Comment on Chinese people flood TikTok with videos urging Americans to buy direct amid Trump tariffs
jarfil@beehaw.org 3 days ago
How to make cheap products in China:
- Use the same production line (same tooling)
- Use less skilled, cheaper workers, producing lower quality
- Replace materials with lower quality ones
- Skip materials where they aren’t seen
- Reduce requirements for the quality check
Brands, and the fear of losing the investment put into establishing one, is the only thing keeping people in check. When brands stop caring about quality, they lower it. When manufacturers want to differentiate themselves from scammers, they establish a brand 🤷
whirlpoolbrewer@lemm.ee 2 days ago
As someone who would love more production in America, I largely agree but might add a caveat to this. China makes a bunch of cheap crap, and at the same time that is exactly what our society demands. “I want something that does X at the cheapest possible price” is what the average US citizen wants. Roughly 77% live paycheck to paycheck, so them wanting the cheapest price makes sense. They can’t afford quality and China is happy to lower the quality for them.
On the flip side China makes iPhones. People who buy those phones demand top quality, and China delivers there too. China is capable of quality, but most people don’t actually want quality. This sounds counter intuitive to me at first, but at the same time, we elected Trump twice so I think I’m just out of touch with a large group of our country.
If you want the cheapest possible option, which is what the majority demand, China will do that. American made goods are expensive and that isn’t what the majority want or can afford. This is not me saying, “nobody wants quality.” I want quality. I want American made. I will pay the higher price. I just also understand that most people in America don’t actually want that.
01011@monero.town 2 days ago
Ttey might want American made, they just can’t afford it.