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by Joshua Greenbaum, Contributing Editor   | Abstract: | We must find a way to ensure that U.S. products are safe, whether they are manufactured in China, America, or anywhere else. |
I hit my limit when I had to throw out my son's Thomas the Tank Engine toys last April. Luckily, I didn't have to throw out poisoned toothpaste, bury a poisoned pet, or attend the funeral of someone who died ingesting a counterfeit medication. I also feel lucky compared with attendees I spoke with at the Managing Automation Progressive Manufacturing Summit who shared war stories about bottles that shatter when stacked, components that come coated with grease that has to be cleaned out before being used, mislabeled supplies that require costly restocking, and other ills that seem endemic to the global reliance on Chinese manufacturing. But blaming China really isn't my point. The recent bad news from China is a symptom of a greater ill sweeping American manufacturing: a lack of regulation, from the supplier all the way to the buyer. This is threatening not only our children and our profitability, but also the thin lifeline that keeps U.S. manufacturers alive in a cut-throat global economy. [Click to continue] |