Free Republic

In just a month since its official launch, a new Web site MadeInUSA has signed up more than 350,000 U.S.-based companies looking to encourage consumers to "be American and buy American." Creators of the site hope to ensure that as many jobs as possible stay in the U.S. rather than be outsourced overseas. For 50 years now, Mountain and Sackett, a tie manufacturer with a plant in Long Island City, N.Y., has made ties mostly by hand. Some 50 employees, some who have been with the company for decades, stitch meticulously for 40 hours a week. They get health care...

Earlier today, Doug Bandow weighed in with some commentary on the problems that Buy American provisions are creating for both Canadian and American businesses. Let me reinforce his view that such rules are anachronistic and self-defeating with some thoughts from a forthcoming paper of mine about the incongruity between modern commercial reality and trade policies that have failed to keep pace. Even though President Obama implored, “If you are considering buying a car, I hope it will be an American car,” it is nearly impossible to determine objectively what makes an American car. The auto industry provides a famous example,...

> Yet Fiesta's enduring popularity and strong sales even as consumers cut back are helping to keep struggling Homer Laughlin China Co. afloat. It's the last major dinnerware producer that makes its products in the U.S., as competitors have shut down or moved offshore. >

Five words would change law, have big impact on ocean carriers and shippers All U.S.-flag ships in international commerce would have to be built in the United States if language approved July 9 by the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee becomes law. Shippers of government-impelled cargo such as food aid, project or military cargo that require U.S. flag vessels for transport would likely incur higher rates. Experts said it would be impossible to calculate how much, but owners would have to recover the higher relative cost of building a ship in the U.S. The change — spelled out in...

America still produces more goods than any other country—$1.6 trillion worth, according to the federal Bureau of Economic Analysis. While some analysts predict that China will soon overtake the U.S. as the world’s leading producer, America currently accounts for about 20% of all manufacturing output. “We are losing world market share relative to consumer goods, but we continue to have a fairly strong hold on higher-end products like machinery, capital equipment, tractors, and aircraft, as well as chemicals and food,” says Thomas Runiewicz, an economist with IHS Global Insight. Here are the top U.S. products.

There is unsettling news for Canada in U.S. President Barack Obama's economic stimulus bill, or at least in the version approved Wednesday night by the House of Representatives. It says that steel used in public projects under the $819-billion US plan must be made in the United States, an idea likely to cause trade disputes and block sales by Canadian mills. As passed by the House, section 1110 of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 says, "None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this act may be used for a project for the construction, alteration,...

In the home state of the Star-Spangled Banner, some lawmakers believe the flags flown here ought to be made in the land of the free and home of the brave, and not some other place -- like China. Harford County lawmakers have put in legislation requiring that any U.S. or Maryland flag displayed on state property must be made in the United States. A second, broader bill would make it a crime to sell an American or Maryland flag made outside the country.

'Made in the USA' label becoming harder to find on shoes as plants close By David Sharp, Associated Press, 12/16/2001 13:29 DEXTER, Maine (AP) Shoppers looking to spend their Christmas dollars on goods carrying the ''Made in the USA'' label could get sore feet if they search for U.S.-made shoes this holiday season. A wave of closings of shoe factories in recent years means well-known Maine brands like G.H. Bass and Cole Haan are now made overseas. And just when it seemed domestic production couldn't sink much lower, Dexter, Saucony and Eastland are shuttering their plants in Maine. ''For all ...

My wife needed a cheap plastic bowl to keep some snacks in for a party held by a local school. And by God, she goes to the Dollar Store to pick one up, and there is a whole shelf of plastic 10 inch fruit bowls – by GOD, all labeled MADE IN THE USA. And these were nice ones. With so much bad news, I just had to share this good news. It is what I want to see. I want to see MADE IN THE USA. I kissed the plastic fruit bowl.

The Bush Administration said each of us would get a rebate check to stimulate the economy. If we spend that money at Wal-Mart, all the money will go to China. If we spend it on gasoline it will go to the Arabs, if we purchase a computer it will go to India, if we purchase fruit and vegetables it will go to Mexico, Honduras, and Guatemala, if we purchase a good car it will go to Japan, if we purchase useless stuff it will go to Taiwan and none of it will help the American economy. We need to keep...

Holiday Shopping: Putting Our Money Where Our Mouth Is Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah FRiends! This is the time of year that is special because is engenders the spirit of giving and selflessness of its sacred origins. Each of us, in his or her own way, has a special place in our heart for this joyful time. As we put others' needs and desires first, as we look forward to the expression of surprise and delight on our loved ones' faces as they receive our gifts, as we peruse the ailes, let us consider the economic import of our duty. Some...

Still Made In America by: Nirmala Punnusami, October 09, 2007 There are the “Jeremiahs,” the prophets of doom, who assert that the manufacturing industry in the United States of America is declining, but panelists Bill Lane, Lloyd Wood, Robert Scott, and Dan Ikenson argued at the Cato Institute on Tuesday, September 25, 2007, that the manufacturing industry is, indeed, “thriving,” as “the revenues, profits, profit rates, return on investments , and exports and imports are all on the rise.” It was Daniel Ikenson who, in his informative paper “Thriving in a Global Economy: The Truth About United States Manufacturing...

