cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/42676060
Because it’s standard practice in China to just close a company and restart it under a new name. The government can decide to shut down everything overnight.
Look at parts availability for stuff sold by Chinese brands.
I can find parts for Ford, GM, Chrysler, Toyota, Mazda, etc all made in China. Why does it work for American and foreign companies making every part they sell in China but it wouldn’t work for a Chinese company
And, if that is the case, wouldn’t it make more sense to just force them to establish some corporate headquarters in the USA (as they rest of the brands do)?
That’s established and stable brands that manufacture things in China which is completely different from Chinese brands building things in China and that can just close their doors tomorrow morning and leave the owners without any source for parts.
If an established manufacturer closes their doors tomorrow morning the same issue arises, the difference is that Chinese companies are known to do that and the Chinese government sometimes is responsible for closing them or simply doesn’t care about the effect on customers. They can reopen the following day and produce the same items as before but they won’t send you parts for the thing they were producing the day prior because it’s not the same company anymore.
Well, that’s kind of what is happening today with brands started in the USA as well (Henrik Fisker pulled this stunt twice with Karma and the Fisker Automotive)
I do get your point, I just have a hard time dismissing any and all Chinese cars when the collective “we” have no issue dealing with China as long as there is some middle man charging a premium. I also have a hard time understanding how tariffs address any of these issues.
China is stable enough, or so it seems, to supply most of our electronics, electrical components, plastics, tools, mechanical parts, etc etc etc… There is certainly a way to work with them in a stable way.
