Travels Of A T-Shirt In The Global Economy Summary
Travels of a t-shirt in the global economy
In the United States, consumers are constantly purchasing items from foreign countries without acknowledging where, how, and when it is produced. In my reading, the book “Travels of a t-shirt in the global economy: An economist examines the markets, power and politics of world trade” author Pietra Rivoli explains many difficulties in the production of her t-shirt. The production has conflicts such as the global tensions from states, markets and social actors. I argue exports from China that are imported into the United States have a beneficial effect on both economies.
Pietra Rivoli a professor of international business and finance at Georgetown University started her research in Texas. Her attempt was to gather information about the production of her t-shirt. The cotton of her t-shirt was grown on a farm …show more content…
The cotton from the Reinsch farm travels to a factory in China. T-shirt factories in China are then able to start production of the cotton making into a t-shirt. American cotton is the 8th highest export to China. China is the biggest buyer of American cotton. The cotton mill workers in China factories work 12 hour work days and have 2 holidays per year. Women and children are recruited to work for low wages. Similar to the United States, China is dependent on work cheap labor. In fact, Chinas comparative advantage is cheap labor (Rivoli pg.105). Chinas government has workers in bad conditions long shifts and low wages. Ching Kwan Lee did a doctoral research and found that the young migrant workers were eager to expand their professions. They took night courses to improve their typing, English as well as business. The race to the bottom begins with one nation and its attempt to start trade. They are leaving countries enriched and flying to others in search of cheap labor to enrich them (pg.116). Countries that have lost the race to the bottom are now the most
In the United States, consumers are constantly purchasing items from foreign countries without acknowledging where, how, and when it is produced. In my reading, the book “Travels of a t-shirt in the global economy: An economist examines the markets, power and politics of world trade” author Pietra Rivoli explains many difficulties in the production of her t-shirt. The production has conflicts such as the global tensions from states, markets and social actors. I argue exports from China that are imported into the United States have a beneficial effect on both economies.
Pietra Rivoli a professor of international business and finance at Georgetown University started her research in Texas. Her attempt was to gather information about the production of her t-shirt. The cotton of her t-shirt was grown on a farm …show more content…
The cotton from the Reinsch farm travels to a factory in China. T-shirt factories in China are then able to start production of the cotton making into a t-shirt. American cotton is the 8th highest export to China. China is the biggest buyer of American cotton. The cotton mill workers in China factories work 12 hour work days and have 2 holidays per year. Women and children are recruited to work for low wages. Similar to the United States, China is dependent on work cheap labor. In fact, Chinas comparative advantage is cheap labor (Rivoli pg.105). Chinas government has workers in bad conditions long shifts and low wages. Ching Kwan Lee did a doctoral research and found that the young migrant workers were eager to expand their professions. They took night courses to improve their typing, English as well as business. The race to the bottom begins with one nation and its attempt to start trade. They are leaving countries enriched and flying to others in search of cheap labor to enrich them (pg.116). Countries that have lost the race to the bottom are now the most