Free trade with China. What are your thoughts?

[Brian d marge]

Been following this thread a bit, Dealing with China can be a bit frustrating. Two of my good friends here in Japan both as a part of their job deal with nthe chinese and boy do they let me know when they have had a bad day ! ( Yukiko is a materials Engineer with Mahl and Tetsuya buys stainless , a lot of stainless 40 rolls ..dont know what he does with it all but hes got grey hair !!!

What Tetsuya has found is that the chinese want the business, and are very keen to meet the standards he requires ( some are, but you dont find out till you receive the first batch! , tell you a story about some springs!)

Tetsuyas company is Iso and so requires the supplier to be of similar Or have a fully documented system. After a year of shagging a round they settled on one chinese company who delivered consistant quality. Tesuya told them that is they were to get the contract then they had to be at this standard, which they did ( except for the inventory ...one wonders why that wasnt documented ?? who was supplying???)
Anyway Tetsuya trades in Chinese dollars ( pun intended) he invests in the plant using chinese dollars and buys the product.. BUT he adds value to the product and sells it to another at a much higher rate That money comes back to Japan .....

Yukiko bought 3 million yens worth of springs after confirming the standard, received the first shipment and they were the wrong spring rate .....( I have it sitting in front of me now ) you get a lot of springs for 3 million yen at 1/2 a yen each !!!!!

Me .....the chinese I know are really nice good average middle class people. Nice people , Each country has differing ways of doing business. ( Try dealing with America then do the same business in NZ and see which country you prefer !)

If you deal in comodities , then you are going to be bound by price ( they even have BOTs that search the internet for the cheapest price !! )
and the lowest price wins ....... ( Isnt wool and farming stuff a commodity???)

The stuff thats inside my head ( A faded photo of Felicity Kendal , a half finshed Maltesa and some sawdust ) can never be a commodity. You want it you pay for it . That where the money is. ( Opps I fogot you have 54000 in Student Loans , dont worry live in Europe earn a decent wack and dont pay anything back ! ) ....... Now that WAS a dumb move Roger !!!

Still the one thing NZ has is the life style and as more chinese get money the more they will want ( naturally ) a better life and can now afford the inflated house prices ,....Many people I assume would be comming back to live in NZ , but leave their savings in a protected envionment. ( I would )

I also know that Mom and pop investors here in Japan invest in NZ as the interest rates are higher ,,,how that effects NZ i wouldnt know .......

At the end of the day ( Me personally ) I like being here in Japan. I feel like anythings possible and can be done with hard work. ( a can do place) . Though I really want to go back to NZ and just it in a park eating fish and chips ( or a giant steak burger with chips and fried oysters ,,,) with no feelings of I have to do something .... ( Things are looking up for a few races in Hawkes bay in September ..Have a VMX Cr250 now , and Franken Cr ...might receive a new Engine as I have a 94 CR on the watchlist ,,,,, ) so shes all set .... Come back , race a few enduros and the odd VMX ...just cruise for a few months .....( I am dreaming now arent I ,,,,,,,,,)

Stephen

[Winston001]

Great post Brian/Stephen.

One theme has emerged in the thread and that is good old-fashioned bigotry against Chinese. They look funny, talk funny, so any work they do must be shoddy and dishonest.


Gimme a break. They are poverty stricken compared to us and if they can make a few yuan stitching clothes 12 hours a day - good for them. We wouldn't do it. We are wealthy not just in money but in lifestyle beyond the dreams of 90% of the Chinese population.

[Winston001]

Because we don't buy or sell internationally in $NZ.....

Obviously, highly simplified, and exaggerated. But in a nutshell, that's gloabalisation for you.

I disagree with you Ixion, especially about retreating to Fortress New Zealand. But you make some good arguments and I enjoy your posts.

[oldrider]

We are wealthy not just in money but in lifestyle beyond the dreams of 90% of the Chinese population.

I worry about how much longer we will have it for? It feels a bit fragile at times. Wouldn't take too much to break it. :spudwhat:

[Indiana_Jones]

Fuck this labour government

Right ! now ! ha ha ha ha ha I am an antichrist I am an anarchist!

ANARCHY FOR THE NZ!!!!!!

-Indy

[SPman]

I disagree with you Ixion, especially about retreating to Fortress New Zealand. But you make some good arguments and I enjoy your posts.

