Americans are happy to spend as we mark the patriotic day, but it’s not necessarily U.S. companies that should be celebrating.
As humorist Erma Bombeck mused in that quote, the way we’ve expressed national pride on the Fourth of July has morphed over the years from ceremonious shows of military might on Pennsylvania Avenue to casual barbeques in the backyard. But whether we chose to honor this 237th birthday in a martial or merry way — with the exception of the potato salad and the flies — little is left of the holiday that’s authentically American.
Much like the other 364 days of the year, July 4 finds the American dollar going to products and goods made in China. But what adds a special sting to this particular day is its ironic dependence on a foreign country to commemorate our autonomy.
Starting with the very hallmark of the holiday — the emblem of our freedom, the subject of our national anthem, that gallantly streaming symbol to which we pledge our allegiance, an object so sacred that its public desecration is a misdemeanor offense — the American flag, well…isn’t.
Of the $3.6 million worth of stars and stripes imported every year to the US, $3.3 million worth comes from China. They flutter, not just over our front porches, but over our government buildings — even the federal ones. The farming out of our flags has become so pervasive that the House of Representatives is trying to pass a law requiring the feds to keep purchases strictly domestic.
Going down the holiday shopping list, those disposable dishes, utensils, cups, napkins, and tablecloths are largely outsourced to China — squaring with the U.S. trade deficit totaling $62 billion in paper, plastic, and wood products to the country. And if Congress allows the world’s largest pork producer, Smithfield Foods, Inc., to be purchased by Shuanghui International, the Chinese will be processing our hot dogs for next year’s Independence Day cookout — right atop our Chinese-made outdoor grills.
For some Fourth of July fun, American families will no doubt participate in one of our favorite national pastimes, but playing catch with a Rawlings minor league or consumer baseball is another home run for Chinese manufacturing. Tossing the Frisbee? That American cultural touchstone — along with the Hula-Hoop, Silly String, and the Slip ‘N Slide — hasn’t belonged to Wham-O since the iconic toy company was bought out by Hong Kong group Cornerstone Overseas Investments Ltd. in 2006.
When the sun goes down, our “great anniversary Festival,” as John Adams called it, is capped off with “Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other.” Macy’s annual televised extravaganza is still homegrown by California-based Pyro Spectaculars by Souza, but fireworks from China — despite their failure to pass U.S. safety controls — are making record profits for the country’s manufacturers. In 2011, Chinese pyrotechnics were the overwhelming majority of all American-imported fireworks at $223.6 million out of a total of $232.5 million.
Perhaps we should return to celebrating the Declaration of Independence with the pomp of military parades. Well, not only are Chinese factories churning out our service members’ uniforms, but defense contractors like Raytheon, L-3 Communications, Boeing, and Lockheed Martin are making our weapons with Chinese parts — and counterfeit ones at that.
And when the U.S. markets open the morning after, it might be events in China that will determine how well our S&P 500 performs — as recent history has taught us.
If we don’t like it, we can always go cry to our George Washington bobble-heads — courtesy of you-know-who.
Gillibrand: Sell Only 'Made in USA' Wares at National Park Sites
in Uncategorized/by MAM TeamThey note the National Park Service reports one-quarter — $250 million — of its $1 billion annual gross receipts is from merchandise.
Read the rest of the article at SILive.com: http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2013/07/gillibrand_sell_only_made_in_t.html
MADE IN AMERICA: 10 DESIGNERS AND BRANDS THAT MANUFACTURE LOCALLY
in Uncategorized/by MAM TeamVisit Stylecaster and check out the photos curated and posted by Meghan Blalock listing the 10 designers and labels that still produce in the U.S.A.! http://stylecaster.com/fashion-brands-made-in-america/
94 Percent Of American Flags Imported Into The U.S. Last Year Came From China
in Manufacturing/by MAM Team“Honestly I think it’s growing every year. We see the trend primarily happening with online businesses,” Binner, whose company is a founding member of the Flag Manufacturers Association of America, said. “It’s understandable. A flag and stick flags in particular are very easy to ship.”
Is your flag Made in USA? Read the rest of this article at Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/03/american-flags-china_n_3540287.html?utm_hp_ref=business&ncid=edlinkusaolp00000008
Apparel Manufacturing Reshoring to USA
in Uncategorized/by MAM TeamIn the past few years, major designers and retailers such as Brooks Bros. and Saks, as well as dozens of smaller companies, have moved some production from foreign countries to the U.S., creating perhaps 1,000 jobs.
