atcomsystems.ca/forum Forums General General Telephone & Systems Information Beware of Chinese sheetrock

How can they do it cheaper?

I used to wonder how they could farm raise shrimp in Thailand and Vietnam and sell it cheaper here in the US until I talked to a shrimper last year.

His boat held 500 gallons of diesel. Even without roaduse taxes it was almost $1500 to fill the boat. LIcences, permits, maintenance, dock fees, taxes, etc. in a crapshoot to drag a net around Corpus Christi Bay hoping to get enough shrimp @1.00 a pound wholesale to make a profit. Ugly picture for sure.

Across the pond..no minimum wage, OSHA, taxes, licenses, fuel costs as they raise them in patties. You could harvest, freeze and fly them first class in a 747 to the US cheaper than we can haul in from our own bays within eyesight of the US shoreline.

The best guess on wages in China are 200 dollars per month. Then you factor the economy of scale as in shipping super freighters full of the stuff into Mexican ports under the NAFTA program then shipped into the the US! Mexican ports will continue to see huge increases in tonnage while US ports see a decrease.

If you can use convicts, political prisoners and children for your labor it can be cheaper.

Sam

Not to mention eating dog and cat meat for lunch.

-Hal

Chinese sheetock? I can understand how China can beat us in costs on other things, but sheetrock? It's a mostly automated process to make it, the materials are not very costly... but the shipping. A single 5/8" 12' board weighs nearly 150 lbs. Even if China could make it for free, I'd think shipping all that weight halfway across the world would be more costly than locally procured US made drywall.

I guess I'm going to have to pack my respirator on the truck in case I have to cut into any of this stuff - it probably has more nasties in it than just sulphur...

Hal, that's only for the middle and upper class. The poorer folks get the fishheads and guts and a lot of carbs from various veggies and grains. Actually a pretty healthy diet!
I've said it before and I'll say it again, with a slight addition.
1. Get rid of the FREE government assistance (u & me, TAXES) to locate low operating cost countries to move production to.
2. Get rid of the FREE government financing (By u and me, TAXES) that is provided to move to said countries and finance the start-up costs.
3. Repeal the present income tax and switch to a fair tax system. And part of the legislation would prevent ANY other taxation method without a CITIZEN VOTE.
1 & 2 would discourage the export of any more production/jobs. 3 would encourage the importation of production/jobs. Why? Because there would be NO taxes for the producing companies except on stuff they buy for internal consumption. i.e., office supplies and equipment, production equipment, (NOT PRODUCTION MATERIALS). No payroll taxes, value added taxes, no taxes on material purchased for incorporating into the product. So what does the fair tax apply to? the FINAL consumer will pay an approximately 23% sales tax. High? YES! BUT, you know where it says "Gross Earnings' on your pay stub? THAT'S WHAT YOUR NET EARNINGS ARE! Unless you opt to save some $ in an employer savings plan, or participate in an employer health insurance plan. No witholding for the IRS or Social Security. And are you aware that your employer now pays money to employ you that you NEVER see? You're going to get that, too! Too good to be true. Remember, 23% sales tax to final user! It don't come for free! Oh, at the first of each month you will receive a rebate check for taxes spent on necessities of life. Food, meds, power, light, phone. Buy,beg, or borrow a book on it. Watch out for the naysayers, their negatives are based on modifying the system! Read the fine print. The only folks that get a short stick are those that presently have 'after-tax' savings. I'm one of those and I figure the positives far outweigh the negatives. Sorry about the rant and highjack. Moderators are welcome to move to ? John C.

I know this is an old thread, but I saw this today.

I understand there have been instances of it in New York also.

-Hal

where's the bail-out for these poor folks??

I starting to belive the Chinese government is trying to poison our kids with their lead toys, and now this. Two wars trying to fight communism and people still buy their crap.