaders
More than 150 companies and business associations recently sent a letter to every House and Senate member, urging them to refrain from pursuing legislation that could hurt the U.S.-China trading relationship. |
| | Clinton Turns on Clinton on Free Trade
President Clinton is closing one policy disagreement wife Senator Clinton while keeping another alive, saying his wife is right to forbid the use of torture but wrong that his signature trade deal has "hurt" American workers. |
| | Oklahoma lawmaker vows to halt Superhighway at state line
The expressed intention of a state lawmaker in Oklahoma to halt any NAFTA Superhighway project at his state line has failed to draw a meaningful response from the White House. |
| | Finding Safe Toys
Many parents spooked by the recent recalls of millions of unsafe toys made in China are seeking American-made toys for their kids, but they're not always easy to find. |
| | Once Again We’re Driving What’s Not Made Here
The foreign companies against whom the Big Three compete are selling more and more cars that are not made at their factories in the United States, making labor costs here less important. |
| | Series of Town Hall Meetings on Manufacturing Issues
On September 25th in Manchester, New Hampshire, television and film star John Ratzenberger and the Alliance for American Manufacturing (AAM) will kick off a series of "Keep it Made in America" town hall meetings. |
| | Building consensus
"Without manufacturing in the United States, we won’t have a vibrant economy, we won’t have a middle class and we won’t be able to support our Army. If we don’t teach our kids to build things, America will go by the wayside," John Ratzenberger said. |
| | Ahead of the Bell: Food Imports
Consumer advocates and grocery industry representatives are expected to ask Congress Tuesday to set aside more funding for food safety. |
| | 600,000 products included in toy recall
Lead concerns have prompted more than 600,000 toys and children's necklaces that were made in China to be removed from store shelves, Thursday morning. |
| | The Piper Is At The Door - And So Is The Landlord
Now that all the enthusiastic partying over that 300 point increase in the Dow has ended, it's time to get back to reality as most of the world sees it. |
| | Safe Children v. Free Trade Accords
Lori Wallach, executive director of the D.C.-based advocacy group Public Citizen, testified to the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee that while U.S. law enforcement is part of the problem the "root cause is U.S. trade policies." |
| | Why 'Made in China' became a peril for American parents
The recent rash of recalls of Chinese-manufactured toys decorated with lead paint is fueling queries to health professionals around the country as parents wonder about possible elevated lead levels in their children. |
| | U.S. says 1 million Chinese-made cribs recalled
Simplicity Inc, a supplier of baby furniture to Wal-Mart Stores Inc and other big retailers, is recalling about 1 million Chinese-made baby cribs that have been linked to at least two infant deaths, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said on Friday. |
| | What the heck is made in America anymore?
(And what is not made in America) |
| | Keeping our food imports safe
The administration's report avoids the third rail in import safety - the link between unsafe imports and slipshod trade policy," Senator Sherrod Brown said in a statement. |
| | Patriotic purchasing
Roger Simmermaker, author of "How Americans Can Buy American," said U.S.-made products aren't always more expensive. For example, a Chinese-made shoe from Nike would likely be in the same price range as an American-made shoe from New Balance, he said. But Nike would probably be making much more profit. |
| | Hoover Celebrates 100 Years As North Canton, Ohio Plant To Close
The plant is scheduled to close this month, ending its legacy as the city's largest private employer and putting 750 people out of work. Hoover now is owned by Techtronic Industries of Hong Kong. |
| | Want to buy American tuna?