That’s minuscule compared with the 800,000 jobs lost to foreign clothing factories since 1990. Yet it’s raising hopes that the trend will grow, even though garment production remains highly labor-intensive and U.S. manufacturers still face stiff competition from low-wage countries in Asia and elsewhere.
Asian factory wages, however, are rising rapidly and U.S. consumers have shown a willingness to pay more for Made-in-America products.
Read the rest of the USA Today article at:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2013/07/04/some-apparel-manufacturing-returns-to-us/2454075/
The Made in America Movement All American-Made July 4th Giveaway – Day 3
in Uncategorized/by MAM TeamAll products have been generously donated by our Made in America Movement Members and Sponsors. (MAM Members)
Rules for entry:
(1) Enter via Rafflecopter widget below. (There are three entries for each gift. It may seem overwhelming, but it’s really quite easy. )
(2) Comment at the bottom of this BLOG
(3) Please SHARE blog link EVERWHERE and use hashtag #MAM1776
Giveaway begins Wednesday, 07/03 at 6PM EST. It will run for 24hrs ending Thursday, 07/04 at 6pm EST. One winner will be chosen at random. Winner’s name will be posted at 7pm EST. Email will be sent. Winner will have 24hrs to get in touch with us, otherwise prize will go to runner up.
We want to keep our giveaways flexible and allow our readers to enter in whatever ways they are most comfortable. There are a lot of entry options below, but don’t be overwhelmed. The FACEBOOK likes are required and so are the Newsletter subscriptions. The Twitter follows are not… however, the more entry options you complete, the better the chances you’ll be a winner!!!
This giveaway will close at 6pm EST on Thursday 07/04. The winner will be randomly selected, verified for correct entry participation, and notified by email. Winner will have 24hrs to respond. If winner does not respond, a runner up will be chosen at random.
ENTER TO WIN
THE MADE IN AMERICA MOVEMENT
SPECTACULAR
4TH OF JULY GIVEAWAY
Buy America Laws Raise Hurdles in European Talks
in Uncategorized/by MAM Team“My thought was: what faster way to create jobs here, and bring jobs back, than if we made products in America again,” says Mr Young, 72, speaking from his district office in downtown Frederick, an hour’s drive northwest of Washington.
General government procurement accounts for more than 10 per cent of economic output in the US, according to the OECD, the Paris based group of countries that tries to promote growth. So a proliferation of Buy America bills – similar to the one supported by Mr Young, which requires Maryland to choose domestically produced products over foreign ones where possible – are barriers that European officials would like to see removed in trade talks, due to begin next month.
“What we are trying to establish in these negotiations is free trade – we’re not going to be able to do that everywhere but that is the general objective – and that means not discriminating between European goods or services and their American counterparts,” says an EU official in Washington. “This is an issue for us because in Europe we have used procurement as an instrument to open up trade between member states, and in doing that we haven’t discriminated against foreigners.”
According to the National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC), a US business lobby that tracks state-level Buy America legislation, there has been a fourfold increase in such measures this year, from five bills introduced in 2012 to more than 20 in 2013. New Buy America measures were passed in Ohio last year. And this year, aside from Maryland, similar bills have come close to being approved in other states and may move forward next year. The state Senate in Maine passed its own version of Buy America this month, while Texas last month approved a bill applicable to water projects.
The flurry of Buy America bills presents a dilemma for the Obama administration in the trade talks. On one hand, US trade negotiations could use them to seek a carve-out for US procurement in retaliation for exemptions sought by the EU, such as France’s demand to protect its film industry. On the other hand, it could put the US on the defensive, making it harder for Washington to argue for more liberalisation in Europe, not just on procurement but other areas such as data privacy and agriculture.
Typically, it is the US trade representative’s job to ratchet up support among state governments to agree to trade deals but it is unclear whether that will be successful. Many trade unions, which are a critical component of the political base for Barack Obama’s Democratic party, support Buy America legislation at both the federal and the state level. They are already sceptical of trade deals and their opposition might flare up if there were an aggressive attempt to open up procurement, posing a problem for any deal to be approved on Capitol Hill.
