Chinese Made Junk.

I’ve discussed before that marketing is a filter.

With that being said, let’s discuss “Chinese Made Junk.”

Why does China have such poor craftsmanship?

The answer is “they don’t.” At least not different than any other country. They have their range of companies that provide different quality stuff.

The reason that everything that shows up in someone’s hands in the United States coming in from China seems of poor quality is because the filter that is happening. The U.S. company that has their goods in made in China is seeking the lowest cost possible to either optimize the price point or maximize the profit margin.

These companies aren’t seeking out the high quality in China because that would be against the market they are trying to serve. They are seeking the cheapest labor, cheapest materials, cheapest assemblers, etc. All down the the line, quality isn’t the point, cost is.

Consider a company that markets “Made in the USA” goods as a premium product. Say a wallet for example. One that costs $100 vs. the $10 dollar, Chinese made one. In this case, the wallet doesn’t seek the cheapest material, the fastest stitching, etc because the customer can pay a premium for it. By comparison, it seems that this is much higher quality and it is, but it’s not simply because it’s “Made in the USA” that is just a benefit of buying from your fellow citizen. The real difference is that in one case a decision to choose the cheapest, and receive junk quality was made, and in the other, a premium was paid and quality was delivered.

Collectively, we’ve been choosing a race to the bottom for years for the sake of comparative advantage. That’s what ends with “Chinese Made Junk.”