The words "Made in America" evoke different feelings for each individual. For some, it is a sense of pride. For others, it is a feeling of anger. It all depends on how one looks at the situation. There are many pros and cons to manufacturing goods in America and not outsourcing jobs overseas.
For a long time, knowing where things were manufactured has been important to society. It lets the consumer get an idea of the quality of the product and how it was made. Manufacturing goods in America can be a positive thing because it brings a lot of jobs back to the country.
Once companies found that it was cheaper to manufacture their products elsewhere, employment opportunities heavily dropped. Now, when companies have their products made here, consumers feel a sense of pride and familiarity with how their product was made. The consumer knows that the worker was paid a fair wage, works fair hours, and that the product has a level of quality that cannot be found in products made elsewhere. There is comfort in knowing that what you are using is made next door and that there are no mysteries.
Not only are there clear positives to making things in America, but also clear negatives. It is widely known that manufacturing goods overseas is much cheaper, and therefore, allows the company the sell their product at a lower price. In America, the minimum wage is higher as well as the production costs. If you see the label "Made in America," you know that the price tag is not going to be pretty. Also, manufacturing takes up a lot of energy and harms the environment. Over the years, outsourcing has taken the environmental burden off of the United States' shoulders and passed it over to Asia’s. Bringing manufacturing back here will severely affect the environment around us.
Each side of the argument presents strong points, and it is difficult to pick a side. Manufacturing in America can improve the economy and give more citizens jobs, an undeniable plus. However, the effect on the environment and price of products increasing is equally powerful. Being neutral on the issue, it is hard to come to a fair decision.
Manufacturing in America versus overseas is a topic of conversation and debate that has occurred for many years. Even in the current presidential race, it is a heated topic. Slowly but surely, there are companies all around the country that are bringing their manufacturing back to the States. Only time can tell what will happen next.
