Hi everyone. I am an Uni student that is studying and living in Australia. I have this question of How Australian people think of "Made in China" for a while and I searched online today. seems that the majority of Australian are very positive about Chinese people that live or work in Australia. but there is not many discussions about chinese products. It will be very appriciated If you can post your opinions about products that "Made in china" whether your are Australian or immigrant that lives in Australia.
What Do Australian People Think of "Made in China"?
sorterx on 02/02/2016 - 22:33
Last edited 06/02/2016 - 14:40 by 1 other user
Last edited 06/02/2016 - 14:40 by 1 other user
Comments
Then why are you on this website haha
because his unknown uncle was a prince in Nigeria, Who died and left him a large sum of money. Little did he know, All he had to do was answer an email with bank details. Now he is rich and needs to buy lots of things, Especially bargins that are offered to Australia because he always wanted to go to Australia and now he can.
In the beginning God created Adam and Eve, then everything else is Made in China.
Except that isnt actually true. China makes a lot of cheap stuff but not costly items. Goto your hospital, and you wont find a single big item made in china. Most of that food you eat is also grown in Australia.
China makes a lot of things but not quite as much as most people think.
it not true……..
they can reproduce any items that you want, either same quality or cheaper quality its really up to what you paid them. the only thing china dont want to reproduce costly items are - there aint great demands for them so thus no money. they wont make costly items if it only sold 10000pieces, but if you want few hundred thousand piece and there enough profit for them they will replicate itWe arent discussing what they CAN produce, we are discussing what THEY ARE proiducing.
Stick to reality.
We all understand they would rather produce lots of cheap shit than concentrate on quality.
@ninetyNineCents:
i guess your that type of person who only buy their "cheap shit"
chine make nearly everything ……the only companies that wouldnt make their product offshore are defense companies. I buy alot of quality products thinking they made in their in their "design" countries but theyre not. Oversea companies are letting their product "made in china" "design in ….." and no it not only the "CHEAP SHIT" they do make quality items as well. If you can name a quality product that china cannot make?I'm sure that if you tear down the big item you'll find parts which have been made in China.
baby formula
@humski: I did not expect my comment to make arguments, I intended it only as a joke.
Both 99cents and 2poor4ozb points are valid. China do make perhaps all kind of products in the world, perhaps not at the highest quality, but they do have that whatever type of product in their manufacturing process.
Luxury handbags, actually some brand names are made in China, not Europe anymore.
Apple is made in China (Designed in California).From my own observation, China (the country) is a great copier, they copy/imitate handbags, electronics, even companies. Some copied companies are like Alibaba, Baidu, Huawei, etc. These are great companies copying US-based companies ideas.
However they lack of creativity and origination. Can't think of something that China created firsthand lately.
Can you think of one?
@fm: chinese babies now that the 1 kid policy gone, also yes they copy everything but also big oversea companies outsource production to china since cheaper and can mass produce
You really need to go to a hospital or dentist and take a look at where the big fancy machines the one that have 5 zeroes on the end, are made.
I was not putting anyone up or down i was simply pointing out the facts.
@knk:
That may be true and you will find parts from many other palces that you had no idea about as well. Im just saying people are not aware of the big picture and dont appreciate how much quality high tech comes from places like Italy or somewhere else.
@fm: Probably because the majority of things they manufacture today are inherently Western, so there is no Chinese identity in what they make. Maybe in the next ten years you'll see a Chinese designed and owned car that's desirable (Japan and slowly South Korea have achieved that). Chinese food and art can be quite "creative" and "original" as well.
@ninetyNineCents: Even if Oz hospital equipments aint made in china doesnt mean that the chinese dont make it
When you make stuff many times cheaper you simply cannot add the great features that are found in the best top of the line.
Its like comparing a Mercedes with a Great Wall car - there is no competition and its absurd to try.
Hang on, that's not what you were originally stating. I was replying to the discussion of quality not profit, so be fair and stay on topic. I already implied they would rather concentrate on mass production of cheap crap over high end.
Next time you go to an airport, guess where all the planes are made ?
There are so many other examples, but simpletons only look at the cheap crap THEY buy, they don't see the BIG picture.
Lotsa visa types & other ways to live in AU. Welcome no matter which applies here.
As to "Made in China" here's a concrete example:
Amateur Radio gear has become VERY COSTLY, ie,
since the AU$ -fell- in value.Radios from Japanese makers ICOM, Kenwood & Yaesu usually cost lots more, now.
Eg, Yaesu's (4-band HF/VHF/UHF) transceiver: FT-8900R is at least ~Au$ 500.
Tytera (maker of brand TYT) makes a very similar "clone" ….their TH-8900.
(Similar controls, form-factor, front panel, & programming menus, etc.)
The TH-8900 costs at least 20% Less, etc. - eg, on eBay or via app AliExpress.
(One problem: In recent years, AU's comms regulator - ACMA - paid to send its "radio inspectors" etc. around AU - to seak at Radio Clubs - to warn AU Hams that imported radio would need to be restricted to transmit ONLY on Ham freq's.
A subtle form of action against end-users importing Chinese radios, which tend to be capable of transmitting outside Ham bands… eg, in AU's UHF CB.
ACMA - has been showing its disdain for AU's Radio Hams, eg, by pricing AU's Hams out of the hobby, charging EXCESSIVELY HIGH license fees - upwards of $72 per year.
…while CA, UK, NZ, US & even SE's Hams enjoy Cost-Free licenses (some good for Life, to save the regulators cost) from their regulators.
Invitation to Surrender your Amateur License:
In fact, a very recent letter ACMA sent to Hams, whose licenses are about to expire, shows the "Total" cost of a Ham license or $95 (almost all Tax), but DOESN'T indicate if that's the new Annual cost or if it covers some number of years.
The same letter tells such Hams how to indicate they want to SURRENDER their License.
(Would a non-commercial Sailboat license-holder, if such licenses exists, EVER be sent such a letter? I doubt it. Does anyone know? :-)
ACMA finds ways to INSULT AU's Ham licensees (eg, limiting our Transmit Power levels to a small fraction of North Americal maximum's; after NZ's regulator raised NZ Ham's transmit power limits to "World best" levels, ACMA could only offer AU's Hams a "Trial" - on paying yet another (application) fee - to see how well they "handle" such "awsome" power.
Of course, few participated in the "trial" and - in the end - ACMA refused to give AU's Hams Higher Transmit Power… yet another INSULT from C'th Gov't.
ACMA's new tradition of unduly TAXING people for participating in a self-educational hobby is as unwise as taxing Income, IMO. (Taxing consumption (GST) seems a better.)
Anyway, there are some of the issues arising in my Hobby of Amateur Radio.
I understand that Amateur Radio in China is done more as a Sport. In N Amer,
people enjoy conversing on-air, across a wide range of topics; in the old days
only Religion, Sex & Politics were politely omitted from the OK-list of topics.But Ham Radio was a Rural person's way to hear & speak with City folks, & learn
more about all that this Life has to offer, ie, in various professions, other hobby interests, businesses (It's of course not permitted to -do- business on Ham Radio,
but that doesn't meant one can't tell business stories, from past times.)huh?
I'm sorry, your wall of text is very thin on info relating to 'made in china'.
I'm. It sure but crying about a 72$ license a year license as excessive makes you sound like a cheap skate or whinging nut….
Australian born - actually I think you are being far too gracious, many Australians hold the view that products made in china are lower quality than made in other countries.
Which may have been true 25 years ago - but is demonstrably untrue now. But the viewpoint persists IME.
But the viewpoint persists IME
In your electronic-opinion?
in my experience i guess
You ever tasted food made from China?
Made from china? You mean china ware? Who wants to eat ceramic…
People dont understand that chinese products are often built to a price, which is typically cheap. Its not a statement on their abilities its simply a realisation that there lies their expertise. Germans build the best cars, Chinese build cheap shit.
And if you pay more, you can get a quality German car but made in China.
Its all about money. Pay extra $$$ to get better copy. :p
You are a fool if you think a Great Wall or cherry car is anywhere near as good as a bmw or Mercedes.
You might want to study how well people survive accidents in some of those Chinese cars. There are plenty of examples where slow accidents leave people without legs in the China car as opposed to barely being scratched in a western car.
But who cares because it looks just like a Mercedes so what's the difference ?
You think those Chinese only drives Chinese made Great Wall/Cherry? LOL
Regardless what car peoples are driving, the peoples are to blame for the accident. Saw one when I was there on visit, a bike rider was under a car. Not a pretty sight.
You think those Chinese only drives Chinese made Great Wall/Cherry? LOL
All i said is you cannot compare the quality and engineering of a Mercedes against a G Wall etc… i never mentioned anything about what Chinese or anybody else buys.
You must be brain damaged you seem to continue to invent ideas and words that others never said. Go back to school and learn how to read.
Almost everything in my house Made in China :)
I hope your house isn't made in China…
not everything made in china, my towels are made in india in my house lol
Are you from China ?
You mean "are you made in China?"
Not entirely the same thing… My daughter is from here but made in the USA lol
LOL
Don't forget the construction may have started somewhere else, but completed elsewhere.
So your daughter was made in the usa using australian produce?
I was conceived on Mars does that make me an Alien?
Martian.
Greetings.
👽
I was made in va(china)
I read your name as shlong.. oops
The device that you are using to type this up is probably made in china.
Well, we all already know this: read
"Made in China" really doesn't mean what it used toIt depends on the context and the type of goods you're talking about.
If it's food that's produced in china then there's no way I would be touching it with my chopstick.
If it's things like technology and clothing then we already all know that china is the birthplace of most brands, even expensive luxury goods like Apple Watches and Prada eyewear all starts from the blood sweat and tears of the Chinese factory worker.
In fact the chinese manufacturers probably have invested quite a bit into their manufacturing technologies (e.g automation and robots) and are near the top when it comes to production efficiency and profit margins.
If it's food that's produced in china then there's no way I would be touching it with my chopstick.
Some of it is unavoidable, I highly doubt any Asian and low price italian restaurants used Australian seafood
In fact the chinese manufacturers probably have invested quite a bit into their manufacturing technologies (e.g automation and robots)
From what I hear, they buy other companies stuff and copy that or use that as their research to skip expensive R&D.
When it comes to weight bearing equipment where my safety is at stake, I stay extra far away from Made in China… mostly gym and workshop stuff.
People have a low opinion of Chinese made products since most of what we Australians import from China is bottom of the barrel, the lowest quality, cheapest products that local companies can source. Look at the rubbish sold in K-mart, Target, BigW, for instance. It is the junk that nobody else in the world wants, and doesn't last very long before breaking or malfunctioning. But all Australia seem to care about is price, not quality or longevity. We are a society of wealthy cheapskates.
In reality, of course, China manufactures medium and high quality products as well, but they rarely make it into Australia, and often have to be purchased online from overseas vendors.
Hey don't speak about Kmart like that! :(
I think you are attributing to Australia a quality common across the developed world. Take a look in Tesco or Walmart for plastic tat of equally poor quality. We don't have an exclusive on poor judgements for value.
That said, if I am after an item for a specific purpose, then sometime price is more important than quality. I bought some cutlery to go in our camping mess kit recently. I was happy with cheap and ugly, but would never accept that for daily use.
Having lived in the states I'd have to disagree about Walmart. You can get good (and bad) quality products at a better price point than what we get here in Oz. But on average I'd say the quality of the goods are better (more branded items with better quality control). Not sure whether it's due to consumer demand or just better buying power.
I think target has alot better quality items than kmart.
It is more expensive at target as well.
I refuse to shop at kmart now as some of the qualitt is that bad.I'm the opposite, I love kmart's stuff. It's cheap so I dont care if it breaks and just get a new one(especially since most things prob has 1 year warranty).
I'd love BIG W if they have more stores
"wealthy cheapskates"
2 word which Summarize the majority of OZB-er
Yep, see the front page full of deals like a penny pincher's dream - scroll to the discussion section "I need to buy a car from the showroom worth $100k, can anybody suggest one?"
There's usually a quality difference between a product "Made in China" and "Made in China" under he direction of a foreign or large corporation. The later usually has quality assurance and builds to specifications. Think Foxconn. Think LG.
Then there's homegrown Chinese brands such as TCL Televisions or Great Wall vehicles. They're simply not made to the same levels of quality (or specifications) yet are usually at a lower price point.
With non high tech products, those coming from China often have defects or signs of lesser skilled workmanship. They may not last as long or produced with inferior components. Though in many cases the consumer is willing to accept these trade offs for paying a much lower retail price. Such as power tools that have motors that burn out with only a few uses. Or clothes pegs that use a plastic that deteriorates quickly when exposed to the outdoors.
Personally I avoid Made in China food at all costs. That is because I've travelled to China and seen how farms grow food alongside heavy industry. I also believe we (Australia) should sustain our own ability to feed ourselves basic foods without relying on imported produce.
So it's a simple question that really deserves a complex answer…
[edit: In general, Chinese companies have a reputation here for making copies or imitating products. Rather than develop or innovate themselves. e.g. you can buy the original or the Chinese copy]
Foxconn is a contract manufacturer so both the big and homegrown Chinese brands use them. Quality depends on whichever company has contracted them.
Correct. I was referring to their capability.
There is no fear Australia will lose the ability to feed itself, the issue is our premium produce is being exported for premium prices. And we risk losing food processing capacity (e.g. SPC canning factories) although this has receded with the drop in the dollar.
Australia export substantially more food than we could ever consume. E.g. wheat and other grains we export more than 60% of the crop (more than 80% in WA). Similar story with meat and dairy.
I really find it funny when someone says "its made in china, i wouldnt touch or drive it" then i look at their iphone.
"Designed in California" however.
So are most things, in reference to the fact the Chinese just manufactures, and hardly designs.
I will try to give a detailed, constructive answer. In my opinion, the short answer is that it all depends. If it is a major brand product that is "Made in China", but under the brands strict guidelines then I don't mind. Example, a lot of major consumer electronics.
However, for generic brands and products I am a bit more apprehensive. China's image for food products has been tainted (pun intended). What with issues of raw human sewerage used for fertilizer, melamine tainted infant formula (why would you do that to babies?), fake rice, fake eggs etc. News articles have circulated some of these issues such as:
Listverse.com - 10 Bizarre Food Scams That Could Only Happen In China
AltHealthWorks.com - Top 10 Toxic Fake Food Items Produced In China
InvestorSpot.com - Unhappy Meals: China's Top 10 Fake FoodsIt is why middle-class and higher consumers in China have been demanding Australian infant formula, vitamins and more recently, fresh produce, on the grey market.
Why is this all possible and happening? Because China has lax regulations, safety and consumer laws. There is also widespread corruption with bribery being common practice. It is only lately that we have seen some high profile arrests and tackling of the issue. Whether those were systemic changes or political ploys, I do not know. It might also just be that China is just too populous, with not enough resources devoted to tracking and tackling all the negligence and cheating. The government also appears to be cracking down only once enough people are affected or complaining. There is no or little pro-active enforcement of the laws, it's always after the fact. It is because of this passive law enforcement mindset that people are cutting corners or outright scamming.
It also doesn't help that there have been accusations of Chinese cloning of products. Not just major Western products, but also of other Chinese products. It ruins the country's image. It's like a dog eat dog world over there. Speaking of dogs, I also find that the Yulin dog eating festival and other dog eating events to be disturbing. What I am most concerned about is the fact they are consuming wild animals which may or may not be rabid/diseased. I understand that there are many people still living in poverty and that dog meat is a form of protein, but there should at least be some safeguards put into practice to ensure the safe consumption of such meats.
Also of concern is the use of antibiotics in the livestock industry. Especially with pigs and poultry. The misuse of antibiotics in farming is not limited to China but also other countries such as the USA. However, given the population density of China and the common close proximity of human and livestock, there is an increased risk of antimicrobial resistant bacteria transferring from livestock to humans (both backwards and forwards). New antibiotics may be in development but are not ready yet, nor do they excuse the use of antibiotics simply for farming.
Inferior counterfeit products is also an issue such as with these inferior car wheels. Hypothetically, a lot of poor quality counterfeit products may be produced in China on behalf of unscrupulous individuals from other countries, but it is China that would get the blame as the place of origin. Some factories/manufacturers may not even know that they are producing unsafe goods, just that they are producing products based on design and specifications that they are given. On the other hand, some may be doing so knowingly. Some of the reason why there are a lot of these counterfeit goods coming from China may be the presence of an already established efficient manufacturing industry and logistics network, the lower cost of manufacturing and lax safety laws and compliance.
Based on the Maslow Hierarchy of Needs, as more of the population is elevated above the poverty line and have thus fulfilled their needs for food, water, shelter etc., there would be an increased demand for food safety, consumer rights and an increase in moral standards. How long this transition will take? Perhaps another decade or a generation or two. But then again there will always be some unscrupulous people.
In summary, it depends on if the goods are made to strict regulations and guidelines. Most Western branded products made in China with good quality control and quality assurance systems are of a good quality, as those companies would be accountable for any problems. These companies invest a lot in their brand power and associated connotations of quality and trust. Everything else that does not follow the strict safety compliance systems (whether EU, USA or Australian), such as generic products, would be a pot luck in terms of risk, quality and safety.
Great post!
with these inferior car wheels
Yep, potentially lethal. Legit wheels are usually stamped on the inside with various things (dia x width, offset, serial #, TUV or other testing body marks etc). But you'd have to remove each one to check for these marks, and even these can be easily faked as they're cast wheels.
It wouldn't cost the Earth to have passive RFID "watermarking" on approved wheels. A quick scan would reveal the unique code, and it can be done with the wheels on the car!
With good management and vigilance, it would be possible to change the code structure annually without repeating the pattern. You'd only have to keep it secret for a year, and you'd have a verification database. If a dud code is scanned, it's easily identified as a fake.
That's one strategy for now and the future.
In 1995, I bought a set of Chinese mags advertised in the Trading Post. They fit perfectly, but the outer shoulder of the hub facing was fouling the brake calipers. The workshop that fitted the tyres chamfered the excess material as I looked on. We were surprised by what was revealed.
"Lookit this! Chinese cheapies with non-porous castings!"Sure enough, we found not one air bubble in the sections being ground. This was early in China's ascendancy, when they had something to prove to the world. Fast-forward to 2004, and I bought a wheel/tyre package from Tempe Tyres. Starcorp Magnesium Ultralights made in China. No problems (yet). I placed my trust in a well-known business and the positive feedback from other tightfisted wheel whores who didn't want to spend big $$$ on really light forged wheels.
The irony is this…A popular South African brand (TSW) had a reputation for cracking about 20 years ago. Germans M.M. (not to be confused with MiM) used a "soft" alloy that easily buckled over potholes. I knew two owners with that problem. One was my mechanic, and he ended up displaying the buckled wheel in his workshop by using it as a hose reel. It sucked as I really wanted TSW Blades, Hockenheims and M.M. Centras back then lol.
Luckily for me — and now this will be confusing — PCW (Panther Custom Wheels) copied some TSW wheels…
TSW Blades = PCW EMR 157
TSW Hocks = PCW EMR 154 <— snagged a set on eBay five years ago!Tune in next week for more Confessions of a Wheel Whore…
I have already subscribed.
My wife's family friend is depress because her parents who are part of government officials is being heavily investigated. I think her father is a food inspector and he ALWAYS gets bribes, so much so he simply just expects it every time he goes in for inspection.
From what I hear enforcing corruption crackdowns is extremely dangerous for the current leader of China as I hear he has survive many assassination attempts so far for doing this.
Depressed?
Lol. Just as early as 5 years ago where bribery was ok, these inspectors made so much money that you can't believe.1 chap who inspects an area , maybe the size of a township in a normal Australia city for cleanliness and order, ie, no illegal setting up of stalls, no illegal use of space outside the house, trimming of overgrown trees etc got caught. He was caught because he was molesting girls , not for bribery. They discovered 8 million USD in money under his bed. He was on the job for 5 years. A lot more money passed thru his hand because he has to feed his superiors as well.
There's another case whereby a classmate had a mum who works in ministry of health to approve medication for a province. A province with a urban population of 20 million. Pharmaceutical companies rep had to pay her mum $100K "red packet" as a gift just to invite her to dinner. Not sure how much money exchanged hands for her to expedite approval of drugs.Where did the money go? To the sons and daughters studying in Australia, UK, US. Ever wonder why Sydney house prices are so high? 2 million dollar house? cheap cheap. Buy a few more, rent it out to the locals.
They were cleared somehow and the daughter was extremely depressed. She thought they would execute him for his doings.
But yeah, pretty much government job = power and bragging rights and if your that person trying to bring justice to the system you will most definitely will be unheard.
It also helps the dollar has lost 40% against the US dollar. So for overseas buyers houses are actually cheaper today than a year or two back.
a lot of chinese stuff is lesser quality, but I've accepted that basically everything is made in china. if it were manufactured here it would cost more and smog up our air instead of china's.
Tell that to Japan and Germany.
You might want to look around you a bit harder.
The electrical system that provides your electricity, the transformers, generators, turbines… they are mostly likely from places like Germany.
Got to your local hospital, all those fancy machines arent from china, they are from USA, or France, Germany or the UK.
Or how about the sewerage system in your town or city, all those filters, pumps, pipes and so on… they arent from China.
Or perhaps the computer you are using, the technology, that fancy INTEL chip is from America.
Or goto the airport, all those planes with those jet engines… they arent from China either.
Or maybe i should refer you to the satellites and telecommunications that power the internet and everything else..None of those are from China.
The only things made in china are often cheap and nasty bits and pieces…
I could go and on, do yourself a favour and look a bit harder at hte outside world.
From what I hear, mainland Chinese people don't even buy and trust stuff (and people) from their own country, whether it's food (eg. baby formula) to designer brands like Gucci (even if theres a Gucci store there). It says a lot about the place. I would rather pay more for non china made food, don't wanna gamble my life and health.
It's true. The rich in china often hire individuals, all expenses paid, to travel to Paris for example to buy luxury brand goods like LV… If you've ever been to La Fayette in Paris, you'll see some mainlanders with a "shopping list" ready to go and it's quite amusing.
I went looking and most of them are closed unfortunately. Even the "android" branded stores. There was a crackdown from the government after the media reported it.
I need to correct you on the designer brands opinion.
It is often cheaper to actually go overseas to buy designer brands as they attract very heavy luxury tax.
For example, UGG boots cost RMB $2000 or $420 (current exchange rate) for a mid cut vanilla version, for us we can easily buy one for $100 or less when they are on special, normal rrp for the same mid cut vanilla boots cost about $150 btw.
