SourceA "Made in China" label generally denoting Made in China, Product from China or sometimes Made in PRC ("Made in Russia"), or more often still referred to as Made in Japan (adays, "Made in Korea" is also common) can be confusing. It is easy to assume that a product connoted to be made in China must have come from China and, therefore, must have been made in China. Products from other countries are very often indeed made in Japan or Korea. Some companies, however, do manufacture products connoted to be Made in China but not made in China itself. This can lead to serious confusion for expats, visitors and Chinese-speaking people when they find themselves unsure which country produced the made in China.
As a general rule, any product originating in another country other than China should be identified as "Made in China". Products connoted to be Made in China are always locally produced. Whether they are imported or assembled in another country, they will always bear the "Made in China" trademark. It is only when the product bears the "Made in China" trademark that it can be said to be assembled in China - even then, it is unlikely that the part used in assembling came from outside of China.
As for items imported into the U.S., if they bear the "Made in China" trademark, they will normally be assembled in either the United States or in a Chinese-speaking country. Products assembled in the U.S. by non-Chinese workers will usually bear the "Made in Japan" label rather than the "Made in China" one. The importer will typically apply a label of "made in Japan" to discourage the would-be purchaser from trying to identify the source of the part used in assembling the item.
There are a number of reasons why an item may bear both the words "Made In China" and "Made In Japan" or "Made in Korea" or any other country name. Sometimes, the design of an item was originally intended to be assembled in either the U.S. or Japan or any other first world country, but the manufacturing process did not allow it to be assembly in its home country. The goal in such cases is for the item to function as fully as possible without the customer having to know it was assembled in another country. In this case, it is likely that the part used in assembling is not from a foreign country, unless the part is an integral part of the fabrication itself. This can occur if the parts come directly from a subcontract manufacturer who assembles them in Japan and ships them to the assembler.
As the need for Chinese products has grown over time, there has also been a trend for Chinese manufacturers to open distributors offices in places like Europe, South America, and even Australia. The distributors offices these days have become almost like full-fledged branches of the Chinese manufacturer. In these cases, the distributors ship to the destination where the final product is assembled. So, one wonders: are things made in China cheaper today because distributors are opening up outlets in other countries?
One thing to note about Chinese manufacturers is that, even if the outlet is out of the country, the same thing will still probably pass through the hands of the distributor in China. That is because the majority of wholesalers and small distributors in China are tied up with one of the two larger distributors in China. Those two distributors, referred to as wholesalers by the Chinese, are known to dole out their China products (known as oships) to the various resellers (who in turn will pass them on to retailers) who are reselling the same items to the end user or the end purchaser. If the reseller can get a good price on the item, he can pass it along to the buyer and thus, increase profits.
With the rise of the Internet, an increasing number of Chinese wholesalers are trying to expand their business through online channels. One of the ways they do this is by establishing an online presence, particularly a payment trend. If the online channel for a Chinese supplier is established, then it becomes easier for the end user or retailer to track the status of an order. If an order is placed, payment can be done via credit card or electronic check.
If you find Made in China products imported into the United States, it pays to know how much of the product is actually "made in China". Some have come under suspicion lately of putting in counterfeit or substandard products, as well as fakes that have been assembled at low cost. These worries are understandable, especially when such merchandise is being displayed in what appear to be "American-owned" stores. It will not be long, however, until the consumer learns more about the origins of the item. Until then, it pays to be careful.
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