Made in China. You see it all the time – stamped onto the bottom of your son’s latest holiday toy, stitched into the tag of your gym shorts, even printed on the package of your dog’s pet chow. But did you ever stop to think about what Made in China really means? Where do we draw the line between convenience and dependence?

Quick China Facts…
• In 2001, China joined the World Trade Organization (WTO), eliminating or reducing tariffs and trade-barriers on goods, services, and foreign investments.

• In 2006 China had a record trade surplus of $177 billion, backed by a 27% surge in exports.

• In July 2007, China overtook Germany for the world’s third largest GDP with $2.9 trillion (US – $13.2 trillion, Japan – $4.4 trillion), up from 7th in 1999.

• Earlier this month, Mattel recalled 18 million Chinese-made toys worldwide containing lead paint or tiny magnets.

While you let those numbers digest, check out these two cartograms exploring global toy exports and imports to get a better of understanding of China’s manufacturing influence/dominance. If a picture is worth a thousand words, a good cartogram is worth a thousand facts, or so I like to think.

Toy Exports – Who Makes ‘Em

Toy Imports – Who Buys ‘Em

A Few Thoughts…

• The responsibility of safer toys falls on both parties – better designs from the toy-company and better (safe) materials from the manufacturer.

• I’m assuming the children in countries that are shrunk down (all of Africa and South America) still have toys, but they are handmade domestic goods rather than plastic from China.

• After staring at the oversized blobs that are the US and much of the EU, it’s going to be difficult for me to rationalize with a sulky child who needs another Barbie. That doesn’t mean of course that I wouldn’t give into those pouty eyes….

Could you go a day without Made In China? How about a year? Living in the Bay Area, I hear people talk with pride about how they’re doing this or that to reduce their ‘carbon footprint’; ever wonder about your ‘China footprint’?