In reply to Post #45
Travel restrictions won't be helping the importers of wild animals. Same way coca and poppy farmers won't be feeding their kids in South America and the Middle East.
Unfortunately it's a situation of our own doing. we are a nation of service providers and shopkeepers.
The shopkeepers want better margins that our manufacturing can't give them, so we have mass unemployment which costs X billion of service provider and retailers tax to support.
you could make a good argument for an almost compulsory low paying manufacturing sector here with no benefit system. We could save billions, sell at a loss to drive out and bankrupt worldwide competition.
and suddenly we're China.
Bring back the workhouse!
Travel restrictions won't be helping the importers of wild animals. Same way coca and poppy farmers won't be feeding their kids in South America and the Middle East.
Unfortunately it's a situation of our own doing. we are a nation of service providers and shopkeepers.
The shopkeepers want better margins that our manufacturing can't give them, so we have mass unemployment which costs X billion of service provider and retailers tax to support.
you could make a good argument for an almost compulsory low paying manufacturing sector here with no benefit system. We could save billions, sell at a loss to drive out and bankrupt worldwide competition.
and suddenly we're China.
Bring back the workhouse!
I'd imagine these British companies listed are still using chinese made tools etc to produce their British products also?
palm oil is another thing that needs looking into.. 
Perhaps a bit of perspective from our glass house before we start throwing Trump sized stones at China....
You want to see images of animal cruelty? You don't need to look further than the RSPCA
You want to see poor people exploited? Look at Amnesty International and their figures for ALL countries. Or look at the way our businesses use zero hours contracts...
You want to boycott goods made in China? Well you can start by throwing out most of what you own and then prepare to pay a hugely inflated price for replacements in the future.... So many things you take for granted outsource manufacture to China because of the cheap labour costs. Ever seen Dragons Den where they condone / recommend this on a regular basis...?
You want to stop dealing with countries with poor human rights records? Then say goodbye to your fuel as I don't think the North Sea oil is going to cover it...
It's nice to have a knee jerk scapegoat but we get it very wrong here too and so do our western compatriots.
These things are awful in China and they are awful in the West too.
Just saying
You want to see images of animal cruelty? You don't need to look further than the RSPCA
You want to see poor people exploited? Look at Amnesty International and their figures for ALL countries. Or look at the way our businesses use zero hours contracts...
You want to boycott goods made in China? Well you can start by throwing out most of what you own and then prepare to pay a hugely inflated price for replacements in the future.... So many things you take for granted outsource manufacture to China because of the cheap labour costs. Ever seen Dragons Den where they condone / recommend this on a regular basis...?
You want to stop dealing with countries with poor human rights records? Then say goodbye to your fuel as I don't think the North Sea oil is going to cover it...
It's nice to have a knee jerk scapegoat but we get it very wrong here too and so do our western compatriots.
These things are awful in China and they are awful in the West too.
Just saying
In reply to Post #32
Isn't the reason the region in Italy was hit so hard because of outsourcing? Having outsourced all the fashion industry, which the region is known for, to China, the travelling of people between Milan and China is unusually high. Helping the virus to spread quickly.
Seems they're paying dearly now for the low cost.
Isn't the reason the region in Italy was hit so hard because of outsourcing? Having outsourced all the fashion industry, which the region is known for, to China, the travelling of people between Milan and China is unusually high. Helping the virus to spread quickly.
Seems they're paying dearly now for the low cost.
In reply to Post #50
Isn't the reason the region in Italy was hit so hard because of outsourcing? Having outsourced all the fashion industry, which the region is known for, to China, the travelling of people between Milan and China is unusually high. Helping the virus to spread quickly.
Seems they're paying dearly now for the low cost.
No it isn't.
... and clothes are cheaper in the UK.
Isn't the reason the region in Italy was hit so hard because of outsourcing? Having outsourced all the fashion industry, which the region is known for, to China, the travelling of people between Milan and China is unusually high. Helping the virus to spread quickly.
Seems they're paying dearly now for the low cost.
No it isn't.
... and clothes are cheaper in the UK.
In reply to Post #51
Any reason why Lombardy first and not say Rome, Naples, London or Berlin?
Any reason why Lombardy first and not say Rome, Naples, London or Berlin?
In reply to Post #52
If after laughing at him Jon still chooses to answer you it'll be accurate as he lives in northern Italy and is experiencing the devastation first hand.
If after laughing at him Jon still chooses to answer you it'll be accurate as he lives in northern Italy and is experiencing the devastation first hand.
In reply to Post #52
Any reason why Lombardy first and not say Rome, Naples, London or Berlin?
Don't know, and until the 'patient zero' for the Lombardy outbreak is identified, it's just speculation.
The first outbreak was in Codugno, which is a pretty small town which doesnt have much industry.
I'm pretty sure you could easily find out how many flights from the Wuhan area arrive in Milan compared with Rome, London etc. I fly regularly from the three Milan airports, I've never noticed more Chinese around compared with other airports. Google it ... I'd be interested to know.