US business groups are mounting their own powerful campaign against Buy America, arguing that state level efforts could limit the scope of trade talks and stop American companies competing for government contracts in Europe. “If ‘Buy America’ bills continue to proliferate, the Europeans will say – ‘now wait a minute, we’re not going to give you Bavaria unless you give us Ohio’,” says Dan O’Flaherty, vice-president at the NFTC.
Bob Walker, Maryland’s deputy secretary of business and economic development, says: “My personal view is you have to be very careful to balance those good intentions [to promote domestic suppliers] with what might be the negative impact on your trade with other countries.”
Back in Frederick, Mr Young’s biggest worry is not that the Maryland legislation could harm US-EU trade talks but that it needs to be tougher, citing caveats added to the final version of the bill. For instance, foreign products can be bought by the state if they are less expensive, of better quality, or more widely available than US equivalents.
Mr Young is defiant about ensuring that the bill survives as Brussels and Washington begin their negotiations. “A huge amount of countries around the world have protectionist stuff to stop us from competing,” Mr Young says. “Our biggest threat is not Europe but I do think we need balance.”
Does China own Independence Day?
in Uncategorized/by MAM TeamMuch like the other 364 days of the year, July 4 finds the American dollar going to products and goods made in China. But what adds a special sting to this particular day is its ironic dependence on a foreign country to commemorate our autonomy.
Starting with the very hallmark of the holiday — the emblem of our freedom, the subject of our national anthem, that gallantly streaming symbol to which we pledge our allegiance, an object so sacred that its public desecration is a misdemeanor offense — the American flag, well…isn’t.
Of the $3.6 million worth of stars and stripes imported every year to the US, $3.3 million worth comes from China. They flutter, not just over our front porches, but over our government buildings — even the federal ones. The farming out of our flags has become so pervasive that the House of Representatives is trying to pass a law requiring the feds to keep purchases strictly domestic.
Going down the holiday shopping list, those disposable dishes, utensils, cups, napkins, and tablecloths are largely outsourced to China — squaring with the U.S. trade deficit totaling $62 billion in paper, plastic, and wood products to the country. And if Congress allows the world’s largest pork producer, Smithfield Foods, Inc., to be purchased by Shuanghui International, the Chinese will be processing our hot dogs for next year’s Independence Day cookout — right atop our Chinese-made outdoor grills.
For some Fourth of July fun, American families will no doubt participate in one of our favorite national pastimes, but playing catch with a Rawlings minor league or consumer baseball is another home run for Chinese manufacturing. Tossing the Frisbee? That American cultural touchstone — along with the Hula-Hoop, Silly String, and the Slip ‘N Slide — hasn’t belonged to Wham-O since the iconic toy company was bought out by Hong Kong group Cornerstone Overseas Investments Ltd. in 2006.
When the sun goes down, our “great anniversary Festival,” as John Adams called it, is capped off with “Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other.” Macy’s annual televised extravaganza is still homegrown by California-based Pyro Spectaculars by Souza, but fireworks from China — despite their failure to pass U.S. safety controls — are making record profits for the country’s manufacturers. In 2011, Chinese pyrotechnics were the overwhelming majority of all American-imported fireworks at $223.6 million out of a total of $232.5 million.
Perhaps we should return to celebrating the Declaration of Independence with the pomp of military parades. Well, not only are Chinese factories churning out our service members’ uniforms, but defense contractors like Raytheon, L-3 Communications, Boeing, and Lockheed Martin are making our weapons with Chinese parts — and counterfeit ones at that.
And when the U.S. markets open the morning after, it might be events in China that will determine how well our S&P 500 performs — as recent history has taught us.
If we don’t like it, we can always go cry to our George Washington bobble-heads — courtesy of you-know-who.
The Made in America Movement All American-Made July 4th Giveaway Day 2
in Uncategorized/by MAM TeamAll products have been generously donated by our Made in America Movement Members and Sponsors. (MAM Members)
Rules for entry:
(1) Enter via Rafflecopter widget below.
It may seem overwhelming, but it’s really quite easy.
(2) Comment at the bottom of this BLOG
(3) Please SHARE blog link EVERWHERE and use hashtag #MAM1776
Giveaway begins Tuesday, 07/02 at 6PM EST. It will run for 24hrs ending Wednesday, 07/03 at 6pm EST. One winner will be chosen at random. Winner’s name will be posted at 7pm EST. Email will be sent. Winner will have 24hrs to get in touch with us, otherwise prize will go to runner up.
