Who is angry at China and why?
Probably the strongest critics of China are owners and workers at small U.S. manufacturing plants. These people make everything from plastic bottle tops to car parts. Many find that Chinese competition is dramatically hurting their business. Chinese-made goods are often sold in the United States for far less than what American manufacturers charge. How can China afford to undersell U.S. manufacturers? The main reason is that labor costs are much, much lower in China. Beyond that, many economists believe that the Chinese government keeps its currency artificially cheap by pegging the value of the yuan to the U.S. dollar. Some U.S. manufacturers argue that this keeps the price of Chinese-made products lower than they otherwise would be. Who benefits from the current trade with China? Retailers would argue that all Americans benefit. Chinese exports are generally cheaper than U.S.-made equivalents. Prices on many consumer products — such as clothes and electronics and car parts — have d
