it starts off with manufacturers and retailers chasing more...

it starts off with manufacturers and retailers chasing more profits and a better way at beating their competitors. That's okay, it worked nicely for a while and balanced out what the western world couldn't be bothered to produce. Now it's an epidemic. No manufacturer in the western world can compete against the might of China, regardless of what they produce. And because competitors would gleefully import from China the local companies either have to do the same or shut down. The recent Goodyear/Dunlop factory shut down is a classic case. The factory was probably lucky to be making no more than $5 profit per tyre, if that. Now they've shut down and would be importing their tyres from o/seas. A mechanic friend of mine shipped a container load of new tyres from China for Hiluxes and Rodeos, etc. The cost? $12 each! So can someone tell me what will happen once every factory in the wastern world shuts down? There's no way cars could be manufactured in Germany, USA, England and even Australia in 10 years time because they'd cost less than half to produce in China or India. So then what? How's the money gonna come into these fat countries; what will the Germans do to offset the trade deficit. What if diesel becomes so expensive that it becomes uneconomic to import anymore? What if China realises that it now has the power to charge what it like for its goods (and who could blame them - just look at what we're doing to them with our coal and ore). The western world appears to be helpless as their shores are dumped with 'made in China' goods, while their own factories and people are suffering. The greedy importers are on a roll and cannot be stopped. They've created and new way of life. Cheaper goods for everybody boosting the retail sector and a better way of life. Try and stop that and everyone will scream! This one should have been nipped in the bud 15 years ago.