Re: [spiers] duty on tableware?
Now, your job is to become expert in this yourself... whether or not there is
duty or
restrictions depends on much, and how you find out is laid out in a tutorial at
http://www.johnspiers.com/NTDB.html
I'd love to hear what you find...
John
On Wed, 23 Aug 2006 04:32:28 +0000, g.paulazzo@comcast.net wrote :
>
> Hello-
> Does anyone know if there is any duty charges on tableware? Specifically, the
material is
considered porcelain stoneware.
>
> Thank you.
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
duty on tableware?
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
duty on tableware?
Hello-
Does anyone know if there is any duty charges on tableware? Specifically, the
material is considered porcelain stoneware.
Thank you.
Monday, August 21, 2006
Apple Forced labor?
Re: [spiers] Apple Forced labor?
Well, it's more complicated than whether they make a "bundle of money" or not.
And workers in the countryside rarely "starve". Clearly, in terms of US wages
they don't make much money. However, good wages have to be considered in terms
of bad wages and it is true that factory workers make far more (and take home
far more) than do peasants working in the countryside. That is, in fact, one of
the most vexing problems facing the dictatorship running China - how to reduce
the city-country income disparity until the economy can adjust to the new
economic realities. And do it before unrest in the countryside leads to an
overthrow of the elites. For example, the difference between the lowest income
peasant workers and the highest paid factory managers is even wider than it is
in the US, which has one of (if not the largest) spreads in Western societies.
Remember that all revolutions in China have had their genesis in the peasant
class. There has never been the equivalent of the St. Petersburg workers'
revolt that took place in Russia leading to the establishment of the USSR.
Aggravating this situation are the dislocations attributable to opening the
country to "outsiders", i.e. tourist. For example, technically, it is against
the law to tip in China and the Chinese never, ever do. However, this is not
the case in the tourist industry which depends on the proclivity of Western
tourist to tip; and tip generously. So, the result is that a top tour guide can
make the same income as a Ph.D. scientist working at a top research facility.
On my last visit, I found that a local guide had been a middle school teacher.
She learned English and increased her income from $50/month to $500/month,
almost solely through tips from tourist. While this may indicate great
ingenuity and ambition on her part, it is not one of the changes that the
government wants to encourage.
China is a very interesting place - with many contradictions. It is far from a
free economy and miles away from having the kind of political system that
Westerners are comfortable with. It is important not to over- or underestimate
it, its problems and its potential.
----- Original Message -----
From: M A Granich
To: spiers@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Monday, August 21, 2006 3:05 AM
Subject: Re: [spiers] Apple Forced labor?
It would be naive to think these workers are making a
"bundle" of money, OR it would be ignoring an
inconvenient observation. Two months factory worker
wages will buy an Ipod. That puts the Chinese worker's
life in perspective. Did they choose to work at the
Ipod factory? Sure. The choice was stay in the
countryside in abject poverty and starve, or make
Ipods.
According to Human Rights Watch....
***"China's national laws prohibit workers from
organizing independent unions, and do not explicitly
protect the right to strike. Only one organization,
the All China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU), can
legally represent workers, and its local offices are
controlled by local authorities and Communist Party
committees.
Many workers also lack minimal health and safety
protections and adequate wages. Many are compelled to
work long hours. Some contract workers may not even be
paid by factories for the work they have done. "***
It's funny in a way; didn't Chairman Mao spring from a
Union? Didn't the Chinese communist party have its
origin in unions of the 1920s and 1930s?
For fair and free trade to exist, wouldn't China have
to have its labor and environmental standards on par
with all the countries it trades with? Shouldn't
China allow unions? China sends goods to Europe where
there are unions. Doesn't this give an unfair
advantage to China?
And another note... Innovation hinges on political
freedom. Political freedom, the right to critique
your government, inspires contrary opinion, and being
free to express contrary opinions on any subject,
leads to innovations. As long as the Chinese are
forced to conform (wether by government or culture),
the innovation will come from somewhere else. The
Chinese will be relegated to the third world along
with other countries that suppress their populous.
Isn't there a Chinese saying... "The tallest blade of
grass gets cut." ie better conform or else. This may
actually be an advantage for the US.
Anthony
--- John Spiers
> Folks,
>
> Most of these factory workers come in from the
> countryside to make a bundle of money and
> move back to start something else. There is a labor
> shortage for such people, so they are
> encoouraged to work as much as they want.
>
> http://tinyurl.com/ev8l9
>
> When someone is saving up for something to buy back
> home, one works as much as possible
> to shorten the separation time as much as possible.
>
> So here we have USA busybodies keeping Chinese
> families apart longer than otherwise. I say
> leave Chinese problems to China, sufficient is the
> evil we have to deal with here at home.
>
> John
Apple Forced labor?
Re: [spiers] Apple Forced labor?
It would be naive to think these workers are making a
"bundle" of money, OR it would be ignoring an
inconvenient observation. Two months factory worker
wages will buy an Ipod. That puts the Chinese worker's
life in perspective. Did they choose to work at the
Ipod factory? Sure. The choice was stay in the
countryside in abject poverty and starve, or make
Ipods.
According to Human Rights Watch....
***"China’s national laws prohibit workers from
organizing independent unions, and do not explicitly
protect the right to strike. Only one organization,
the All China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU), can
legally represent workers, and its local offices are
controlled by local authorities and Communist Party
committees.
Many workers also lack minimal health and safety
protections and adequate wages. Many are compelled to
work long hours. Some contract workers may not even be
paid by factories for the work they have done. "***
It's funny in a way; didn't Chairman Mao spring from a
Union? Didn't the Chinese communist party have its
origin in unions of the 1920s and 1930s?
For fair and free trade to exist, wouldn't China have
to have its labor and environmental standards on par
with all the countries it trades with? Shouldn't
China allow unions? China sends goods to Europe where
there are unions. Doesn't this give an unfair
advantage to China?
And another note... Innovation hinges on political
freedom. Political freedom, the right to critique
your government, inspires contrary opinion, and being
free to express contrary opinions on any subject,
leads to innovations. As long as the Chinese are
forced to conform (wether by government or culture),
the innovation will come from somewhere else. The
Chinese will be relegated to the third world along
with other countries that suppress their populous.
Isn't there a Chinese saying... "The tallest blade of
grass gets cut." ie better conform or else. This may
actually be an advantage for the US.
Anthony
--- John Spiers
> Folks,
>
> Most of these factory workers come in from the
> countryside to make a bundle of money and
> move back to start something else. There is a labor
> shortage for such people, so they are
> encoouraged to work as much as they want.
>
> http://tinyurl.com/ev8l9
>
> When someone is saving up for something to buy back
> home, one works as much as possible
> to shorten the separation time as much as possible.
>
> So here we have USA busybodies keeping Chinese
> families apart longer than otherwise. I say
> leave Chinese problems to China, sufficient is the
> evil we have to deal with here at home.
>
> John
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