Trying to buy USA made.

[Tom]

Now, if they just don't take it back to Germany,

[sprucebunny]

I found USA made Christmas paper !

I really hope the Bosch story is true and more tool makers come back to the US.

[IMERC]

I really hope the Bosch story is true and more tool makers come back to the US.

you and me both....

[Brucer]

The higher the fuel prices go, the more manufacturing we'll see come back home.

Here's an interesting paradox. The new super-container ships spend a much higher percentage of time at sea. This means it's more economical if they can sail faster. Sailing faster means they use a lot more fuel per nautical mile. So fuel costs make up a much larger portion of the total shipping costs.

Bottom line, making stuff overseas is a lot more sensitive to fuel price today than it was back when all the manufacturing started to shift overseas.

[redbeard]

I work in the trades on a military Base and we maintain repair replace the buildings and hangers, Government has a strict policy to use USA parts, Our vendors sometimes have to work extra hard finding USA parts and cost is higher in some cases but quality is night and day.

[florida]

American manufacturers who move overseas are doing exactly the same thing we all are. We're trying to reduce our labor costs and overhead costs and make a larger profit.
If we were really interested in American manufacturing jobs we'd all run our businesses differently. I'm a contractor so  I'd put up my screw guns, nail guns and electric tools and go back to hand nailing, screwing and making all my cuts with a hand saw. You sawyers would sharpen your axes, junk your Wood Mizers and dig a hole for a pit saw. We'd both create a lot more jobs that way but of course making money would be a lot harder and prices to our customers would go way up. No one would be better off.

Here's a link to a short video about Wilson footballs. Take 5 minutes and watch it since it aptly demonstrates an American manufacturing job.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8kZP4dRe3w

While I admire the workers in this video I can't even imagine spending 35 years of my life standing in a 4 square foot area and doing the same job 8 hours a day but that's the reality of a manufacturing job. Who wants this for their children?

But, the USA is still the 900 pound manufacturing gorilla of the world. We produce 19% of the entire world's manufacturing output while China and Japan each produce about 15%. But every year the factories get more productive with fewer workers just like you and I do.  Take a look at this article about world manufacturing.

http://mungowitzend.blogspot.com/2011/01/trade-is-good.html

And finally, read this last article about what trade restrictions and tariffs would do us all.

http://blogs.forbes.com/beltway/2011/01/06/embracing-more-of-trades-virtues/?boxes=financechannelforbes

[SwampDonkey]

Are there any power tools made in the US anymore? All of the Milwaukee tools I've seen lately are coming out of China, even the expensive professional ones.

My new Makita orbital sander was made in USA.
My new Stihl rain pants were made in Canada
My new Stihl Mix oil was made in Canada /w fuel stabilizer
My Viking Caulk boots were made in Canada

8)

Anything highly plasticized is made in China.

Apparently now-a-days, a mega huge consumption of petroleum is the plastics industry. At one time a few decades ago, the US was a net exporter of petroleum. Many of the chemicals in the plastics have never had to be proven safe. Many countries now reverse onus, the industry has to prove they are safe, consumers don't have to prove they aren't. 8)

I hate plastic!! Use paper instead it is recyclable, renewable and biodegradable. Plastic doesn't go away. Not all plastic labeled with the recycling swirl is recyclable, it's an industry scam.

At Tim Horton's they have a sorting area at the trash receptical, when they collect the trash all the sorted stuff is bound in one big bag and tossed in the dumpster. Corporate gimmick.