What does "Made in America" really mean anymore?

[steamjam1]

I've been thinking about this alot since the election. What does "Made in America" really mean anymore? Does that mean whatever is being made is designed, all parts built in, assembled in the USA? Does that mean its designed in the US, its parts built who-knows-where, shipped here and assembled in the USA?

Ive been thinking about it in relation to my Ford RV. Its an 86. It was designed in the USA. It was assembled in Lorraine, Ohio. Its electronics were assembled in Japan, and Germany. Does that make is an all US van?

The Ford Transit and Dodge Pro Master were designed elsewhere. The parts are built elsewhere, but its assembled in the USA.. Does that mean its am American van? Same for Nissan/Toyota, Mitsubishi, VW and BMW. They are foreign companies that build cars/trucks here.. Are they American cars because American workers assembled them?

I know that my '89 Dodge 4x4.. It was built in Canada. Does that mean it's an import?

Even Iphones.. they are designed here in California.. But parts and assembled in China... Does that mean they are Chinese imports? Or American products?

 

[LMTLMT]

I'm not an expert on this subject but for me if an vehicle is assembled/built in USA, I consider it made in USA, however, there are hundreds and thousands of parts within a vehicle and are all sourced around the world. It is impossible to have a all USA made parts for a vehicle these days.

If I have one of those Chevy Cruise hatchbacks which is made in Mexico, although its a USA company, I wouldn't tell people I have a American made car.

 

[rickr]

My kids are 100% made in America!

 

[Ballenxj]

  What does "Made in America" really mean anymore? 
<----snip---->
  Even Iphones.. they are designed here in California.. But parts and assembled in China... Does that mean they are Chinese imports? Or American products?

Uh oh, you brought up one of my pet peeves. 
When I was a lot younger, me and my friends actually built things, designed things, etc.
My cars were usually Oldsmobile 442's built in Lansing Michigan, and my Pontiac's were Detroit.
People back then were taught respect, and as a by product, quality was the result.
Those were the days.
Nowadays, the younger generation walk around looking at their smart phones, and almost all are trying to make money on the net.
 Taking pride in their own work seems like a thing of the past. Nobody wants to work any more.
 A lot of the union folk think they should be paid as much as Doctors and Lawyers. Well, they may be right about the Lawyers.....
The problem is, a lot of them do sub standard work to boot. I watched the new a few years back where a group of them went out and partied during lunch break, then came back and thought it was a good idea to hang a nut from a wire inside the sail panel, so the person that bought the car would forever wonder what that clunk in the back was when they turned a corner. They thought it was funny. Meanwhile, their high wages went on along with payment into their retirement plans. Anybody here think that was the right thing to do to some unsuspecting customer that thought enough about the brand of car to spend a lot of hard earned money on it? Then they wonder why their jobs are going over seas?
I'm sorry, but a lot of US citizens just don't seem to get it.

 

[flying kurbmaster]

manufacturing coming back to the USA, jobs, jobs, jobs ..... from the great profit, manufacturing plants today are robotics so other then a few highly skilled technicians these plants that are coming to the USA will be empty, on land that will likely be given to those companies, likely backed by the sons of the great profit, similar to the land grab he made from the city of New York for his hotels with the promise of jobs, likely the same in Atlanta or wherever his casinos are, his story doesn't change much only the people he gets free land from do. tag his products made in the USA.... by machines made in China. Easy as stealing lolies from the mouths of babes.

 

[Trebor English]

I think that if the car is made in Korea with Chinese parts and the windshield wipers and hubcaps are installed at the dealership they claim "final assembly" in the country of the dealership. I have been wrong before.

 

[Raven+Squid]

Read about made in the USA textiles in the Marianas islands. Imported Chinese labor and very little in the way of labor law, safety standards etc.

No US workers, not made in the US and labeled "Made in the USA".

Feeds back to the Abromoff scandal. Interesting rabbit hole stuff.

 

[DannyB1954]

I worked the West coast waterfront for many years. It used to be the small Japanese pickups would hit the ports without the bed on them. A small crew would put the bed on with 4 bolts and the final assembly was done in the USA avoiding import taxes.

 

[flying kurbmaster]

My kids are 100% made in America!

maybe if you are a women you might be able to say that , apparently there are between 16 to 30% of children born into families that are not fathered by the man who is raising them. They are not sure of the exact percentage but they suspect that 16% is on the low side. There is a story going around about a teacher in the UK that did a science project with his students, got them to bring in there parents blood types, the result was just shy of 30%...story goes that he got in trouble for doing it.

 

[SoulRaven]

I noticed on the internet that many websites were leaving off where the item was made. I emailed and asked. I try very hard to buy products made in the USA as I remember growing up what that means for our country. Also, USA products, although they cost more, generally last much longer. Currently wearing made in the USA socks and underwear and they last and last and last! If our companies can sell more, the price per unit drops too! I think when one measures durability/quality, one will realize they were paying more for the "cheap" stuff. I notice sometimes "Final Assembly In........", "some parts manufactured in", it either Made in the USA or not!

