Ducking responsibility / LJWorld.com

Archive for Monday, July 6, 2009

At least for now, buying Chinese products seems to be a matter of “buyer beware.”

J-W Editorials

July 6, 2009

“Made in China” is a pretty common label in many U.S. stores. In fact, the Miami Herald recently reported that about 40 percent of imported U.S. consumer goods come from China.

Low prices have made China-made products popular in the United States, but consumers still assume those products meet most, if not all, of the same safety standards as American-made products. If the products are on American store shelves, they have been determined to be safe, right?

Not necessarily. What’s more, a recent investigation by the Miami Herald concluded that although more than half the goods recalled by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission were made in China (69 percent in 2007 and 53 percent in 2008), those manufacturers seldom suffer any penalty for exporting defective, even dangerous, products.

The list of faulty products was long. There were steam cleaners that burned their users, high chairs whose seat backs failed, a loosely knotted soccer net that entrapped and strangled a child, and a toy box with a poorly fitted lid that fell on a toddler’s neck and killed him. In recent weeks, it also has been discovered that Chinese drywall used in many U.S. homes during the building boom in 2004 and 2005 is defective and possibly toxic.

It’s sometimes argued that Americans are too eager to seek legal solutions to various problems, but who wouldn’t pursue litigation against the manufacturers of these products regardless of where they were made? The defective products had tragic and/or costly consequences, and someone ought to pay.

Unfortunately, it probably won’t be the Chinese manufacturers. Experts in the field say Americans are seldom successful if they sue Chinese companies in Chinese courts. It’s sometimes difficult to even determine the specific manufacturer of a product simply stamped “made in China,” and even if a company is identified, it often can avoid a lawsuit in a U.S. court by claiming it doesn’t have a substantial business presence in the state in which it is being sued. Even if a U.S. court finds a Chinese manufacturer liable, it’s difficult to get the company to pay a judgment unless it has American assets.

The bottom line is that because Chinese manufacturers face almost no meaningful penalties for their defective products, they have almost no incentive to try to change their ways.

It’s unlikely the “Made in China” label will disappear or even become less common on U.S. store shelves anytime soon, but that doesn’t mean American consumers can’t show some discretion in the purchases they make. Until Chinese manufacturers are willing to take more responsibility for their products and show more concern for the safety of people who are buying those products, it seems to make sense for U.S. shoppers pay attention to the “Made in China” labels and perhaps make another choice whenever they can.

Discussion

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6 July 2009
at 9:07 a.m.

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chocolateplease (Anonymous) says…

How many of these made-in-China products are actually the result of U.S. multinational businesses who outsource their product manufacturing to China? In those cases, which I suspect are a huge proportion of imported goods from China, shouldn't the U.S. firm take responsibility for shoddy goods? Isn't it their responsibility to monitor and ensure that production meets our standards?
6 July 2009
at 9:15 a.m.

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TomShewmon (Tom Shewmon) says…

Wow! That Miami-Herald sure seems to be xenophobic. Of course, we must trust EVERYthing the Miami-Herald says, being as they are unbiased and all that.
6 July 2009
at 9:17 a.m.

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Music_Girl (Anonymous) says…

This is nothing new. This bs has been happening for years. Poppa had it right when he said “if it doesn't say Made in the USA, I don't need it”.
6 July 2009
at 10:37 a.m.

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jonas_opines (Anonymous) says…

chocolateplease: Yes, generally products manufactured in China are the result of US firms outsourcing, and then frequently demanding production costs that are virtually unfeasable without cutting corners in some fashion, and only occasionally do they do their own product quality testing.
6 July 2009
at 11:36 a.m.

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kmat (Anonymous) says…

I unfortunately know this all to well. My job is dealing with Asian factories. Just recently found out a company we were looking to do business with had eliminated entire components on the pc boards in some compact fluorescent lamps in order to meet the price point the American retailer needed. This is all too common. Unless an importer has representatives that are in the factories a lot, the factory owners will do everything they can to cut corners.

Years ago I had ordered a container of linear fluorescent lamps and when they arrived the end caps were falling off of them. When I called the factory rep, her only reply was “that's a pity”. Never got replacements or money back because they know legally there is nothing you can do.

So, if you're looking at any type of electronics from China, make sure it has UL certs. That means USA UL reps are in those factories to insure that the quality is good. No UL means it is junk.

The only way we can stop this is to quit demanding cheaper prices. Everyone wants to pay Walmart prices, but wants good quality, made in the USA stuff. You can't have your cake and eat it too.