Made in China- do we care?

[arielmoon]

So I am trying to be more conscious of where things are made and I want to put my dollars in the right place.

I am shopping for a vented riding vest and I cant seem to find one that isnt made in China. I love the PI whisper vest but I sure would like to find something made in the good old USA.

How important is it and does it really make a difference in the scheme of things to avoid things made in China.

I am putting this in the cycling area because my thoughts are on cycling gear and apparel.

[Bike Chick]

Buying American made supports American jobs........I try to do it when I can but, unfortunately, we don't always have the choice.

[Veronica]

I try to buy American, but it's hard with clothes. I actively try to avoid China made, but again it's hard. I don't have anything against the Chinese really, it's cheap, poorly made crap I don't like.

Veronica

[GLC1968]

I always try to buy american made goods - or even locally made ones if possible...but it's certainly not always practical.

I think that for me, 'made in China' is part of the decision-making process. If I see that label and it's an item I can do without, then I skip it. Similarly, if I have two equally qualified items from which to choose and one is made in China, I'll pick the other one. I am willing to pay more for items made in the US, but the option isn't always there, so we have to do the best we can with what we have available to us.

[ridebikeme]

I agree with all of you, adn try to buy products either personally or for the shop that are produced here in the US. But as all of you know, it's very difficult.

Louis Garneau tends to make their own clothing here in the US or Canada, and I try and support them as much as possible. Giordana has great quality clothing as well... I think most of theirs come from Italy. At any rate, hope this helps...

Now, I wish that I were able to buy bikse that were made here as well... I was able to a few years ago, but not any more

[shootingstar]

I tend to judge the overall garment quality and price before I look at where it was made.

There are certain types of garmets where I do want long-lasting quality-- jackets in particular, shoes, etc.

For the past few decades, I have actively invested in Canadian firms some with international operations (for the global market exposure). This is the area where I feel I can make the strongest contribution to support the Canadian economy.

In Toronto, there was an active vibrant garmet industry where I remember shopping to get deals on local-manufactured clothing.

Gone when free trade agreement was signed.

There are certain fresh foods that I won't buy from China..because it makes no sense to me and doesn't feel "safe" in terms of how it must have been produced so cheaply to fly it here (and tons of fuel for the shipping???) I mean, snow peas from China. How ridiculous when such a veggie can be easily grown in British Columbia?

[tulip]

Now, I wish that I were able to buy bikse that were made here as well... I was able to a few years ago, but not any more

Sure there are! But you have to be willing to pay the price to support US workers. There are small shops, and smaller shops. Terry (some of theirs are made by Waterford), Waterford, Bike Friday, and a whole host of small framebuilders.

When we put your money where our mouth is, we often have to put more money there, or take it away from some other budget category.

Arialmoon, I don't know about a vest for you. For winter riding gear, I tend to go to Goodwill for my layers (old cashemere sweaters make the best cycling layers for really cold riding), but cycling specific clothing is rarely available there. So I do what I can to buy the best quality, and only buy what I really need (an ongoing process).

[OakLeaf]

I'm with GLC.

It's not only China that I try to avoid. Because of China's sheer size and the way its economy has developed, they're probably the world's largest source of sweatshop-made, environmentally deadly goods... but by no means the only one.

Country of origin is only one of the labels I read and one of the factors that goes into every purchase decision. Organic fair trade Rishi brand Chinese tea? The only thing that makes me hesitate even briefly is that their organic certification is done by huge for-profit privately held QAI, which I don't necessarily trust. (I prefer Japanese tea, but that's just because of the flavor. And should an American be drinking tea - "real" tea, camellia sinensis, at all? )

As far as the OP, I don't know of anything either. But Velowear makes a men's vest - it might be worth contacting them and letting them know there's a demand, and maybe in the future they'll do one in women's sizes as well.




ETA:

When we put your money where our mouth is, we often have to put more money there, or take it away from some other budget category.

Maybe only partially true, and maybe not at all, when you do real-cost accounting and look at the whole picture. If I pay an extra 30% or 40% to buy a product made in my own country, state, or county, then I've made sure that money stays in my community, and some or even all of it it comes back to me. It comes back in a higher tax base - better roads means fewer repairs on my vehicles; better cultural opportunities and libraries mean I don't have to purchase as many books or travel long distances to see shows; better equipped first responders, when I need them, can benefit me financially as well as physically; higher real estate values "raise all boats" (bubbles excepted, of course). It comes back in making it a more livable community, more attractive to professionals whose services I may need in the future, so I don't have to travel a long distance to see a competent (or any!) doctor or lawyer. It comes back in less use of mechanized transport and the associated pollution, and the associated health problems that I pay for both when my own health is affected, and when my insurance premiums reflect my neighbors' impaired health. Et cetera....

[ridebikeme]

Tulip, yes I am well aware that there are many frame builders in the US, and quite frankly, they make incredible bikes! However, when a customer tells me how much they have to work with, then obviously that is my limit. My comment was directed at the mass produced bike companies. I truly wish that more of my customers could afford to use more small frame builders, and perhaps one day they will be able to.

[VeloVT]

Check out Castelli vests, most of their clothing seems to be made in Eastern Europe.

I'm not too picky about where things are made, with a few exceptions. I will not buy edible or personal care/cosmetic items from China, nor items that come into contact with food, because I do not trust their regulatory system. This means no inexpensive bags of frozen shrimp at the grocery store... I also buy a specific kind of contact solution because it's made in Canada, and many of the other brands are manufactured in China.

If I had kids I'd probably be pretty wary of toys from China too.

[Susan Otcenas]

Terry (some of theirs are made by Waterford),

Terry was sold at the end of last year. MOst (if not all) production is moving to Asia. Saddles included.

[arielmoon]

Check out Castelli vests, most of their clothing seems to be made in Eastern Europe.

I'm not too picky about where things are made, with a few exceptions. I will not buy edible or personal care/cosmetic items from China, nor items that come into contact with food, because I do not trust their regulatory system. This means no inexpensive bags of frozen shrimp at the grocery store... I also buy a specific kind of contact solution because it's made in Canada, and many of the other brands are manufactured in China.

If I had kids I'd probably be pretty wary of toys from China too.

I am very leery of pet items made there too. I switched from ceramic feed/ water bowls to stainless after my last dog developed a tumor on his face. Ya never know!

[VeloVT]

Terry was sold at the end of last year. MOst (if not all) production is moving to Asia. Saddles included.

Is Selle Italia no longer going to make their saddles? It's interesting, the new Terry saddle, the FLX, looks almost identical except for the graphics to the Selle Italia SLK.

http://www.terrybicycles.com/pages/t...lx-saddle.html

[bmccasland]

Terry was sold at the end of last year. MOst (if not all) production is moving to Asia. Saddles included.

Aw man. another one bites the dust.

[ridebikeme]

Well, after looking at a bunch of Louis Garneau jerseys today.. I was very disturbed. The last few that came in were indeed made in China AGH!!! NO wonder the fit continually changes with this company.: