Top 5 Reasons to Buy Made in the USA - Some May Surprise You
by Jennifer D. IMIG
There is alot of buzz surrounding “Made in the USA” with the recent elections and the discussion of trade deals and deficits. Here at Stars & Stripes Collective, we have been advocating for Americans to buy “Made in the USA” long before it became politicized. It is not about "protectionism" or "isolationism" as some may argue. It is about finding the balance that allows our country to strive and prosper while helping it's citizens achieve the American Dream. This should be the goal for any country that takes pride in itself and it's people. The by-product of this is an overall positive impact on many other issues that plague the global manufacturing industry. So if you think your everyday purchases don't have an impact on our our country and the world - please take a moment to learn why "Made in the USA" matters.
Directly related to increase in jobs is an increase in the economic health of the country. For every $1 spent in the manufacturing sector, another $1.81 is added to the economy. Manufacturing has the highest multiplier of any economic sector in the United States. So it is safe to say, when the U.S. manufacturing sector is growing so is the overall economy. Buying American-made goods doesn’t just support the workers who make those goods. The benefits also ripple out through the entire economy. "When American factories prosper, they hire American construction firms to expand their buildings, American accounting firms to handle their money, and American energy suppliers to provide them with power". (MoneyCrashers.com, 2016)
3. THE ENVIRONMENT
The USA has some of the strictest environmental polices in the world when it comes to manufacturing. Although we may not be polluting our own country - when we send our manufacturing to foreign countries that has little to no environmental policies protecting the earth, we all eventually pay the price. That is unless we move to another planet. This is a grave reality and many companies overseas use dangerous, heavily polluting processes, and this pollution has been proven to travel to the U.S. In fact, according to the New York Times, strong global winds called westerlies can transport pollutants across the Pacific within days, leading to “dangerous spikes in contaminants". China has reached an almost apocalyptic level of pollution and most of it is caused from manufacturing. Much of which is American consumer goods.
4. CARBON FOOTPRINT
Not only are some foreign countries polluting our earth but many times U.S. companies- in an effort to keep costs down- will ship raw materials to a foreign country where they are manufactured and then shipped backed. This process burns even more fossil fuel and emits more greenhouse gases with every extra mile they have to travel to their final destination
5. WORKERS RIGHTS AND HUMAN WELARE
We have it nice in America- regardless of all our complaints and grievances. We have checks and balances that protect workers and their wages. Most of the 3rd world countries we now import our goods from have no policies protecting the workers. Many of them work 12-15 hour days in unsafe environments earning on average about $30/month. The collapse of a factory in Bangladesh in 2013 killed over 1,000 workers who were producing clothing for such big names as JC Penney. So many died because they had been locked inside the factory and were unable to escape. This is in stark contrast to the average manufacturing worker in the USA who makes about $26/ hour not including benefits - which most companies provide. Let's think about that... We as Americans pay less for our imported goods because the foreign worker producing these goods earns in a month about the same amount as an American worker earns in one hour.
Add in that most of these manufacturing jobs do not require a college education, opening up enormous opportunities for those who can not afford college or choose not to attend. This ultimately stimulates the growth of the middle class.
So being American made sometimes (not always) costs a little more, but it's for very important reasons. Fair working wages and policies that protect our environment drive up cost for those companies who keep their manufacturing in the USA. But it's for the overall good, right? Why not help support this positive impact on our country and the world? When you have a choice- choose Made in the USA. Your purchase really does matter!!
Not only are some foreign countries polluting our earth but many times U.S. companies- in an effort to keep costs down- will ship raw materials to a foreign country where they are manufactured and then shipped backed. This process burns even more fossil fuel and emits more greenhouse gases with every extra mile they have to travel to their final destination