WASHINGTON —
As the US presidential election enters its final stages, an increasing number of voters are showing their support by wearing campaign merchandise.
What they may not realize is that the “Make America Great Again” Trump hats and “Childless Cat Lady for Harris” T-shirts they’re wearing are probably made in China.
With the help of e-commerce platforms, Chinese merchants are flooding the U.S. election goods market with cheap goods. Anecdotal evidence suggests that U.S. manufacturers of these products are struggling to compete.
“The amount of Amazon and Etsy products that are transported by cargo ships from China and other countries and landed on American shores has a huge impact on the competitiveness of American manufacturers like myself and the ability to grow our businesses. “I think this is dramatic,” said Ben Waxman, founder and co-owner of American clothing company American Roots.
Mr. Waxman would not share production or profit figures with VOA Mandarin Services due to privacy concerns, although campaign T-shirts made in the United States, for example, sell for about $15 each. In contrast, Chinese online retailer Temu said they sell for about $15 each. Only $3.
“Paying higher wages, living wages and adhering to environmental standards makes it more expensive,” Waxman said, referring to long-standing criticisms of Chinese manufacturing.
His unionized company has been manufacturing campaign merchandise for presidential candidates since 2016, primarily T-shirts and sweatshirts, with all raw materials and production sourced in the United States.
flood the market
VOA Mandarin Service was unable to find total sales of U.S.-made election products and Chinese-made election products. But the large number of Chinese-made election products being sold on e-commerce platforms such as Amazon and eBay shows they are flooding the market.
Temu alone sells tens of thousands of election-themed items at a fraction of the price of official campaign editions.
Among them, the “Make America Great Again” hats cost less than $4, but the Trump campaign’s official store website, which claims “all products made in the USA,” sells them for 10 times that amount, at $40 each. It’s on sale.
Similarly, Temu’s “Kamala Harris 2024” hats sell for less than $3 each, while the Kamala Harris campaign’s official store website sells “Kamala” hats for $47 each.
The Harris campaign also vowed to sell only U.S.-made products on its official website.
VOA reached out to both sides for comment, but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
The striking contrast in prices is due to a trade loophole called the “de minimis loophole” that allows the U.S. to reduce its dependence on Chinese products and allows Chinese companies to ship goods worth less than $800 to the U.S. without paying import duties. This highlights the challenges the United States faces in addressing the issue.
Kim Glass, president and CEO of the National Council of Textile Organizations, a union-aligned organization, said abuse of the de minimis loophole was rampant, and her organization said: “We have lost 21 manufacturing jobs in the last 18 months,” he added.
Glass said some of NCTO’s member manufacturers have noticed that sales of campaign merchandise are slower this year than in any previous U.S. election cycle.
VOA Mandarin asked Amazon and eBay for comment on their websites about the amount of presidential election-related products being imported from China and restrictions on Chinese vendors, but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
Tem did not comment on its sale of election-related products in the United States, but a company spokesperson said in an email to VOA Mandarin: The main driving force behind our rapid expansion and market acceptance is the supply chain efficiency and operational capabilities we have cultivated over the years. ”
The spokesperson added: “We welcome and support any policy adjustments made by legislators that are in the interests of consumers.”
Representatives of the U.S. textile industry say that while two U.S. presidential candidates have taken tough stances on trade with China, their supporters at home are buying Chinese-made products to show support. Notice the irony.
“If someone supports a candidate because of their economic policies and their stance on improving the economy by increasing domestic manufacturing, improving the environment, and improving working conditions, They are supporting a candidate because: Buying a product made in a country that is diametrically opposed to them is doing a real harm to themselves, the candidate, and the economy. ,” said Mitch Kahn, president of New York-based apparel company Unionwear. More than 300,000 baseball caps were donated to Harris’ campaign.
“Anyone can make it.”
Khan points out that Campaign does not control intellectual property, so anyone can create campaign products. They believe that having someone name a campaign is more valuable than making money by selling products.
“When anyone can make and sell products, many products will end up being made in China because there are fewer manufacturers in China,” he told VOA Mandarin. spoke.
The Associated Press reported on October 18 that thousands of copies of President Donald Trump’s “God Bless America” Bible have been printed in China. The Associated Press also pointed out that most Bibles, not just those pro-Trump, are made in China.
Critics say the revelations could damage President Trump’s promotion of American-made products.
“In a past (election) year, this would have been a scandal,” said Mark Zudanow, political consultant and CEO of Engage Voters US. …The question is whether this will be at the top of the list for voters who are still undecided. This issue may indeed be enough to drive this group away from Trump. ”
Chris Tan, a professor of business administration and global management at the UCLA Anderson School of Management, told VOA Mandarin that the impact of Chinese-made goods on the U.S. economy goes beyond just unilateral manufacturing job losses. Consumers can also get these products at lower prices.
“Manufacturing jobs are being lost, but small businesses are turning to Alibaba (like Chinese online sellers) to find suppliers who can quickly produce election-related goods and quickly sell them online. There is an opportunity to find and import small quantities quickly.”
Tang said the United States should develop a manufacturing industry that focuses on high-value products rather than cheap products like election-related items.