Baby formula you are very much on point, China got shits loads of work ahead of them to fix the food quality issues but I visited and returned just fine and enjoyed all the food I can eat and marvel their luxury label price tag compared to what we paid here. Fancy a RMB $6000 Columbia down jacket that only cost $500 rrp here?
Lastly, 'from what you hear' means you never visit the place, bit of a joke really to comment on something that you never had any first hand experience.
UGG isn't exactly the same tier as designer house brands like Gucci and LV. Also, are you saying they buy overseas UGG (eg. Aust) or local?
From what I hear, is from my aunties and family in HK, and people that I know from China who I see all the time. I have been to Beijing and one of the smaller towns near Guangdong. I was born in HK and I have HK news available on tv.
Do you have any experience?
I'm using UGG as an example because its Australian made and exported to China, of course I know they aren't the same tier as Gucci & LV, and both brands are so mid tier nowadays.
As for experience, I'm like you born in HK and have similar relatives in Guangzhou AND in Northern China which I frequent back every year. HK TV nowadays are rubbish, not sure why you still watch. It was good until 15 years ago.
I don't post unless I know what is like there FIRST hand, and not visiting there for a week and make your conclusion of the economy and people in general.
I don't get your point about the UGG/designer brand stuff then. Im saying the locals there rather buy overseas (eg. America, Paris, HK, Australia etc) rather than local, even for big brands like Apple and Coach. You comment is just backing what I said earlier…
Well in that case, we both don't have first hand experience. Unless you or know someone who's involved in making those fake rice and eggs.
If HK news is rubbish, what is the censored news in China? News/media all over the world is biased these days. No offence, but China is like a bigger brother and slightly more open version of North Korea.
Most of chinese goods are rubbish no quality control
What do you expect for low costs .
Christmas 2015 bought a box of biscuits(looking like Danish)
Opened the tin biscuits not fit for human consumption
Gave them out to our local birds magpies,wattle birds
they did not even eat these biscuits.
Now they are stealing our baby formula.
If you want to buy quality materials,cars food ect buy
GERMAN.Yea, until u finally find out they lied about their quality, ops, our fuel consumption is only true when you run it in a vacuum.
I would always buy local food, theres no way German food, can travel for days, of not weeks on cargo ships and still be as good quality as it can be.
I also wouldn't buy cars from them too, so over rated.
Now they are stealing our baby formula.
They're buying "our" baby formula. With money. You do know the difference, don't you?
Woolies is squeezing out amateur local exporters according to this story.
They need to, given their dire outlook.This is something I am trying very hard to understand.
I am seeing news of milk farmers being forced to close down for whatever reasons and on the other hand I am seeing so many people complaining about milk shortages and milk rationing in the supermarkets (which is real I know).
People in china are dying to have australian milk (at premium prices no less), and australian farmers want to keep on doing business (unless they really don't).
What is the disconnect here?
Something to do with middlemen not paying farmers enough
There are certain things that I do not mind. steel-based, TV, non critical stuff.
Medical and mission critical parts, I will not.
I have found that some items are OK but a lot of it is made down to a very low price and is absolute rubbish because of it. eg. Most hardware items are made from low grade materials and do not perform anywhere near what they should. In a lot of cases, spending a couple of extra cents in manufacture would have made an item usable instead of only fit for the rubbish bin. A couple of cents over several million items adds up, i know, but at least it would make it so that the item can be used for it's intended purpose.
I know that we are our worst enemies by having an attitude of always wanting to buy cheapest but we have now got to a stage where we can't buy quality because the companies that used to make good hardware, are no longer in existence.China has a less developed regulatory regime, so there can be quality or fraud issues.
It has a number of reasons for low costs, which tend to trump those concerns.
Some Australians don't like to think too much, so they develop shortcuts like "never trust a Chinese product" even though it means they pay too much for some things and have no choice for others.
what if neither?