{"id":61513,"date":"2022-06-24T16:14:15","date_gmt":"2022-06-24T16:14:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/uncategorized\/2022\/06\/24\/made-in-china-more-than-half-the-products-in-military-exchanges-could-be-banned\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T12:45:50","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T12:45:50","slug":"made-in-china-more-than-half-the-products-in-military-exchanges-could-be-banned","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/pay-benefits\/2022\/06\/24\/made-in-china-more-than-half-the-products-in-military-exchanges-could-be-banned\/","title":{"rendered":"Made in China? More than half the products in military exchanges could be banned"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Some military resale experts are warning that a proposal to ban the sale of Chinese-made products in military exchanges<\/a> and commissaries would be \u201cdevastating,\u201d especially to exchanges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The proposal, an amendment introduced by Rep. Mark Green, R-Tenn., was approved by the House Armed Services Committee Wednesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe cannot in good conscience fill post exchanges with products created with slave labor and sponsored by and benefiting financially the authoritarian regime of the Chinese Communist Party,\u201d Green said during the markup of fiscal 2023 defense policy bill. In addition, he said, \u201cThe Chinese Communist Party believes they can steal our military technology without consequence. We need to show them that isn\u2019t the case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe last thing we want to do is financially contribute to their tyranny. They\u2019re laughing at the idea of American soldiers funding their schemes by filling the shelves of our PXs and BXs with their products.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The proposal would prohibit the sale of goods in commissaries and exchanges that are manufactured in China, assembled in China or imported into the U.S. from China.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At least half of the products sold in exchanges, if not more, are made in China, noted Rep. Salud Carbajal, D-Calif. While the idea of banning these products \u201csounds good and is patriotic,\u201d he said, \u201cit would have an adverse effect on our military families.\u201d It would mean they would have to go out to stores in the civilian community to find the products they rely on that would no longer be sold in exchanges<\/a>, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ban would affect only military stores, not stores in the civilian community. If a ban on Chinese-made products were to apply to civilian retailers outside the gate, industry figures indicate it would likely affect 80% to 90% of all retail goods sold, said Courtney Williams, spokeswoman for the Navy Exchange Service Command.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Walmart spokesman Payton McCormick said nearly two-thirds of the products Walmart sells in the U.S. are made, grown or assembled domestically. The company doesn\u2019t break out sourcing data by country, but Walmart sources from many countries around the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not clear whether the proposed legislation would ban any part of an item made in China \u2014 or only products made entirely in China.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Navy Exchanges \u201cwould face an impact of 50% in direct retail sales, strictly on those prohibited products alone,\u201d said Williams. But in addition to that impact, there would likely be a far greater percentage of loss because the lack of those products would mean fewer customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes there are just no acceptable alternatives to products made in China. The lack of alternatives would also mean the potential removal of entire categories of items from the exchanges, not just one brand, Williams said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs a retailer, we offer freedom of choice for customers to purchase merchandise they want or need, and not all products desired by our customers are available from a U.S. manufacturer. The NEX serves a wide variety of military customers and we work very hard to carry a merchandise selection that appeals to this wide customer base,\u201d Williams said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis practice of [lawmakers] doing to the exchanges and the troops what they don\u2019t have the will or votes to do to the general citizenry has got to stop,\u201d said Steve Rossetti, president of the American Logistics Association, an association representing companies that supply products to military stores.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The impact this proposal would have on military exchanges \u201cisn\u2019t significant, it\u2019s devastating,\u201d Rossetti said. \u201cWe should be feeding this golden goose instead of killing it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t