Carmakers quietly cut ties with China in supply chain shake-up

[Brons2]

Flavour of the month (decade?) remember contracting out employees rage in the 90's, now the companies are crying 'cause they thought they could just hire the skilled trades as needed instead of investing in old practices of training. Now everyone wants an almost nonexistent commodity.

Everyone on my sub-team other than me is a contractor. India has more honor students than America has students, so they tell the smart ones to go get tech credentials. It works for them. I don't like it but what can you do when we can't find qualified engineers? A lot of it is the fault of American kids, they aren't acquiring the STEM skills that are needed in the marketplace, and by the time they realize it, they are saddled with obligations that make it difficult to go back to school. $0.02.

 

[edyvw]

But it's cheaper they said!!!

Capitalism at work.
Few threads away people talk about how bad socialism is, and here they complain about basic tenets of capitalism.
Government can invoke DPA in cases like that, like during COVID19 vaccine production. Of course, businesses are generally not happy about it, but at that point, no one cares nor it should.

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

They sure are quiet about the slave labor used to mine cobalt for EV batteries

And solar panels.

And oil/gas industry. Yes it happens but isn't as newsworthy because ya know everyone needs oil/gas..

 

[buster]

Capitalism at work.
Few threads away people talk about how bad socialism is, and here they complain about basic tenets of capitalism.

I've grown tired of "isms". The most prosperous and successful nations on this planet are all mixed economic systems.

 

[loneryder]

I was scheduled for MRI with contrast at the hospital a few months ago. Before the test I was informed "we are so sorry but we have no contrast due to supply chain issues from China!" Of course being shocked I did some reading. I looked into some of this stuff and even more upset to realize a vast majority of medicines are being made there and sent here. Where does it end?

almost all of our medicines raw ingredients are from China I bought some Tylenol. Box said Made in USA. Inside box said Made in USA from ingredients made in China. You can't get away from it.

 

[loneryder]

Everyone on my sub-team other than me is a contractor. India has more honor students than America has students, so they tell the smart ones to go get tech credentials. It works for them. I don't like it but what can you do when we can't find qualified engineers? A lot of it is the fault of American kids, they aren't acquiring the STEM skills that are needed in the marketplace, and by the time they realize it, they are saddled with obligations that make it difficult to go back to school. $0.02.

But many of those Indian engineers are really engineers as we know them in the US. They work for half of what American ingineers do.

 

[camrydriver111]

When it comes to the API suppliers there are many suppliers outside of India and China but drug companies typically don't want to use them because of increased costs.

Everything is cost driven. Companies leaving China is also cost driven. Apart from the covid disruptions, labour costs in China have risen. The textile industry left to Bangladesh a long time ago.

However, I think China will continue to have a competitive advantage in terms of electronics and machinery.

I wouldn't envy them for some of the industries like mining. Mining can be extremely hazardous and environmentally destructive.

 

[OVERKILL]

And oil/gas industry. Yes it happens but isn't as newsworthy because ya know everyone needs oil/gas..

Oil and gas is pretty diversely supplied. I'm not seeing Chinese slave labour in Fort Mac for example. On the other hand, China absolutely dominates solar production:

 

[Cujet]

Ford part, probably madeinchina from recycled steel. These failed because they are made from crap.

 

[ecotourist]

In my last job I had many transciptionists. We had an offer to outsource that work to India where English is (essentially) the first language. The typing would be done overnight with delivery the following morning.

I could have saved a little money.

I wasn't interested. My transcriptionists were a high performing group. I liked most of them personally. I liked having on site transcriptionists. And I think a business should support the local economy.

The cheapest product is often not the best product.

 

[Revving2Redline]

My last belt from Napa was made there. Kinda disappointed

 

[Escape08]

There's something into the words "Made in China" the whole world don't trust

 

[andrew_j]

Ford part, probably madeinchina from recycled steel. These failed because they are made from crap.

USA just as easily can produce garbage and has….

 

[fantastic]

China shut down for a while & woops can't make any parts for the US markets. They're back online now but the shutdown's cost some businesses money & they'd like to keep production up. A lot of it has to do with businesses looking for OTHER suppliers due to the higher cost of the supply chain issues

 

[c502cid]

There's something into the words "Made in China" the whole world don't trust

And I'm old enough to remember when "Made in Japan" had exactly the same level of trust.

 

[Snagglefoot]

Honda, a Japanese company, outsourced a lot of their production to the USA.

 

[4WD]

Unions don't always look out for other American workers. The UAW's demands will most likely cause outsourcing to Mexico and other lower labor cost countries for production if they don't destroy the domestic auto makers entirely.

Saw the market get hot just months after the union signed a long contract - when skilled people found what others were making - they started quitting and working away … Nobody won …

 

[Revving2Redline]

And I'm old enough to remember when "Made in Japan" had exactly the same level of trust.

And now we are excited to have things made in Taiwan or Japan.

 

[Astro14]

This thread is done. Had to delete a bunch of posts, political, offensive, and wild conspiracy. Please folks, keep your political opinions to yourselves.