biz.yahoo.com
One of his scariest points is this: "China can be a bully. China can spend, it can hire and dictate wages, it can throw old-line competitors out of work. In just a three-year period from 2000 to late 2003, for example, China's exports to the U.S. of wooden bedroom furniture climbed from $360 million to nearly $1.2 billion. During that time, the work force at America's wooden-furniture factories dropped by 35,000, or one of every three workers in the trade. China now makes 40% of all furniture sold in the U.S., and that number is sure to climb."
Not scared yet? Consider this: "In 2001, the Chinese makers produced 1% of the socks on U.S. feet. In just two years, sock imports from China to the U.S. jumped two-hundred-fold and now make up 7% of the U.S. market. James J. Jochum, assistant secretary for export administration at the U.S. Department of Commerce, has noted that the Chinese manufacturers cut their prices by more than half in 2003 and helped drive one in four U.S. sock makers out of business."
We investors might want to stop and ask ourselves how well-positioned the companies we've invested in are to compete with China. At the very least, we should remind ourselves that the world economy can and does change quickly, and that we shouldn't let ourselves become too complacent about our holdings. It's critical to keep up with their progress, lest we end up with unpleasant surprises. |
