Made In China

[RonFrank]

Well I just discovered that my USA made Zeagle is now made in China. and is now sellling for about $100 less then it was.

No hit on Scott, but it is rather sad....:shakehead

 

[Kim]

There was a thread about this in the Zeagle forum.

It's been closed though.

http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=189471

 

[h90]

Well thats globalisation, austrian trains in thailand. german cars produced in usa. look at your computer parts, which is not from China???
They work cheap and good. Now they build universities and buy european and american teacher, so the next generation will develope a lot good products.

 

[fisherdvm]

Unfortunately, even the made in the USA tag does not carry as much value. Components (including major ones) can be made oversea, but the final assembly is done in the US, and they can still label it made in the USA.

Even a sadder fact, once upon a time, made in the USA stands for quality product, now it is often the overseas brand that stands for higher quality.

 

[Kim]

They work cheap and good.

Which is what it comes down to. "Made in China" doesn't mean inferior quality necessarily. I used to play a lot of golf with a leading sports goods (clothing) distributor in Holland. He supplied possibly 70% of the Dutch market. It was ALL made in China - whatever brand label it had.

A lot of people who cry tears over "outsourcing" strike me as rather hypocritical - because they still want to pay the lowest price for the same quality. They're certainly not prepared to pay more for sometimes less....just because it genuinely DOES come from their own country!!!

If it's globalization that we have, then that's what it is....and no one can whine.

 

[Mark_J]

Which is what it comes down to. "Made in China" doesn't mean inferior quality necessarily. I used to play a lot of golf with a leading sports goods (clothing) distributor in Holland. He supplied possibly 70% of the Dutch market. It was ALL made in China - whatever brand label it had.

A lot of people who cry tears over "outsourcing" strike me as rather hypocritical - because they still want to pay the lowest price for the same quality. They're certainly not prepared to pay more for sometimes less....just because it genuinely DOES come from their own country!!!

If it globalization that we have, then that's what it is....and no one can whine.

Not everyone minds paying a bit more for Made in America. As far as China being a superior manufacturing country, that's not the case in my opinion. As far as their manufacturing of malleable iron fittings go, they had such a high failure rate that many commercial projects in Jersey started demanding Made in America in the project contracts.

Add to that the very illegal practice that China has of currency manipulation and I would not knowingly buy a product made there. If they start conducting their trade practices by the rest of the world's acceptable standard then maybe my opinion might change.

 

[shellbackdiver1]

There is so much that I want to say about this, but I will keep it short. Bottom line is budget, quality and schedule. As a project manager I will issue a purchase order to any company that can deliver a quality product that meets the specifications, deliver, install or produce in a safe manner, meets all local and government regulations at the lowest price.

It's about making money, it's about saving money. Has nothing to do with pride or being a patriot.

 

[Diver Dennis]

There was a time where "Made in Japan" meant poor quality but not any more. Asia has large number of qualified workers who work cheap. The manufacturing methods and equipment can still be state of the art, it is the labor savings that allow them to compete.

 

[RikRaeder]

Now a days, made in Japan is pretty darned tough to find here...in Japan. My Canon camera was made in Thailand (assembled in Japan). Haven't had the heart to look at my other electronics. Pretty sure my Sony tv wasn't made here. Sony Walkman...made in Malasia. So it goes. Sorry to see that Zeagle has outsourced, but I guess it's understandable. At least it came with a $100 price deduction (I bought my made in USA BC so guess I paid more but love it, so oh well).

 

[Kim]

As far as China being a superior manufacturing country, that's not the case in my opinion.

That is NOT what I said. They can manufacture a lot of things to the desired quality demanded by the producer. Somethings they don't get asked for as they don't have the technology. However....where they DO have the technology....and a supply of the correct quality raw materials......they can do it much cheaper than either the US or Europe can match.

It's US and American companies that are going there to ask them to produce for them....as Zeagle has done for their own....presumably business....reasons.

As for China's trade practices...... well....let's not go there!

They are a member of the WTO and as such can be, and are, held accountable for how they behave. Now....there are ways to screw around with that as we all know. Suffice to say NO ONE is "innocent" in that regard and there are complaints lodged against just as many "first world" countries (all of them...not just the US), as there are lodged against China. OUR companies can't compete so cry foul. When they DO compete and win the contracts nobody moans. Funny that!