Hacker News Reader

Comment by kregasaurusrex | Hacker News Reader

Foxconn's investment in Wisconsin is a perfect example of this- there's simply no US competitor in a lot of consumer product areas for the same price point. What we're faced with is like having the choice between an American 720p TV and a Chinese 1080p TV for the same price at a retailer: there's no incentive to buy the American version when the foreign one's BOM\shipping\import costs beats that of the US-made one.

View on HN

Also implying that American made electronics are even appealing to the American consumer anymore. That to me is the big question. Everyone talks about buy American, but look at the mass produced American goods and it doesn't scream quality, even if it is at the right price point.

Everyone buys Korean washing machines, Japanese cars, and Chinese electronics. Not simply because of the cost but also because of quality. My Toyota is a far better deal than Ford/Chevy/etc.

LG washer/dryer (Korea). Wolf kitchen (German), German cars (soon to be American, Tesla). All Apple everything else (designed in US). TVs are Vizio (American HQ). AG jeans (American) but I have my suites made in Singapore.

I think the reality is more of a mix.

I would never buy an American car (traditional) because they do not appeal to me.

BTW Toyota Civic for example is 75% US domestic parts made in the USA.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2016/06/29/survey-...

All of this is way more complex.

The reality is that for an American company trying to do business in China the playing field is far from level, and that’s the major issue. Remove the IP transfer requirement and the 50% joint venture requirements and make the rules equal then we can see who will win (hint, the American company).

Fair access to thier market is the requirement. No one really believes that good old 1950s factory jobs are going to return to the USA. Heck, they are leaving China now!

Interestingly, a lot of the low-end TVs in Europe are made in Turkey of all places (including panel manufacturing, I believe).

I wonder if that has to do with TVs being fairly large compared to other consumer electronics, and shipping costs start to play a role.

Just a point that you may know, for others, Foxconn is a Taiwanese company, not Chinese.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com