No doubt the virus came from China, but whether it was a tourist, a businessman or someone else of either or any nationality is anyone's guess. Local media were speculating that patient zero could have been a German businessman a couple of weeks ago.
Any reason why Lombardy first and not say Rome, Naples, London or Berlin?
Don't know, and until the 'patient zero' for the Lombardy outbreak is identified, it's just speculation.
The first outbreak was in Codugno, which is a pretty small town which doesnt have much industry.
I'm pretty sure you could easily find out how many flights from the Wuhan area arrive in Milan compared with Rome, London etc. I fly regularly from the three Milan airports, I've never noticed more Chinese around compared with other airports. Google it ... I'd be interested to know.
No doubt the virus came from China, but whether it was a tourist, a businessman or someone else of either or any nationality is anyone's guess. Local media were speculating that patient zero could have been a German businessman a couple of weeks ago.
In reply to Post #54
My sister goes to Milan every year with her shops owner to buy in the top end handbags, shoes etc for her shop in Alderley Edge. Has done for 20 year's. In that time she tells me that it's all Chinese businessmen nowadays in the fashion industry of the Milan region. They outsourced the manufacture of designer brands to the Chinese but wanted to keep the Made in Italy badge. So the Chinese firms brought their workers over to work in Chinese owned factories in the region. Hence the high travel rates between Milan and China.
My sister goes to Milan every year with her shops owner to buy in the top end handbags, shoes etc for her shop in Alderley Edge. Has done for 20 year's. In that time she tells me that it's all Chinese businessmen nowadays in the fashion industry of the Milan region. They outsourced the manufacture of designer brands to the Chinese but wanted to keep the Made in Italy badge. So the Chinese firms brought their workers over to work in Chinese owned factories in the region. Hence the high travel rates between Milan and China.
In reply to Post #55
Can you ask your sister what designer brands do that?
Can you ask your sister what designer brands do that?
In reply to Post #56
I will do when I next speak to her. A 30 second Google shows everything though.
https://ww.fashionnetwork.com/news/made-in-italy-by-chinese-workers,377237.html
I will do when I next speak to her. A 30 second Google shows everything though.
https://ww.fashionnetwork.com/news/made-in-italy-by-chinese-workers,377237.html
In reply to Post #1
This Country has changed from being "the workshop of the world" to a service economy. I think a lot of Companies are looking at how they struggled to get supplies from the far east and looking into if it would be better to produce it here. Unfortunately it is cheaper to produce stuff overseas, especially in China. I hope that when this pandemic is over and the massive global recession and mass unemployment it will cause will see some sort of re balance. Sorry to be a cheery soul but the world has changed and it will never be quite the same again. Apparently we didn't make any ventilators in this Country (several manufacturers doing so now.) If we have to import them, we'll also be last in the queue to receive them as the manufacturing Countries will keep them for themselves (and who could blame them?)
Years ago goods carried a "Made in Great Britain" tag and it made you feel better buying goods you knew were produced in the Country and ensured employment. When we leave the EU, perhaps that could make a comeback? I have been as guilty as the next person in buying as cheaply as possible but it always troubled me that in doing so the rich traders have been making profits whilst the squeezed middle class were forced into McJobs to keep the wheels turning.
This Country has changed from being "the workshop of the world" to a service economy. I think a lot of Companies are looking at how they struggled to get supplies from the far east and looking into if it would be better to produce it here. Unfortunately it is cheaper to produce stuff overseas, especially in China. I hope that when this pandemic is over and the massive global recession and mass unemployment it will cause will see some sort of re balance. Sorry to be a cheery soul but the world has changed and it will never be quite the same again. Apparently we didn't make any ventilators in this Country (several manufacturers doing so now.) If we have to import them, we'll also be last in the queue to receive them as the manufacturing Countries will keep them for themselves (and who could blame them?)
Years ago goods carried a "Made in Great Britain" tag and it made you feel better buying goods you knew were produced in the Country and ensured employment. When we leave the EU, perhaps that could make a comeback? I have been as guilty as the next person in buying as cheaply as possible but it always troubled me that in doing so the rich traders have been making profits whilst the squeezed middle class were forced into McJobs to keep the wheels turning.
In reply to Post #58
Do we actually manufacture anything here now apart from high end niche market goods?
Do we actually manufacture anything here now apart from high end niche market goods?
In reply to Post #59
I remember a Kevin Nash interview, when he said that he was forced to seek production abroad in the 90's, because British women (who used to be the main workers on production lines and factories) suddenly decided that they wanted office jobs and were no longer interested in factory jobs. Although this may sound a little sexist, I suppose it is true. During and post war factories were always full of women of all ages, but I can't imagine that happening now.
I remember a Kevin Nash interview, when he said that he was forced to seek production abroad in the 90's, because British women (who used to be the main workers on production lines and factories) suddenly decided that they wanted office jobs and were no longer interested in factory jobs. Although this may sound a little sexist, I suppose it is true. During and post war factories were always full of women of all ages, but I can't imagine that happening now.