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As people in the west have pointed out, we are buying pretty much everything from China. And it seems automobiles will be next. I'm not really sure how US industry plans to deal with this, other than push for massive tariffs on cars. But US auto companies are already filling their vehicles with parts from China. It seems the EU has no problem with allowing the cheaper Chinese cars to compete against their brands.
Is it all but inevitable that China will take over the automobile industry if nothing changes? That seems to be the case. We tried protectionism far too late for it to have any impact it seems. And half the country cries in pain when a republican proposes protectionist strategies... Although democrats always seem to get a pass, or even praised for doing the same thing.
As people in the west have pointed out, we are buying pretty much everything from China. And it seems automobiles will be next. I'm not really sure how US industry plans to deal with this, other than push for massive tariffs on cars. But US auto companies are already filling their vehicles with parts from China. It seems the EU has no problem with allowing the cheaper Chinese cars to compete against their brands.
Is it all but inevitable that China will take over the automobile industry if nothing changes? That seems to be the case. We tried protectionism far too late for it to have any impact it seems. And half the country cries in pain when a republican proposes protectionist strategies... Although democrats always seem to get a pass, or even praised for doing the same thing.
That is stunning, at that rate, it will only take 2-3 years for the Chinese to be the #1 exporter of autos. I guess the Germans, Americans, Koreans and Japanese will have to become luxury auto makers and cede the cheap car market to China.
That is stunning, at that rate, it will only take 2-3 years for the Chinese to be the #1 exporter of autos. I guess the Germans, Americans, Koreans and Japanese will have to become luxury auto makers and cede the cheap car market to China.
We won't have much of an automobile industry when this transition is complete. That is a stunning blow to the west, and takes a huge bite our of our manufacturing capacity. That is concerning, especially now with the war drums beating around the world. Nations that can't mass produce traditionally do very poorly in prolonged armed wars of attrition.
Even now, the big 3 automakers are filling their cars with Chinese components as fast as they can get them. There isn't enough domestic manufacturing capacity available to supply them any longer.
The west needs to get it's bearings straight. The rubber is now meeting the road. If we do not take this seriously, we are going to watch the last of our manufacturing capacity dissolve and rust away. The future will not be ours to write if we allow these changes to continue to take place.
Quote:
Originally Posted by richardstarkey
I don’t understand how anyone would buy something made in China.
93% of their products are garbage. Total junk.
Almost all of our consumer products come from China, especially computers and smart phones. So obviously, most people do not think the same as you. Also, it is a global market and China is the world's factory floor. We made it that way.
I’m going to for the first time in my life buy a top of the line BMW or Mercedes Benz SUV and drive it for the next 20-25 years until I’m done driving. What is coming will be battery powered junk.
It wasn't so long ago that the same statement could be made over US Automobiles, tha's why we lost the lead which the Japanese scooped up.....
That's actually a good point on the disadvantages of protectionism. The last thing we should be doing is protecting failing industries turning out inferior products. Especially when they are significantly more expensive than the competition. Protectionism will do nothing to help the USA export automobiles as well. That is not a winning strategy and there are many examples why all over the world.
The quality of Chinese products has improved greatly over the years, and the prices have remained attractive. That is how they managed to become the world's factory floor, in a nut shell. The younger generation in the USA has no apprehension about buying made in China products because it has turned out to be a good financial decision for them more often than not. I have no doubt, they will buy made in China electric cars, if given the chance to do so and the prices are more competitive than the American counterparts... Which they most assuredly will be, without significant tariffs placed on them.
It wasn't so long ago that the same statement could be made over US Automobiles, tha's why we lost the lead which the Japanese scooped up.....
The big three had some problems with quality but nothing like the junk china makes. The us automakers were forced to fix their problems when challenged by Japanese automakers. Today Japanese, American and European automakers are offering quality automobiles. Why on earth would consumers subject themselves to inferior built products when they can have good quality American, European or Japanese cars? No way China will takeover the automotive market unless they change the quality of their products.
The big three had some problems with quality but nothing like the junk china makes. The us automakers were forced to fix their problems when challenged by Japanese automakers. Today Japanese, American and European automakers are offering quality automobiles. Why on earth would consumers subject themselves to inferior built products when they can have good quality American, European or Japanese cars? No way China will takeover the automotive market unless they change the quality of their products.
If you are talking about US auto market, I think we have a fighting chance. But that won't stop China from achieving status as #1 auto exporter, which was the subject of the article. Most of the world cannot afford $100,000 USD trucks... Or even $60,000 trucks. Try making $10,000 trucks, and the USA would have a chance at becoming the dominant auto exporter.
But that is not going to happen. Unions wouldn't allow it. And I don't think the auto makers themselves have any interest in racing to the bottom that hard and fast. The USA auto industry would have to set up operations in each country they want to compete in and make the automobiles there using the cheaper labor those countries have to offer. Exporting them to those markets wouldn't be practical.
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