A Kindergartner's Perspective on International Trade

Scene: Travis and I are in the car, on the way to tae kwon do class.

Travis: Mom, it seems like everything that has a tag on it that says where it's made says "Made in China"....

Me: Oh, really?

Travis: Yeah, see, my tae kwon do belt says "Made in China". It seems like everything is made in China!

Me: Yes, it kind of does seem like that. Why do you think that is?

Travis: I don't know...... I guess they must make a lot of stuff in China!

Me: I would guess that is true.

Travis: And then they send a lot of it to the USA! It seems like they send a thousand things to the USA!

Me: I bet it is even more than a thousand.

Travis: I think I have only seen one thing that says it was made in the USA.

Me: What was that one thing?

Travis: ......I can't really remember. All I remember is stuff made in China!!

[I grab my purse from the seat next to me, open it up to reveal the tag...made in China. The digital camera is in the center console; the sticker on the bottom shows it was also made in China. I share those two things with Travis.]

Travis: I wonder why the USA doesn't make more stuff and send it to China? It just seems like everything is made in China! Isn't that silly!?

Me: It certainly is.

We did not discuss the dilemma of cheap labor costs versus civil rights violation issues, and the implication of foreign outsourcing on the local economy. Maybe next week.