if you had a choice would you buy...

[Dancing Fire]

made in the U.S.A. products over any other countries?

 

[dragonfly411]

DF - I would to help support my country's economy. I buy food from local buyers. I support small businesses and craft sellers. I think it is important to help support them, as they help support the country.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Of course

 

[LadyBlue]

I like to buy from the best, no matter where is located.

 

[Circe]

I like to buy from the best, no matter where is located.

This.

 

[kenny]

I try to ignore country of origin and just judge the quality/value.

If everyone does this it will reward the companies and countries that produce the better value, and encourage others to improve.
It will also spread the wealth, so to speak.

When I was stationed in the Philippines there was a big "Buy Philippino" ad campaign from the Philipino government to help their economy.
My Philippino friends said, "why would I reward the Philippino manufacurers and government by buying inferior products? If we buy Japanese and American products then Phillipino companies will have an incentive to improve and compete."

Also, instead of cheering for "my team" to conquer the other teams I think of the entire earth as one community.
When one country does things to stay rich others must stay poor.
Not fair.

Today wealth is a little more evenly distributed globally than it was a generation ago.
I like this.

I think of John Lennon's song, Imagine.

 

[Autumnovember]

Depends on the product I'm buying.

 

[Tuckins1]

Yes I would, but as others said.... It's only to support my country and workers in this country. That being said, many products made here are so much more expensive, so sometimes it's a finance thing.

 

[Dancing Fire]

i've always prefer hand tools and electrical products made in the U.S., but nowadays we don't see many of these products on store shelfs.

 

[iheartscience]

I like to buy from the best, no matter where is located.

This.

Ditto.

 

[Arkteia]

For me, it depends on the products. Clothes, computers and home electronics would be OK (although I have never seen any produced here). As to cars or dishwashers, I'd buy most energy-efficient.

 

[monarch64]

I'm like Dragonfly--I/we really like to support local businesses, and that is a huge part of our decision-making process when we think about going out to dinner or shopping. However, as far as larger (over $100) purchases go, we like to research, research, research to find the absolute best deal on any given item. Country of origin is not the first and foremost concern, I hate to say.

Tough nut to crack, Dancing Fire, but a very good, valid and I think original question from you.

 

[kama_s]

I gladly pay more for products made in Canada. Typically, because they're not mass produced, the quality is far superior too. However, if I knew the quality was crap, I'd purchase the non-Canadian alternative.

 

[lulu]

I do prefer to buy American now, but that wasn't always the case. I saw a documentary about Chinese workers in a factory making Mardi Gras beads and the conditions and pay are very poor. I don't want to support that. However I haven't bought an American car since I sued General Motors in 1982. I think the next one will be though- I'm ready to give it another try.

 

[princesss]

I prefer to buy locally, but not out of any kind of "Buy American!" pride - it's more because I like to support my local economy. Local produce and meats are high on my list of priorities, but in the end I prefer quality over country of origin. Actually, since my local meats, fruits, and veggies are better than what's in the store, I guess that's what it comes down to - I want the good stuff!

 

[Steel]

I kinda have to change the question but you know what I mean...

Where there is a viable alternative I will always choose the Irish local product even if it is more expensive - but within reason. We try to buy direct where possible.

 

[hihowareyou]

It depends on the product. Australia has been winding down manufacturing of many things for a long time so often there just isn't a choice.

I make it a rule to only buy fresh produce that is produced locally. The less it has had to travel the fresher it should be. My exception there is garlic as we don't have much of a garlic industry here so often the only options from are Spain, Argentina or China.

Other products tear me up a bit inside. The reason our manufacturing industries have been shutting down isn't because of quality but because we just can't produce things cheap enough to compete with other countries. At the end of the day it comes down to the fact that we would be disgusted to find Australians working in the conditions and for the wages that allow things to be made so cheap overseas, in fact it would be illegal to try and compete. Of course the only way many of these people are able to eat/survive at all is on these low wages but I really wish there was a way we could pay a little more and know some of that was being passed onto the workers.