Can you find anything in your office/room/wherever you are right now that has that little gold sticker that says “Made in the USA” on it? I remember peeling it off sometimes as a kid, but haven’t seen one lately.
I spent a while looking for it in my apartment, and couldn’t find one. Instead, I got Doc Martens made in Thailand, a camera made in Japan, a Samsung TV made in Tijuana, Mexico (who knew), and my Macbook Pro was designed in the U.S., but made in China.
For now, my apartment is Made-in-the-U.S.A.-less. Wait, found one, a saltshaker made in the U.S. – but it’s Mediterranean Sea salt, damn.
President Obama said he wants to double exports in the next five years and that this move will create 2 million jobs – quite a goal for a country that has a $39.7 million trade deficit, as of February 2010.
Joseph Crowley is trying to do his part. He hosted a seminar last week for business leaders from the Bronx and Queens to help them learn more about how the Federal government can assist them in exporting their goods.
“By opening up new markets to American goods and services, we will help U.S. businesses increase their bottom line and hire new workers,” he said.
Here’s part of Crowley’s Press Release:
Recent statistics compiled by the Department of Commerce show that exports are an important part of New York’s economy. In 2007, a total of 27,329 companies exported goods from New York locations, the third-highest number among the 50 states. But what percent of what they sold was exported?
More than one-fifth (20.9 percent) of all manufacturing workers in New York depend on exports for their jobs. How much do they depend? Are there companies whose livelihood depends on exports?
The number 1 export out of New York: diamonds. Yeah, I know, who knew.
Mike Mandel, an economist and journalist, doesn’t quite believe diamonds should count as real exports. Most likely, those diamonds are transported here. A New York firm designs and cuts them, and then re-exports them.
Number 2 is drawings and paintings by hand – that makes a little more sense, number 3, jewelry parts and other precious metals. Those 3 add up to 25% of New York State exports.
The rest of the exports are an amalgam of engine parts, antiques, and digital processing units. Here’s the list of the top 25.
I don’t think the Bronx and Queens are producing much of those, but I could be wrong – I’m talking with someone from the Mayor’s office tomorrow.
This could be a good thing for growth in the Bronx and Queens, maybe there’s a market to be made. But there’s a reason why just about everything in my apartment was made somewhere else. It’s too expensive to pay people here.
I could be wrong, but it seems a few businesses here can export some products – there’s actually one commercial aviation facility in the Bronx, APD. Crowley is in tune with Obama’s message, but it might be a stretch for his district.