What constitutes an "American product" nowadays?

[deathb4disco]

Is it ownership or where the product is made? I've been thinking about this for awhile, and some recent threads reminded me of it. I didn't want to hijack those threads, so here goes.

For example:

G Loomis is American-made but foreign-owned (just like my Toyota truck.) OTOH, BnM Poles is Chinese-made and American-owned.

Which is the American product? Loomis? BnM? Both? Neither?

This is not a trick question. I'm just looking for opinions.

[Hitek]

To me, Made In America is an American product. I could (but do not) have my rods holders buit in China and sold by me, but not considered and " American Product" in my opinion. Officially, you can only put "Made in the USA" on items that are manufactured in the US (certain percentage of it anyway I think).

[bdorman]

Scott, for your rod holders - where was the bauxite mined? Not in the U.S., we don't have any bauxite. Where was it smelted into aluminium? Should you or I care as long as it's the highest quality aluminium available for the price we want to pay?

There's no such thing as an American- or Chinese- or anywhere-product. A simple #2 lead pencil has ingredients from 14 different countries - none of which are the country where it is assembled or where the ownership resides.

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner has 388 primary contractors (does not include all the suppliers of raw materials), mostly non-US. Is it an American airplane?

Ownership? Americans own 25% of Toyota's stock. And for "American domestic parts content" Toyota has 4 models in the Top Ten...more than GM, Ford or Chrysler.

No one in the world can build a product entirely from domestic content.

If you think things are bad because of world trade...wait until you see a world without it. It would make the 1930's look like Boom Time.

PS. This thread should really be in the Off Topic forum.

[Legato]

I dont think people care about where the raw materials come from - at least not in the sense of where something was made - as raw materials are not "made" by people.

As for American or not - If you want American made, then it must be made here. Doesnt matter who owns the company. If they hire people here to produce the WHATEVER you are buying, then its American made. If a "American" company has something made in China, then it was made in China...

As far as having EVERYTHING from 1 country...how did people ever make anything before we had world trade like we did today???? hrrrmmmmmmm.....lol However, Im not against world trade - not at all. Simple enough, if you dont want to buy from China - dont buy from them, or anything made there. Gets harder and harder, but you can still do it.

[Cane Pole]

Merc outboards below 75hp made in Suzhou, China.

Yamaha outboards below 70hp made in Shan Dong, China

Small Suzukis, Tohatsu, Nissan are also made in China.

I don't care as long as they work good.

[LBM]

I don't care as long as they work good.

My sentiments exactly.

[Cane Pole]

Dodge is an American product. I wouldn't have one. I saw Union workers drinking and jointing it on lunch break on several occasions on the news. Nothing done to them for their behavior. So what is so special about American made now? Made in America by "don't give a chits".

[Phantom309]

I went to Jap cars years ago, when the teflon coated timing chain sprocket in my buick self destructed.
Parts man gave me a solid steel replacement, said teflon coated = gave everybody a job = repairman/parts man/mfgr, etc, etc, etc
American made = Designed and engineered to self destruct just after warranty ...........
Yeah, buy American = your brothers = family and friends = first to screw ya ..............
I'd trust a Jap before I'd trust an American anyday .....

[CrappiePappy]

Oddly enough ... and for those of you too young to remember ... "Made in Japan" used to be a sign of an inferior product. Today's Japan makes some seriously good products. Can't say as I'll live long enough to see that transformation in the "Made in China" products. But, for the price, and in the current economy, if it's made in China but still manages to do what it's supposed to do, and lasts for a reasonable length of time ... then I have no problem with buying it & using it.

Made in USA doesn't have the same meaning, today, that it has had in previous decades. I chuckle everytime that I prepare a oral medication dose for a patient. Many times I'm drawing up a medication that's made in a European or Asian country, into a oral medication syringe that's made in Denmark. The "bottom line" rules us ... I just hope it doesn't "ruin" us. Do I think the USA could stand alone, making it's own products, that were affordable to those that needed them .... no, not really. Do I think Made in USA means the product is superior to any other product of the same catagory ... not always.

... cp