Toy stores and manufacturers are making it easier to find American-made products after scores of recalls have made some shoppers apprehensive of Chinese-made toys. Stores such as FAO Schwarz and Toys "R" Us have trained their employees about which products are made in the United States so that they can help customers, the companies say. FAO Schwarz also has labeled some of its American- and European-made toy sections in its stores. Its Web site allows shoppers to search for toys based on the country where they were made. And toy makers that manufacture their products in the United States, such...

Anyone else long overdue ready, for any of our struggling retailers, to take Sam Walton's original concept for a new run? (Sam Walton, the founder of Walmart ... as hard as it may be to believe if you go in a Walmart now, actually started the chain as a place to buy American-made goods) My. How. Things. Change.

I’m generally not one to place much stock in conspiracy theories, but when an American institution comes under senseless attack from within, it gives me pause to reconsider my cherished beliefs. Events I’ve encountered over the past several weeks have left me no choice but to conclude there’s a conspiracy of hydra-like proportions slithering unnoticed through our country. It’s so far-reaching, it’s almost impossible to unearth its roots. And so insidious, it goes largely unnoticed. One of the last testaments to American ingenuity, the venerable Zippo lighter, is systematically being dismantled by agents working under the auspices of homogenization. The...

ROSEMOUNT, Minn. -- What's red, white and blue - and made in China? A move is on in state legislatures to ensure that the flags folks will be flying and buying this Independence Day were made on this fruited plain. Minnesota has passed the strongest measure, a new law that goes into effect at year's end requiring every Old Glory sold in state stores to be domestically produced. Violations are a misdemeanor, punishable by up to a $1,000 fine and 90 days in jail. In Arizona, schools and public colleges were required starting July 1 to outfit every classroom from...

States Move to Require U.S. Flags are Made in U.S.A. Tuesday, July 03, 2007 ROSEMOUNT, Minn. — At American Legion Post 65, visitors can drop off worn U.S. flags knowing they'll be disposed of with the proper respect. On their way out, they can buy a new 3-by-5 flag for $20 or a 4-by-6-footer for $30. Made in America, of course. "That's our flag. It belongs here in the United States; it should be made in the United States," Air Force veteran Bob Racette said while fingering a flag in a corner of the legion hall bar. By year's end,...

CHICAGO, June 30 /PRNewswire/ -- As more foreign auto manufacturers open assembly plants in the U.S., the notion of "buying American" has taken on new meaning. With the 4th of July Holiday upon us, Cars.com has created the American Made Index to help consumers identify the top ten vehicles that are truly the most American in terms of their parts, where they're produced and that are popular with U.S. buyers. As expected, many traditional American manufacturers have made the top ten; however, several Toyota vehicles including the Toyota Camry, Camry Solara and the Siena also made the top ten.

Toyota's success grows with each day. Based on the company's long history in the U.S., is it time to stop calling it an import brand? I had hoped to find an appropriate Japanese myth, proverb or quotation to begin this column about the growth and success of Toyota and Lexus in the U.S. last year. But while thinking about it, I began opening the afternoon's deluge of emails when one from the Toyota pressroom caught my attention. The subject heading of it does a far better job of setting-up the success than any myth, proverb or quotation. Simple, straight, strong...the...

The reason for this shopping guide is not chastise anyone for purchasing what they want or can afford, after all we live in a free market society. It is not a cry of desperation or a call to pass anti-free market laws. This guide is not an endorsement of any one product or company over another. What it is however, is a convenient list of products designed, crafted and produced by Americans for Americans in America (I realize that sounds a little redundant). It also stands to dispel the myth that American made products are more often than not more...

NEW YORK - Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. said Friday it will close an undisclosed number of plants in various locations, part of a sweeping restructuring aimed at improving its North American tire business and saving up to $1 billion over the next three years. The Akron, Ohio, company, one of the world's largest tire makers, did not say how many jobs would be affected. It also did not say how many plants it will close or their locations, but added that cutting high-cost capacity will be a key consideration. Goodyear said it plans to cut high-cost manufacturing capacity between...

I copied this post off of a TEFL China group on Yahoo. It is from a British English "teacher" in China and well...I'll let his words speak for themself.     I stopped buying American several years ago. I didn't make a big deal of it and I will buy US if there aren't any viable alternatives. Like Pete I've found that a number of friends and colleagues have quietly done the same.   When I started there were occasions when I'd have to ask where the product was from. On hearing that it was American and saying "No, sorry,...

At a time when the Stars and Stripes is often foreign-made, here's how some patriotic entrepreneurs try to keep the item domestic Though selling flags might seem like an obvious career choice for someone whose great-grandmother's maiden name was Flag and whose grandfather was born on Flag Day, Kyle Laukus never intended to be a peddler of patriotic wares. But after his Michigan-based art gallery went under in the early 1980s, a friend found him a gig selling flagpoles in Texas. Though skeptical of making the move from fine art to flags, Laukus reluctantly took the position, assuring himself that...

