According to the US Census Bureau, the US imported goods worth $466 billion from China in 2014 alone. This Asian powerhouse has become the manufacturing center for diverse products such as electronics, heavy machinery, clothing, plastics, medical equipment, and vehicles.
With that in mind, here are some of the some of the most popular items manufactured in China, consumed in the U.S.
Electronic Parts Manufactured in China
Large electronic companies such as Apple manufactures most of its products including the Mac products, phone parts and other electronics in China. This is largely for cost-cutting and scalability reasons. More specifically, China has a huge workforce that businesses can tap. In addition, labor costs in China are generally lower in comparison to the U.S. These factors have made China an attractive manufacturing hub for tech companies.
Television Sets Manufactured in China
It is safe to say every household in America has at least one television set. Interestingly, most television sets in the U.S. today come from China. In fact, a Business Insider article states that Five Rivers Electronic Innovations, which was the last company to manufacture television sets on American soil, folded up in 2004. Since then, TV manufacturing has shifted abroad to countries such as China.
Clothing and Textiles Manufactured in China
Much of the clothing consumers see on the racks of fashion and department stores are manufactured in China and this has benefitted both American companies and consumers. Even the 2012 U.S. Olympic team’s official uniform was manufactured in China, designed by Polo Ralph Lauren. According to CBS News, as much as 98% of clothing sold in the U.S. is manufactured abroad with a huge chunk coming from China. Other iconic clothing products made in China include American flags, Converse All Star sneakers, and Levi Strauss jeans. Once again, this is due to cost and economies of scale. CBS News reckons that a Chinese worker at a sock factory earns $14 per day – much more economical than other options, through which the cost of savings are passed directly to U.S. businesses.
Toys
A huge number of toys American parents purchase for their kids are made in China. A good example is Etch a Sketch. The parent company outsourced manufacturing to China as far back as 2000 to cut production costs. In addition, Mattel (maker of iconic toys such as Barbie), has also outsourced manufacturing of its products to China and Hong Kong (a Chinese territory). Even the iconic Radio Flyer Red Wagon that many American adults played with as kids is now manufactured in China. According to MSNBC, the parent company outsourced manufacturing to China in the early 2000s due to unsustainable maintenance costs at its Chicago factory.
Vehicle parts
Many cars on American roads have parts made in China. According to AIP, an American Electronics and car parts supplier, one out of 20 factories in China produce auto parts that qualify as OEM equivalents under US standards. Besides auto parts, Forbes contributor Jim Gorzelany says a Chinese built car (Volvo S60 Inscription) will be available for sale in America in 2015.
Conclusion
The main factors that have helped transform China into a manufacturing giant include heavy investment in infrastructure, a large and highly-skilled workforce, relatively lower labor costs. Much of the cost of savings are passed directly to U.S. companies. There are many other ways that your organization can save and benefit through Chinese manufacturing, so take advantage as soon as possible.
Contact ITI Manufacturing and start benefitting from all the ways that Chinese manufacturing can help your company!
