More safety issues with China imports

[ZokesPro]

I think a big (edit: make that huge) fine on the importers if the products they import don't meet the safety (at the very least) standards would be a better solution...

Indeed! Why did I say import tax? B'ah, no matter. Brain working slowly today.

[spadnos]

The problem is that in general there is a total disregard for quality control over there, both on a company level and a government level.

This is a gross generalization, and one that is dangerous for "westerners" to believe. If you think that China makes crap and only crap, you're in for a rude awakening.

I'm peripherally involved in the machine tool industry, and I have associates who have been in China looking at machine builders (for an import source). There are crap manufacturers - they make the stuff you'll find at the traveling tool shows (Homier Auctions, Central Machinery like that sold at Harbor Freight, etc.). There's a middle tier that makes the kind of stuff sold by Grizzly. Then there's the high end stuff. The good factories are making milling machines and lathes that are every bit as good as Bridgeport or Hardinge.

China has the same spread of manufacturing quality as we have here, except that they extend the low end a bit - you can get very inexpensive and very crappy Chinese imports, but if you don't mind paying a little more (still less than corresponding quality from America or Europe), you can get very high quality merchandise.

- Steve

[rylan]

I know they don't only make crap. There are levels of higher quality goods, and a lot of high tech stuff and electronic components are manufactured there.. although again at widely varying levels of quality. However, the things that people are exposed to every day in stores like Walmart etc is generally the crap. And also the stuff that makes the news for safety issues is the crap, which paints an even worse picture of Chinese goods.

[gt40]

Let's not forget their high workplace safety standards.
something like this would NEVER be allowed here.

[KRSESQ]

Why should they care about workplace safety? They have 1.2 billion potential replacements.

Kevin

[Brian Ellis]

I've seen far worse than that in India!

[rylan]

http://money.cnn.com/2007/07/05/news/international/chinese_lawsuits.fortune/index.htm

Maybe the lawyers are good for something... if the distribution companies that use defective Chinese product get nailed hard enough then they'll stop buying from those crap suppliers.