Can't the U.S. make its own toothpaste any more?

[cgallery]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070524/...9Y1X1kqfYE1vAI

Jeesh.

[cabinetman]

You would think a problem like this would reveal the brands of affected toothpaste. According to the article Crest and Aquafresh, are made in the United States.

[Ed62]

It seems like the more we import goods and export jobs, the worse trouble we're in.

Ed

[vaking]

The statements are very carefully crafted. Both Crest and Aquafresh have manufacturing facilities around the world and distribute from there all over. The statements only mean that toothpaste meant by manufacturer to be sold in USA is manufactured in USA. It does not mean that they don't manufacture elsewhere. Niether does it mean that the Crest toothpaste from another locations is not imported to US, it can be imported by distributors as opposed to Palmolive importing it. Case in point:
Right next to my work is a dollar store (anything for buck) which sells all sorts of things including toothpaste. And the toothpaste there carries all too familiar brand names but it is not manufactured in USA. I just stopped by and looked at a choice of 4 different Crest toothpastes manufactured in Vietnam, South Africa, Brazil and Egypt. The dollar store imported it to US because it must be cheap overseas. And I bought myself an Aquafresh toothpaste manufactured in England for sale in Russia, Poland and the Baltics.

[Warren]

I read the article and it states that the tooth pastes I use are made in America. That surprises me though. We're unable to manufacture competitive products in so many areas, but we can still manufacture tooth paste? I suspect that the manufacture of tooth paste is not too labor intensive, mostly automated?

I got a kick out of Benz paying someone to take Chrysler off their hands. Even the Germans couldn't figure out how to make a competitive vehicle in America. The Japanese figured it out, but not the Germans.

[LinuxRandal]

It seems like the more we import goods and export jobs, the worse trouble we're in.

Ed

Heck we even import brides, LOL
I have always joked about getting one, but leaving her in that country, so I get the tax and insurance breaks.

I got a kick out of Benz paying someone to take Chrysler off their hands. Even the Germans couldn't figure out how to make a competitive vehicle in America. The Japanese figured it out, but not the Germans.

The Germans can compete quite well in what they do, high end luxury. But Chrysler, has always been (since I remeber anyway) a little different in the way they do things (Ford and GM more similar). It wasn't/isn't their fault. We are cutting our OWN throats with things like eliminating brand step ups (don't have the same model, renamed across internal brands), and non longterm thinking (we will grow forever, give the unions this, and do these for short term profits).

[prlundberg]

My wife's Sensodine says it's made in the USA.

My Crest just lists the American distributor. Nothing about where it's made, although maybe the box said something.

[430752]

I use sawdust...

mixed with a little baking soda and sugar. Any REAL woodworker would do the same!

Curt J.

[Handy Al]

Check out the toothpaste in the "dollar" stores. It's often an overseas product of a name brand.

[BrazosJake]

That's nasty stuff, I've read about it before when they had the same thing happen with cough medicine in the DR and Panama. Chinese exporters are essentially selling antifreeze as glycerin.