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One can only wonder what their 4WD / work utes are like.Quote:
Originally Posted by Eevo
Somewhere in the shed is a shifter, "Elephant" brand, about 50 years old - made in China. Used and abused yet hardly a mark on it. They can build top quality if they want to.
Or not.
great wall utes and hyosung motorbike are cheap enough to buy a new one every 5 yearsQuote:
Originally Posted by superquag
@JDNSW thanks for the insight ;)
I understand the problem a bit better now. I guess indeed that distance and infrastructure cost, coupled to very protected workers can drive up costs. I can't compare due to insufficient information but make no mistake that an employee over here is also fairly well protected and the northern part of europe is definitely not a cheap place either. We too have the problem that the bottom line always seems to come first. Once great companies like Philips are pretty much dead and only work in fields where money can be made, like the medical industry. All else has been sold off.
What remains is largely owned by the chinese these days. Take for example volvo. Nothing swedish about it anymore, it's owned by the PRC.
Making stuff in china can be good, I agree. It's the quality control that makes the difference and the point of design. Still, people think with their wallets so locally designed and built, even if you source parts from somewhere else, is a dying industry. A shame really.
-P
For decades I have been a believer in promoting, protecting, and nurturing local manufacturing if necessary by imposing import quotas (not tariffs). Allow enough imports to keep the local companies honest. There are 927,600 unemployed as of 5/20 in Australia. An increase of 219,200 over 5/19. There are 227,000 disability pensioners many of whom have a capacity to work. It is only manufacturing that will provide the large numbers of unskilled and semi-skilled jobs to employ our own people. We should export our unemployment. Tell foreign manufacturers that if they wish to sell here then they must make here, employ Australians, and thus leave some money behind in Australia.
Problem with doing that is that the countries that are disadvantaged by our doing that will immediately retaliate by taking action against Australia by making similar restrictions on our exports. (This is called a trade war!) The result of this would be twofold - our exporters, mainly mining, petroleum and agriculture and would be very unhappy, as well as the state governments whose budgets depend on the royalties and taxes they get from these industries - Qld, NSW and WA in particular are affected this way, and not afraid to tell everyone they are, as will their laid off workers.
The second effect would be a drop in the value of the Australian dollar, which would have the protection effect of making imports more expensive. This would add to the protection of Australian manufacturing, but would also make everything imported more expensive, including overseas travel. Add to this the tax increases to restore state budgets, and you would be looking at some very unhappy consumers. Who vote.
Quote:
It's the quality control that makes the difference and the point of design.
Yeah, Ron complains about that all the time. [biggrin]
Understandably confused, how can 85% of imported meat contain 21% Australian made product
Just another way we are being deceived
Shopper confused by Woolworths bacon label, '''Made in Australia'''
I think from memory the rules say at least 50% produced or manufactured here, so maybe the processing and packaging brought it up to 50%? Just guessing though.
I think over the course of a couple of generations, this statement will prove to be totally inaccurate once again!Quote:
Originally Posted by Bigbjorn
Local production doesn't really equate to money being left in Australia.
All car companies that ever manufactured anything in this country have proven this.
I think it's time(for us) to get over this notion that production of goods needs to be in a specific country for that country to be successful.
What makes a country 'unsuccessful' is clinging to old antiquated ideologies.
The government would have us believe that we can be "the clever country" and develop our sciences, education and innovation in computing and medicine. There is only a small percentage of the population that would have the drive, interest and TBH for many, the IQ to enter these fields. Didn't the government want to teach coding in school? Coding is very complex, not every kid is going to get it. Yes, we still need truck drivers, people in retail and hospitality, but those sectors can only support so many people.Quote:
Originally Posted by AK83
Local production equates to people having a lifestyle, being able to house, feed and educate their kids, the grubberment having an income from taxes (both personal and business), people being able to holiday and spread money around the country, people being able to retire with a nest egg (of sorts), basically, people being able to live.