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tattoomd

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Dec 8, 2008
1
0
Los Angeles
I know many, if not most of you, will disagree with me on this, but I'm convinced of this. As you know, Apple manufactures all its hardware (or nearly all) outside the US, then imports those products back into the US. So in essence, Apple contributes to our trade deficit and to the reduction of American manufacturing. This is the opposite of what countries like China are doing. They make nearly everything they themselves use, then export additional product overseas. The Chinese themselves are very nationalistic and prefer made in China products for most things except a few luxury goods. Is it any surprise then that their economy has been doing so well?
The credit crisis is a smoke screen for what's going on with the American economy. The root underlying cause is our impoverishment from continuing export more dollars than we take in from overseas (the counterpart of importing more than we export). In Apple's case, unless the mark-up on a macbook is huge (say Apple only spends $500 on overseas production for an individual macbook) and then turns around and sell just as many of those overseas as it does in the US, only then could it make up for it. I think that's highly doubtful. More likely, Apple's margin is lower and it doesn't sell enough computers overseas to make up for its trade deficit.
I find it distressing to hear a lot of Americans delude themselves with things like, "we shouldn't be prejudiced against foreign products." Wake up, everybody! That's why we're in such a mess! All the other citizens of the world think differently from you.
So it's time for Apple to take note and shift some of its production to the US. Who's with me in calling on them to do this?
 

alexbates

macrumors 65816
Nov 24, 2008
1,082
0
Georgia, USA
I would love for Apple to make the products in the US. I have a MacBook Pro, and after 3 years, it is already starting to fall apart (the the frame is bending where the battery is touching before the 4 small rubber pieces on the bottom, and this has caused the disk drive to malfunction often). I have noticed that some a lot of the products made in China seem to not last as long as other products.

I have to disagree with the fact that it is hurting our economy. Apple makes products in China because it is cheaper. This is helping Apple along with many other companies succeed. The growth of companies is what our economy needs. Manufacturing products in China is not going to hurt our economy, it will only affect the quality of the products in my opinion.
 

BoyBach

macrumors 68040
Feb 24, 2006
3,031
13
Sorry tattoomd, but your argument is utter tosh.

It's all about "comparative advantage", and whilst the US can manufacture iPods and iMacs, China can manufacture the very same products to an acceptable standard for considerably lower cost.

Companies and countries should concentrate on what they do best.
 
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