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How much do you think it costs to make a pair of Nike shoes in Asia?

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689 points taubek | 5 comments | 09 Apr 25 12:58 UTC | HN request time: 0s | source
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Clubber ◴[09 Apr 25 13:38 UTC] No.43631933[source]▶
>The second thing we see is that Asian manufacturing in Asia produces US jobs. You go to Footlocker to buy a pair of $100 shoes because you can afford them. This creates jobs for the Footlocker employees, Nike designers, marketing teams, and other US people throughout this chain.

In all fairness, most of those jobs would still exist if manufacturing was brought onshore. The fact that they were manufactured in Asia makes no difference here, except for perhaps the longshoremen that was included in "other US people."

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ravelantunes ◴[09 Apr 25 13:55 UTC] No.43632163[source]▶
The author’s point is that the lower cost of goods coming from Asia results in increased demand, which then generates more jobs in the post-manufacturing part of the chain.
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1. Clubber ◴[09 Apr 25 16:06 UTC] No.43633655[source]▶
I see your point. I suppose a counterpoint is now shoes won't be so disposable and professions for cobblers and the like will be in higher demand.
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2. guhidalg ◴[09 Apr 25 17:19 UTC] No.43634704[source]▶
Is that better? We need at least one cobbler sure, but if shoes are so scarce that we need to repair them like some communist country, are we better off?
3. teachrdan ◴[09 Apr 25 17:27 UTC] No.43634789[source]▶
> shoes won't be so disposable and professions for cobblers and the like will be in higher demand.

It doesn't necessarily follow that more expensive shoes will be easier to repair. It's more likely that shoes will simultaneously become more expensive for the consumer AND lower quality and therefore even less amenable to repair.

4. meepmorp ◴[09 Apr 25 18:02 UTC] No.43635224[source]▶
Unless they dramatically change the design and manufacturing of those shoes, they won't be less disposable - just more expensive.
5. airhangerf15 ◴[09 Apr 25 21:15 UTC] No.43638085[source]▶
We buy and waste a lot of stuff. Fast fashion is pretty insane. Look in the closets of your friends who are constantly clothes shopping and it's a ton of shit that never gets worn and eventually "donated" (5% makes it to thrift store shelves, but most of it gets burned or sent to Africa .. and then burned).

Reversing the transmission of western consumerism is not an easy change. Few people are willing to pay an extra $50 for a more durable good that lasts. Long term thinking isn't easy for most, and many can't even afford to think that way.

But the tariffs are really a tax, a federal sales tax on the consumer. Biden tried to put in "unrealized gains tax" (which is really Federal property tax). So both presidents are trying to use executive power and double speak to get their people to support new taxes that are ultimately horrible for every American.

Trump Derangement Syndrome runs both directions.