 

[slynne]

The reality is that we live in a global economy. For very complex goods, like cars, it really is impossible to have one that doesn't at least contain foreign parts. I think most people consider it "made in usa" if the final assembly happens in the USA. I don't know all the ins and outs of the law regarding this but I do know that a lot of clothing with "made in the usa" labels is actually made in US territories where the Federal min wage does not apply such as The Northern Mariana Islands or Guam.

 

[eDJ_]

Steamjam1 wrote:

I've been thinking about this alot since the election. What does "Made in America" really mean anymore? Does that mean whatever is being made is designed, all parts built in, assembled in the USA? Does that mean its designed in the US, its parts built who-knows-where, shipped here and assembled in the USA?

If it's any help,  I was reading in an old Mechanics Illustrated Magazine from 1972 I believe it was that the average American vehicle contained about 25% or more foreign made parts.  

This present talk of isolationism makes me wonder if the same people who are wanting their plants they shipped overseas at tax payers expense since the 70's are now afraid of loosing them to being "Nationalized" or destroyed by terrorist and now want to bring them back (at tax payers expense of course) in order to avoid that. 

From time to time I speak with this one mechanical Engineer from India who tells me that the in other parts of the world labor cost total per hour may be less than $9 an hour where the worker does the same task that would be done by American labor for a "total cost" of $60 an hour. (this takes in the workers hourly wage, his benefits package, and all other fringe benefits) 

Another person I occasionally speak with is an accountant who tells me that manufacturers in he States are further ahead Tax wise to send parts to Mexico to be partly assembled before shipping back into the states.
I muse at the cost of transportation to and from Mexico for that little bit of savings and wonder that since the
transport cost is a write off for a business,  who is picking up the cost of that ?  The tax payers ?  And how does it make them more profitable for doing this except for Tax Loopholes that encourage them to do it.

I'm sure that there are books in print that discuss how all of this insanity is made to pay off,  but I just don't know of the titles of any.  

Myself,  when I'm by he Auto Parts Stores,  I always take a look at their Recall Boards to see what series of Ball Joints, Tie Rod Ends, and CV axles have made the list.  Given these parts have to do with the control the driver has of his/her vehicle. 

But this stuff isn't in the hands of us the consumers,  and those of the Banking industry, manufacturers, and supply channels think Government regulations are an imposition on them,  and the general public has nothing to say in the matter.  I think of this trend as "The New Political Correctness".

 

[GotSmart]

I worked the West coast waterfront for many years. It used to be the small Japanese pickups would hit the ports without the bed on them. A small crew would put the bed on with 4 bolts and the final assembly was done in the USA avoiding import taxes.

Just outside of Napa California, there was a company that put together the Chinook campers using one of the Toyota chasis and an American made Chinook shell. They sold for under $5,000 new. in the early 70's.

 

[steamjam1]

I'm pretty sure the closest car that is "100% American made" is the Tesla that's being built at the old GM/NUMMI plant in Fremont, Ca. It's weird for me to think that there is a car assembly plant in the middle of silicon valley, but hey... Right down the street is the old San Jose Ford plant, but they don't make cars anymore. Its a giant mall.

 

[Ballenxj]

I'm pretty sure the closest car that is "100% American made" is the Tesla that's being built at the old GM/NUMMI plant in Fremont, Ca. It's weird for me to think that there is a car assembly plant in the middle of silicon valley, but hey... Right down the street is the old San Jose Ford plant, but they don't make cars anymore. Its a giant mall.

You may be right about that.
And there used to be a GM plant in Vanuys California as well. Some of the employees there did some interesting things with the resources at their disposal. A Vega with a healthy big block was one of the by products.

 

[jonsun]

IOW, money don't care about patriotism, unless it makes it more.

 

[steamjam1]

You may be right about that.
And there used to be a GM plant in Vanuys California as well. Some of the employees there did some interesting things with the resources at their disposal. A Vega with a healthy big block was one of the by products.

Hey that's what Carol Shelby did.. Tiny little car, giant horsepower Ford v8 engine... it worked.

Max Balchowsky did it too.. Tiny little salvaged car. GIANT Buick V8... He was beating ferarri, maserati, porsche and aston martin while just being a SOCAL shop owner without any factory backing before Shelby even heard of the AC ACE he would later modify and make famous the Cobra.

American ingenuity... Its what made us a world leader.

 

[GotSmart]

We do not have a lock on it.  Here is a dweller in Sweden that does good in sub zero weather. 

 

[steamjam1]

I mean seriously... Max Balchowsky best represents what American ingenuity is capable of.. A guy who owns a SOCAL auto shop who has no factory backing, who is using cast off Chrysler passenger car white wall tires, Buick engines, junk yard Jaguar transmissions, Studebaker rear axles, all the while making body panels out of old stop signs and the such taking on and beating the likes of million dollar racing Ferarris, Maseratis, and Jaguars at THEIR OWN GAME.

That is the America I love...

 

[akrvbob]

I remember things differently. In the 70s American made cars were junk, garbage right off the lot. By 100 K they were scrap. Japan killed them by offering well-built, quality cars at cheap prices and got good MPG. Today, American cars are nearly as good, but who doubts a Toyota or Honda is still a better car? For some reason, we do get vans and trucks better, but I still wouldn;t consider an "American" made car.

Why reward mediocrity?