Buying American creates jobs, you bet.

United States Exports

Exports in the United States increased to 192673 USD Million in October of 2013 from 189312 USD Million in September of 2013. Exports in the United States is reported by the U.S. Census Bureau. Exports in the United States averaged 105170.39 USD Million from 1992 until 2013, reaching an all time high of 192673 USD Million in October of 2013 and a record low of 50044 USD Million in May of 1992. United States is the world's third largest exporter. Main exports are: Industrial Supplies (34 percent of total exports) and Capital Goods (33 percent). Foods, feeds, and beverages account for 9 percent; Automotive vehicles, parts, and engines for another 9 percent and Consumer goods for 12 percent. Main exports partners are: Canada (19 percent of total exports), European Union (17 percent), Mexico (14 percent), China (7 percent) and Japan (5 percent).

US exports through November 2013 are $2.074 trillion and if Dec matches Nov then 2013 exports will be about $2.267 trillion. Exports no matter their percentage of GDP are a big deal to the US economy! They represent approximately 22.6 million US jobs...

 

Are you trying to suggest that that in anyway contradicts or rebuts what I wrote? If so please explain how.

 

Passenger vehicles in the United States - Wikipedia, the free ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passenger_vehicles_in_the_United... Cached

More than half of Toyota-branded vehicles sold in the United States come from American plants. ... The Volkswagen Passat is named the 2012 Motor Trend Car of the Year.

Toyota sells about 130,000 cars in America each year. Now lets say Toyota makes a profit of $2,000.00 per vehicle. That comes to about 26 million dollars every year in profit. Most of that profit goes back to Japan to create jobs. If Ford or GM had sold that many instead of Toyota, that 26 million would have stayed in America to create more jobs for Americans wouldn't it? So even though Toyota puts Americans to work, GM and Ford would have put them to work too, but millions of dollars would have stayed in this country. So to me, buying from an American company's product made here, puts back more into our economy than buying from a foreign owned made here does.

 

After reading some of your posts today, and recognizing that we had two subjects with which we disagreed upon vehemently, it has become obvious we agree more than we disagree. I came to the same conclusion with Reiver earlier this month when discussing another economic issue, Georgism and LVT.

 

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While we export 7% to China and 5% to Japan, we import 40% from China and 13% from Japan. Our biggest rail box car export to China is scrap paper and cardboard. This is why we have such a huge trade debt. With our other big trading partners, the trade is more even. Not to the Asian countries.

 

Be careful what you build your hopes on. The auto biz is cyclical as hell. Always has been.

 

I realize that. So many own foreign owned, American made vehicles and believe that it doesn't make a difference if it's foreign own as long as it's made here. But it does. As long as that profit leaves the country, it takes jobs away from America. I think people need to understand that even if it doesn't change anyone's mind. I keep seeing thread after thread of people complaining about no jobs, or low paying jobs. But our buying habits has a lot to do with that. The Asians protect their markets to keep jobs. Americans hardly give it a thought. But are among the first to complain.

 

Protective tariffs nearly brought America to civil war in 1828. Google "Nullification Crisis" and "Tariff of Abominations."

Protective tariffs often screw the consumer.

 

Not talking about tariffs. I'm talking about people's buying habits. Think more about what your buying and does it help the country? Many of our products don't sell in places like Japan. Japanese will buy local made before they will buy foreign made.

 

Even I buy American if American goods are available.

I've heard pleas to "buy American" for forty years.

Problem is that quite often American goods - made to comply with US regulations - are either wildly overpriced or of shoddy quality.

An example: chrome motorcycle trim. This is an active market. Bikers are like raccoons - they love shiny stuff. Problem is that US regs make it impossible for US manufacturers to apply high-quality hexavalent ("hard") chrome plating. US-made stuff only can have flaky trivalent chrome plating. Adding insult to injury the flaky US chrome parts cost more than twice what the foreign-made stuff costs.

If you are not willing to relax the regs, "buy American" falls on deaf ears.

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2012/07/12/study-offshoring-creates-as-many-u-s-jobs-as-it-kills/

 

Effectively Union labor caused the very problem that so many choose to complain about.

Years ago, I am not sure when, the Big Three automakers banned imported brands from their parking lots. Since the workers all belonged to the UAW the UAW sued the companies to allow a worker to part what ever brand car he drove in those lots. I believe that was the beginning of the end as foreign care sales have gone up drastically soon after the decision forcing the companies to change their policies. Every member of the labor force, union or non, have control over what they buy. If the workers of America wanted to shut down foreign imports, they could do it.

But we should recognize that off shoring is not the most important part of the unemployment problem as off shoring has created a job for everyone sent over seas. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2012/07/12/study-offshoring-creates-as-many-u-s-jobs-as-it-kills/

 

I provided 2013 data...

 

You are 100% speculating the profits and how each company invests their profits.

Both companies can only sell so many cars...this is demand. No matter how much cash they have on hand, it can't change demand.

Further, I'm guessing Toyota and most other foreign companies invest a ton of their money in the USA...

 

Today, we need to know "what % is American".
Cars for example.
There was one case where a Ford model was less American than a Toyota.
Toyota does build cars in America and Ford does import many of its' parts.


Moi

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We have a Hyundai, Mercedes, Honda, and Kia plants and numerous parts and engine manufacturing plants in Alabama and are considered one of the top auto making states in the country.

 

Excessive regulations in the US prevent US producers from even being competitive.

 

Yep. If wed just do away with the epa, osha, the minimum wage, and a few pther pesky laws we cpuld compete with china

 

Proud to say that I've never purchased a car other then from an American owned company.

 

I'd much rather buy American, as would just about everyone, provided it meets or exceeds quality for the price.

 

Why is it when anyone says regulations are too strict, the reply is to suggest that person doesn't want any restrictions at all. Without restrictions, companies could do all kinds of things that would impede our freedom to pursue happiness. That wouldn't be good. Nor is it good for heavily regulations that impede business and economic growth. There is a better balance to be had.

 

Well chances are you are at least buying a product that has had some form of quality control applied to its production

 

Very true. There is a happy medium when it comes to regulations. I also agree with this post.

We just ned to make people aware of looking for the Made in America label. We are in such a hurry today, we forget.

 

Re: Post #68

What is more important?

The economy or the regulations?

The Republic got by for a long time without the regs and had a generally strong economy before the regs came along.

 

What does this do to Americans working at the Toyota factory or working American jobs?

Net trade balance is a miniscule part of the overall economy. Most products and services Americans consume are produced by Americans.

We need more than gimmicky slogans to fix our economy. We need a middle class with the income to spend more.