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It’s been clear for a myriad of years that an abundance of products we use are made in China, yet many consumers are still so peeved at the thought of supporting a company whose production and manufacturing are held overseas. Where did this stigma come from and what can we do to educate consumers on what Made In China really means?
Why Made In China Is Surrounded by Negative Connotations
So where did this controversy behind ethical consumerism and its contradiction with Chinese factories begin? While there’s no specific single uproar-causing event, we can safely say it was due to...well, in a nutshell, bad business. Companies from a myriad of industries determined to keep profits at an all-time high while ensuring costs are consistently at all-time lows were realizing more cost-cutting procedures could widen their profit margins, especially in China where quality control is either nonexistent or less stringent than in other countries. But it’s not just labor - executive decision-makers were also willing to accept lower quality products, meaning cheaper products, to keep costs at a minimum.
The lack of quality control for some of these factories started imploded with issues, and since news travels quickly in this day and age, the unfortunate circumstances surrounding factory scandals (such as the 2008 Chinese Milk Scandal, the Rana Plaza Collapse, and the Foxconn Working Conditions Scandal) have significantly influenced our perception of product production and manufacturing in China.
This isn’t the case with every manufacturer and certainly not with every Chinese factory, but the malicious decisions of some, coupled with extensive media coverage and the world of social sharing, paved the way for many others to turn away from Made In China products as they were now seen as tainted.
Why Made In China Isn’t Bad
Despite many high-quality products made in China in factories under excellent working conditions, Chinese-made products are still synonymous with poor quality and deplorable working conditions. But it really doesn’t have to be this way anymore. We, along with many other brands and firms, (like those mentioned in this article about manufacturing ethically in China), are aiming to end this stigma once and for all.
In addition to vetting Chinese factories with high-quality processes and procedures, high-quality tooling, and obtaining quality control and project management personnel to ensure standards stay high and working conditions are virtuous, companies like us are primarily US-based so there are actually more components of product development one is supporting in the US than in China. Thus, before a dismissal of the Made In China label entirely, consider the following explanation from our Senior Project Manager, Katie (who aids in our Chinese manufacturing projects) on all the people and families you’re really supporting - including those in China who are in righteous working environments:
- Design Services
- An American company paying US taxes, all employees paying income taxes
- Manufacturing Support
- An American company, paying company taxes, all employees paying income taxes (this is where I fit into this picture, i.e. paying income taxes and supporting my entire family here in Utah)
- When the product shipment container arrives in the U.S.
- Tariffs are paid directly to the U.S. Government at rates up to 35%+
- Port employees – American employees, paying income taxes
- Union Pacific Railroad or Semi Trucks that move the containers to the distribution center – all American companies with American employees
- Distribution Center – an American company paying taxes, all employees paying income taxes
- Delivery companies such as USPS, UPS, or FedEx – support hundreds of thousands of American families who all pay US income tax
- Marketing/Advertising team
- All American employees, all paying income taxes
The Bottom Line
Scandals have and will continue to surface, but that shouldn’t degrade the incredibly hard-working and well-treated employees in both the United States and China that come together to build a quality product you love. Manufacturing is such a small piece to an entire infrastructure of the United States’ (and really the entire world’s) economy. While there are important and necessary discussions Chinese factory scandals have brought to light (i.e. given us a serious look into the importance of matching our dollar with our values), it’s unfair to so many of those working in all aspects of bringing a product to fruition to turn away a product solely due to its Made In China label. The best thing we can do to support hard-working Americans is to continue supporting American companies. So the next time you purchase an item that’s Made In China, consider all of those you’re supporting in the list above, and hopefully those you’re supporting in China too.