In WA in January when I was there, they are importing Chinese fruit and veges, whilst the local orchards are bulldozing trees because it costs them money to pick the fruit!
Somethings fucked up!

[SPman]

Yes we will all pay the price for the free trade crap, I would rather pay $10 more and have it made here if posible,

You want Dover to pay $20 for his little plastic container........

[inlinefour]

We should sell to them, but never buy any of their shyte. I looked at the Chinese bikes while on holiday and I certianly would not touch one, clothing is rubbish to.
I feel a bit crook atm, might go have a dump. Which is pretty much what China will do to us, if we allow them to sell their wares in NZ.

[Streetwise]

So what you are saying is we are going to be the chinese poo grounds, mmmmmmmmmm thats a plesant thought.

[scumdog]

We should sell to them, but never buy any of their shyte. I looked at the Chinese bikes while on holiday and I certianly would not touch one, clothing is rubbish to.
I feel a bit crook atm, might go have a dump. Which is pretty much what China will do to us, if we allow them to sell their wares in NZ.

I wonder how many of us thought the same about Japanese products when they first arrived in New Zealand all those years ago?????

I was probably a little young to look at the politics but I remember the products were poorly assembled jokes made of equally poor quality material.

But look at japanese products now.

[Streetwise]

Great post Brian/Stephen.

One theme has emerged in the thread and that is good old-fashioned bigotry against Chinese. They look funny, talk funny, so any work they do must be shoddy and dishonest.


Gimme a break. They are poverty stricken compared to us and if they can make a few yuan stitching clothes 12 hours a day - good for them. We wouldn't do it. We are wealthy not just in money but in lifestyle beyond the dreams of 90% of the Chinese population.

No you have it wrong, This isnt about the chinese, this is about protecting nz businesses. Cheap crap from anywhere is a bad thing, If it can be made here and sold here it should be...

[scumdog]

No you have it wrong, This isnt about the chinese, this is about protecting nz businesses. Cheap crap from anywhere is a bad thing, If it can be made here and sold here it should be...

Why would we want have 'cheap crap' that is 'made here and sold here' if it's a 'bad thing'?

Sorry, couldn't help it but I know what you mean.

[Streetwise]

Why would we want have 'cheap crap' that is 'made here and sold here' if it's a 'bad thing'?

Sorry, couldn't help it but I know what you mean.

To true hahahahaa, But i think you understand my meaning.

Made here = Jobs Here = Money spent here = your boss being rich..

cant complain with that. unless he pays you like you are in china...

[Brian d marge]

Your supposed to have a standards authority that bans products unfit for sale.

I just bought a die grinder , Chinese , cheap as not exactly the best quality but fit for purpose. As I said comodities will be traded on price and if you cant meet that price ..the customer will move

NZ has to move with the times as it cant be a market price setter as others are higher up the food chain.

But other industries should be helped , I am thinking of WETA image production , Crop research , ( I am thinking here of the Dsir making a machine that can show levels of food contamination on a conveyer! ,,,Good stuff all NZ made ! )

Now I am not a greenie , but I fail to understand why farmers havent been moving to organics , As places like brittain cant get enough of the stuff ! If I was a farmer thats what I would be doing

I do remember an Australian biker build off ( actually farmer build grow off ), a couple of greenies and a older style farmer , growing cotton I think

At the end of the day the hippies didnt grow enough to sell to pay for the costs ....

BUT ,,If NZ turned its focus on how to be organic , I would like to think the levels of production would come back to normal quite quickly.

The people I feel sorry for are the people who cant change or dont like a changing environment. I like change otherwise I get bored . But others get quite disorientated, or have situations that require a stable income ,,( my friend was expecting ONE baby girl and was quite suprised to find two !! meaning he has three daughters now......)

An example of an industry NOT to be in would be motorcycle mechanic ,,,,, great when we had points and condensors, but a 24 000 km before the first ( big) service engine , and engine that will last easily for 150 000 or more km ........:slap:

Education and a flexible skill set are the answers I believe .


Stephen

[kickingzebra]

Works well if your boss is you. I suppose, but who really want to pay more for a similiar item unless they can truely afford it? (I suppose not very many would drive ladas, although they do the sameish job, and are cheaper)