China Imports

by Erik Shapiro
Who have more income than they feel they need?

Contact the principal investigator- Erik Shapiro(eriks@8sages.com) with your questions, comments or request for updates on this topic.

The massive and growing amount of low cost products that the United States now imports from China is not regarded as an unmixed blessing.

Various sectors of United States society see massive imports of low cost product as a potential threat to the stability of the American economy and to continued employment of American workers. Also, lack of U.S.A. control over the production of foreign products is seen a posing potential quality and safety hazards.

The future of Chinese imports is now subject to more uncertainty than was the case five years ago when our May 2002 survey of Americans consumers sampled nationally found them enthusiastically welcoming trade with China.

Specifically, more Americans (31%) spontaneously named China than named any other country as a foreign nation important to the people of the United States. Japan (22%(, Mexico (15%) and England (12%) trailed China in terms of percent of spontaneous mentions as foreign nations important to the people of the United States.

The reason given spontaneously most frequently for naming China as important was “we use a lot of their products: (23%) followed by “because they are big” (29%); technologically advanced (8%); “have cheap labor” (8%) and “produce cheaper, less expensive products” (4%).

A broad majority of Americans (70%) accepted – did not reject - the idea of purchasing products produced in China (rated interest at 2 or higher on a nine point scale). A substantial segment (17%) gave high (7,8, or 9 on a nine point scale) ratings of their interest in purchasing Chinese products.

The percent of American consumers expressing high interest in purchasing Chinese produced products ranged from a low of 10% for food to highs of 22% for DVD/VCR players and arts and crafts.

Specifically, the percent expressing high interest in purchasing product ranged upward from food (10%); carpeting (11%); automobiles (12%); clothing (15%); television (19%); computers (19%); DVD or VCR players (22%); and arts and crafts (22%).

Measurements being made to anticipate what will happen in the coming years to the purchase of Chinese products will use statistics from that 2002 study as benchmarks for measuring change in the receptivity of American consumers to products imported from China.

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