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Jessi Chapin - jchapin@wmbb.com
Day Without China: A Personal Account

I have over 30 pairs of shoes. I know that may seem like a lot, but when I tried to go an entire day without anything made in China; I discovered just how hard it would be with all 32 pairs of my shoes displaying "Made in China" labels on the bottom. According to the American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA), 86 percent of U.S shoes were made in China; that includes 100 percent of mine.

Though I found a t-shirt and some jeans made in Egypt and Vietnam, further preparation was a different story. I put on my make-up with my fingers because while the eye shadow and lipstick were made in the U.S.A, the applicators were all imported. Hair preparation met the same obstacles, so I chose to do nothing with it, since I couldn't use my brush or blow-dryer made in China.

After sprinting across the dirty garage floor into work looking disheveled and carrying my credit cards, paper, and green highlighter, (all of my pencils were made in China,) I was left purse-less, bare-foot, and though I had two legs to stand on I didn't have a chair to sit in.

I took an early lunch because I hadn't had so much as a cup of coffee in my News13 mugs that were both made in China. Jim Hayden, owner of The Bagel Maker assisted me in checking appliances and equipment used in his restaurant. While many of the refrigerating devices and large ovens were made in American factories, their calculators, phones, and meat scale were all made in China. I had a generous sandwich for lunch because they gave me extra lunchmeat in the absence of a scale.

At the mall, I discovered just how many products people purchase every day are made in China. According to the Chinese government, 75 percent of the world's toys are made in China. Toy salesman Warren LaCroix says all of the toy helicopters he sells are made in China, and he orders about 200 a week.

Shoppers I spoke with were surprised to see how many of their clothes were made abroad. The AAFA says 27 percent of U.S clothes display China labels. Many of these companies have switched their manufacturing to China within the past 10 years, including Converse shoes.

Back at home, I had an adventure attempting dinner. With most of my cookware coming from China including all of my utensils and skillets, my plans of having a stereotypically-American hamburger were out. I resorted to peanut-butter and jelly... made with my hands. I hadn't thought about how messy we would be at the end of the day without products made in China until I dug my fingers into a jar of peanut butter while standing in my kitchen with no shoes.

The Chinese government reports they exported 34.8 million televisions last year. One of which is mine. With the majority of electronic equipment manufactured in foreign countries like China, I sat down with a book before throwing my Chinese-made bedspread and pillow onto the floor and ending a day without anything made in China.

Stars & Stripes

According to the 2002 census, the U.S made almost $350 million in shipments of flags, banners and similar items displaying the stars and striped symbols of the country. Last year, the Flag Manufacturers Association of America reports $5.5 million worth of U.S flags were imported from other countries. $5 million worth were made in China.

A recent debate is flaring up in Minnesota over the legitimacy of one new law set to take effect in 2008. It prohibits the sale of foreign-made U.S flags within the state.

Similar laws are being considered in News Jersey and Pennsylvania, and the state of Arizona passed a law July 2007 which requires an American-made U.S flag to hang in all public schools.
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Public Opinion

When asked to check the labels on their clothes, area residents and visitors said they expected several to be made in China. But, people had varying opinions on whether or not that mattered.

"If they ever get mad at this country we're in trouble," said Lynn Haven resident John Campbell.
Some say they see it from a financial perspective. "It's business," said Miami resident T. Berry, "I think that's how people ought to look at it. It's a little better business to conduct business over there, probably a lot cheaper versus coming here to the states."

Kristen Hopp, a Lynn Haven mom says she pays attention to the origin of her products. "Especially with the toy recalls coming from China, and of course I have a young child," she said, "It is a big deal. And I do think about it in terms of the safety of my child."

And while Panama City resident Scott Rose said he thinks more products should be made in the United States, Lynn Haven resident Kim Fazzone said the international community relies on one another.
"They rely on us as well to sell them and market them and advertise them and be in business as well so that they have a place to sell them," she said.

Others don't think about where their purchases come from. "Sometimes I notice," said Michelle Barnard from Nashville, TN. "I don't know that I'm looking for that when I buy it though."

"I just come shopping for my little girl. That's all that matters," said Panama City resident Tyrone Faison.

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Do you have your own thoughts about our country's reliance on foreign goods - China or otherwise? Let us hear them!