TELIC FOOTWEAR
HOOSIER DADDY
K’NEX
BODACIOUS CASES
US of AWESOME
We want to keep our giveaways flexible and allow our readers to enter in whatever ways they are most comfortable. There are a lot of entry options below, but don’t be overwhelmed. The FACEBOOK likes are required and so are the Newsletter subscriptions. The Twitter follows are not… however, the more entry options you complete, the better the chances you’ll be a winner!!!
This giveaway will close at 6pm EST on Wednesday 07/03. The winner will be randomly selected, verified for correct entry participation, and notified by email. Winner will have 24hrs to respond. If winner does not respond, a runner up will be chosen at random.
ALL AMERICAN
JULY 4TH GIVEAWAY
MTA Outsources $235M Verrazano Bridge Project to China
in Uncategorized/by MAM TeamThe Metropolitan Transportation Authority outsourced a $235 million renovation project to China for work on the statuesque steel span — over the protests of hard-up American steelworkers who say they could do the job.
“It’s a kick in the teeth. There’s a lot of New Yorkers who would be thrilled to work on this project. It should be American made,” United Steelworkers’ Vice President Tom Conway said.
The union has reached out to New York’s AFL-CIO to mobilize support among other labor organizations, the Daily News has learned.
“Our state has lost nearly half its manufacturing capacity in the past 20 years,” AFL-CIO head Mario Cilento said in a letter sent July 1 to its executive council.
According to the MTA, there’s not a steel plant in America that can produce the type of high-tech steel plate it wants — known as orthotropic design.
“(The agency) worked diligently to find an American steel manufacturer with the capability, experience and desire to fabricate the steel bridge deck … the MTA could not find an American fabricator,” the agency said in a statement defending its decision.
Orthotropic design is rarely used in America because the bulk of U.S. bridges were built before the technology existed.
The MTA hopes to extend the Verrazano’s lifespan by replacing its heavy concrete upper deck with lighter, stiffer orthotropic plates. Similar work was done two years ago on another U.S. span, the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.
“We were good enough then, but now all that work will go to China, to a government-owned company,” the union veep said.
“Maybe we’ll get some work tying up the barges” that haul the steel from China, he added bitterly.
The MTA said it will have strict quality-control tests to make sure the Chinese steel meets U.S. safety guidelines and requirements. Production has already started, the agency said.
Once the finished Chinese-made steel plates are shipped back, American workers will reassemble the Verrazano’s upper deck.
The real issue is money, he said.
“This job here is about $30 an hour. In China, the workers will get anywhere from $10 to $15 a day,” he said.
It would cost another $100 million to keep the project in America, the MTA said.
Cilento said the agency “should be ashamed of itself” for the blatant outsourcing.
“It is incomprehensible that the MTA would award a $235 million project to China when there are American workers ready, willing and able to perform the task,” he said.
The Made in America Movement All American Made July 4th Giveaway
in Uncategorized/by MAM TeamAll products have been generously donated by our Made in America Movement Members and Sponsors. (MAM Members)
Rules for entry:
(1) Enter via Rafflecopter widget below.
It may seem overwhelming, but it’s really quite easy.
(2) Comment at the bottom of this BLOG
(3) Please SHARE blog link EVERWHERE and use hashtag #MAM1776
Giveaway begins Monday, 07/01 at 6PM EST. It will run for 24hrs ending Tuesday, 07/02 at 6pm EST. One winner will be chosen at random. Winner’s name will be posted at 7pm EST. Email will be sent. Winner will have 24hrs to get in touch with us, otherwise prize will go to runner up.
US of Awesome
Bodacious Cases
TELIC FOOTWEAR
K’NEX
We want to keep our giveaways flexible and allow our readers to enter in whatever ways they are most comfortable. There are a lot of entry options below, but don’t be overwhelmed. The FACEBOOK likes are required and so are the Newsletter subscriptions. The Twitter follows are not… however, the more entry options you complete, the better the chances you’ll be a winner!!!
This giveaway will close at 6pm EST on Tuesday 07/02. The winner will be randomly selected, verified for correct entry participation, and notified by email. Winner will have 24hrs to respond. If winner does not respond, a runner up will be chosen at random.
JULY 4TH GIVEAWAY