Visit www.AmericanTuna.com! You can buy it at www.heritagefoodsusa.com if you don’t have a store that sells it near you. |
| | Most Want Import Restrictions
Most Ohio voters support restrictions on imported products, even if it leads to higher prices for foreign consumer goods. |
| | Importer to recall Chinese-made car fuses
As many as 295,000 sets of cars fuses, each containing 120 fuses, are being recalled because some of them allow more electrical current through than they should, according to a newspaper report. |
| | Mattel recalls more toys
Mattel announced late yesterday it was recalling 800,000 toys, including 675,000 accessories for one of the company's biggest sellers, the Barbie doll. |
| | Taiwan's Acer to Acquire Gateway
Acer Inc. plans to acquire U.S. computer maker Gateway Inc. in a deal that will push the Taiwanese company past China's Lenovo Group as the world's third largest vendor of personal computers. |
| | Chinese industrial expansion threatened by global warming
A recent study suggested that manufacturing a computer in Guangdong caused three times the carbon emissions of manufacturing it in America, because of poorer environmental standards in China. |
| | Five years later, COOL still open to debate
In 2002 the U.S. Congress passed country of origin labeling (COOL) as part of the Farm Bill. Now, here it is five years later, and COOL has still not been implemented - although it is getting much closer. |
| | Groups Sue to Block Mexican Trucks from U.S. Highways
On Aug. 6, the Department of Transportation Inspector General released a report finding that the system used to monitor Mexico-domiciled carrier drivers with license convictions is not yet adequate. |
| | Toys `R' Us Recalls 27,000 Crayon Boxes After Lead Is Found
Toys `R' Us has recalled 27,000 crayon and paint box sets made in China because ink on the wooden cases contains lead. |
| | 'Made in America' films at Maytag
The show's producers chose Maytag for the segment because it's an iconic name and it's made in America, Ratzenberger said. |
| | Melamine Found in Chinese-Made Walmart Dog Treats
Remember the dog treats that Walmart quietly pulled from its shelves instead of recalling? Walmart's own tests have shown they were tainted with melamine, the same chemical that killed all those pets back in March. Fun. |
| | More Toys Recalled for Lead
Can't we just go one week without a recall of dangerous toys from China? Guess not: Some Sponge Bob items and another toy train is on the recall list. |
| | Buy American, support country, stay healthy
Our participation in the global economy has to take a back-seat to our having a strong domestic economy. |
| | Poison PJs from China - Embalming fluid found inside children's pajamas
Scientists found formaldehyde, a chemical preservative, in wool and cotton clothing at levels hundreds of times higher than levels considered safe. |
| | Toy makers must deal with stigma of 'Made in China'
Gone are the days of squeezing every last penny out of an operation. What toy companies are saving won't matter if no one buys their playthings. |
| | Made, badly, in China
Here's the truly dark side of the economic force known as globalization, where greed prevails above all. |
| | Chinese Official: Recalls are 'trade protectionism'
China’s quality watchdog chief Li Changjiang says "Demonizing Chinese products or talking of the Chinese product threat, I think, is simply a new kind of trade protectionism." |
| | China TV Airs Shows Defending Products
China has launched a new campaign to restore international trust in its products with a weeklong television series defending the country's safety standards. |
| | Claims Chinese clothes show formaldehyde
A New Zealand television program has reportedly found levels of formaldehyde in Chinese-made clothing up to 900 times the level known to affect humans. |
| | Toy scare may bring back ‘Made in USA’
As American toymakers and sellers prepare for the upcoming Christmas holiday season, they are facing a China syndrome in toy making that may not disappear anytime soon. |
| | Toymakers ballyhoo 'Made in America'
Next to "Merry Christmas," here's the greeting toy shoppers are most likely to hear and see this holiday season: "Made in America." |
| | Where did that food come from? Your guess is as good as the label
Without knowing where the food came from, consumers can't be certain it is safe, experts say. |
| | More food imports from Mexico, not China, turned away
In past year, inspectors found salmonella, other defects in goods entering the U.S. |
| | China said to have known about magnets last March
China knew about problems with magnets on toys as long ago as March, an industry official said Wednesday, after a second massive recall of Chinese-made Mattel product due to hazards from small magnets. |
| | Knockoff diabetes tests? Yep, China
Last year Johnson & Johnson discovered counterfeit strips used to test blood glucose levels were being sold under its label. Looks like we can add those to the long list of fake products originating in China. |
| | Mattel recall suits a risk: experts
Mattel Inc., the largest U.S. toy company, not only has a huge image problem but could face a series of lawsuits after two major recalls in a month, legal and public relations experts said on Tuesday. |
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