The Impact Of Buying American

When this sentence reaches its’ natural conclusion, consider taking a moment to reflect upon the environment in which you currently find yourself. Whether it is your personal bedroom, workplace, or even on the road, the origin of many of the products around you is questionable at best. The reason for this uncertainty stems from the fact that the United States economy is heavily supported by the import of foreign goods and services that often do not require Country of Origin labels. While these goods and services can be of the highest quality they often don’t stack up to similar goods made here in America. You may be asking yourself why that is? The answer is multifaceted but this article will seek to explain the differences between American perceptions towards the quality associated with domestic vs. foreign goods.

According to the Consumer Reports National Research Center, if Americans were afforded the opportunity to select between a product made in the United States and an identical product made in countries outside of the US, approximately 78 percent of Americans would purchase the product made in America. That is over 250 million people or 6 times the size of California. With that many Americans being in favor of buying American made products, one could safely assume that an America where a greater number of products were made domestically, would be more self-sufficient than it is today.

The next question you might ask yourself would be how a “Buy American” approach might impact the domestic marketplace. Consider the fact that numerous polls indicate that approximately 60 percent of their respondents would happily pay an increased fee (roughly 10%) on goods manufactured in the United States. This is due, in part, to the overwhelming sense of patriotism associated with the “Buy American” mentality. American consumers are inspired by the fact that they have an opportunity to assist their countrymen, increase job opportunities, and support local business. The gains to our economy wouldn’t end there however, as a recent poll conducted by the Boston Consulting Group indicates that more than half of Chinese consumers would rather “Buy American” than buy Chinese. That speaks highly to the quality of an American made product.

In addition to the obvious boost to the economy, “Buying American” will also help the rest of the world. It will decrease child labor in foreign countries that often provide subpar working conditions. Thus allowing for these children to grow up with less physical handicaps later in life. Additionally, it would send a message to foreign countries about the value Americans place on human lives, which would in turn cause other countries to reconsider how they treat their people if they would like our business back.

As this article concludes, you are urged to continue to discover the origins of items in your environment. Investigate their tags, barcode labels, and more. Be curious about where they originated and be inquisitive as to whether there are American made alternatives. If there are not, do not beat yourself up. Know that “Buying American” is a gradual process that takes each of us working in tandem to achieve!

http://buyamericancampaign.org/the-impact-of-buying-american/