... Hyundai, the South Korean vehicle manufacturer, also qualifies. The company started in the United States about two decades ago, and it had an initial rush, selling economy cars at less than economy prices. ...There are three Sonata models, all built in a new plant in Montgomery, Ala. The base GL starts at $18,495, and includes a high level of standard equipment: electronic stability control, antilock brakes, electronic brake force distribution, side air bags and side-curtain air bags, remote locking, cruise control, air conditioning, an audio system with CD and MP3 player capability, power windows and heated outside mirrors...

For education and discussion only. Not for commercial use.Patriotic shoppers have little choice The American flags we wave at parades. Those yellow, car decals that say, "Support the Troops." Even George Bush's "Made in America" baseball cap, the one only the commander in chief wears. (Backdrop Hides `Made in China' Labels) All products NOT made in America. It wasn't that long ago that "Look for the union label" was both an annoying TV jingle we couldn't get out of our heads and an anthem for American shoppers. Now? Well, now we hardly even look to see if a product we...

WASHINGTON — Not only should consumers show their patriotism by buying products made in the U.S.A., but the federal government's defense and homeland security agencies should too, say some lawmakers hoping to force compliance through legislation.

Alan Greenspan visits my dreams. He appears to me more frequently than perhaps is healthy. Several times I swore I saw the Fed chairman with a beer on the beach. Many people nurse rich fantasy lives. Mine involves Alan Greenspan.

CHERAW, S.C. - The spinning frames at the Cheraw Yarn Mills still hum 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The mint-green machines still turn out more than 4 million pounds of thread each month, destined for bras made by Vanity Fair, home furnishings covered with Richloom fabrics and the Soffe-brand cheerleading shorts worn by American girls everywhere. The mill, in this tiny South Carolina town, is one of the last survivors of a U.S. industry that's been decimated over the past 10 years by apparel makers' quest for cheap materials and cheap labor overseas. Now, at the dawn...

[snip]The official merchandise Web site for President George W. Bush's re-election campaign has sold clothing made in Burma, whose goods were banned by Bush from the U.S. last year to punish its military dictatorship. [snip]

<p>The official merchandise Web site for President George W. Bush's re-election campaign has sold clothing made in Burma, whose goods were banned by Bush from the U.S. last year to punish its military dictatorship.</p> <p>The merchandise sold on www.georgewbushstore.com includes a $49.95 fleece pullover, embroidered with the Bush-Cheney '04 logo and bearing a label stating it was made in Burma, now Myanmar. The jacket was sent to Newsday as part of an order that included a shirt made in Mexico and a hat not bearing a country-of-origin label.</p>

US chicken exports rise as Asian bird flu spreads (Reuters) By K.T. Arasu U.S. chicken exports to Asia have begun rising to fill a supply gap as a bird flu virus strikes down millions of chickens from Pakistan to Japan, industry sources said on Monday. The chicken sales come at a time when the $3.2 billion U.S. beef export sector remains locked down after top importers like Japan banned beef from the United States, following the first U.S. case of mad cow disease, disclosed on Dec. 23. Thailand, the world's fourth-largest poultry exporter, has been hit hard by the virus,...

For education and discussion only. Not for commercial use. WASHINGTON -- The kitschy Made In America store inside Washington's Union Station isn't all its name suggests. The retailer bedecked in red, white and blue sells American flag earrings made in China. Ditto for the American flag luggage tag. Made In America's glow-in-the-dark FBI T-shirt? Made in Honduras. The United States Special Forces T-shirt? Mexico. A store tag stamped Made In America can be a misnomer -- and a hollow claim in this age of annual $500 billion U.S. trade deficits. Even Made In America's commander in chief baseball cap is...

In a shoe store in Williamston, Richard Bir rested his weary legs and accepted defeat. The real estate appraiser, who had sworn never to buy foreign-made shoes, had just asked the salesman to retrieve a pair made in Mexico. The $49 purchase ended a two-week odyssey in which Bir roamed the aisles of five department stores in three cities, including Smithfield and Greenville, in search of dress shoes made in the United States. "I believe in buying American products, but it's getting tougher and tougher to find them," Bir said. This Thanksgiving weekend, millions of Americans are pouring into malls...

For those of your that have experience with the military, I need a good gift idea for my brother. He is currently training in Fort Huachuca, AZ and is coming home for 2 weeks ofr the Christmas holiday. Preferably something that he can use over there and that is within guidelines. Thanks in advance.

<p>BEIJING -- China is going on a shopping spree in the United States, hoping to ease trade tensions before Premier Wen Jiabao visits Washington in December, American officials say.</p> <p>The effort comes amid mounting U.S. pressure for Beijing to meet market-opening pledges and ease a trade surplus with the United States that hit $103 billion last year.</p>

How many Freepers are riding around in foreign build cars or truck? I often see bumper stickers saying "Proud to be American" tagged to Kias and Toyotas. Isn't it time for patriots to drive American made vechicles?

I'm looking for sources of quality, American Made, hiking and hunting boots. Any suggestions?