China, known as"The world's factory"It is known for its strong manufacturing capacity and large production scale. However, it is puzzling that such an industrial giant would need to import expensive fire trucks. Why is that?
First of all, economic efficiency is a key factor. The import order of 55 vehicles a year and 90 million US dollars seems to be huge, but considering that this thing is durable, rarely damaged, and does not need to be replaced frequently, if you build your own factory for R&D and production, the R&D and daily operating costs invested in the early stage, as well as the later maintenance, etc., may not be cost-effective. Direct imports are more cost-effective.
Secondly, the choice of market strategy also plays a certain role. The application scope of R&D and marketing channels is narrow, and it is obviously more cost-effective to directly purchase mature finished products than to develop them yourself. This also avoids the risk of R&D and marketing.
In addition, the influence of comprador culture cannot be ignored. China has historically had a large comprador class that tended to buy foreign products directly rather than make them themselves. To a certain extent, this culture has influenced the innovation and manufacturing dynamics of enterprises. However, this is only in certain fields and industries, and it is not the whole picture.
In addition, the consideration of cost and sales volume is also an important basis for enterprise decision-making. If the company goes to produce products with low sales, the cost will become very high, which is not willing to face by any company. For example, a crane can be produced, let alone a ladder truck. But companies don't want to produce products with low sales because they don't meet their profit goals.
Finally, the need for balance is also one of the reasons why China imports fire trucks. Countries such as Europe and the United States are China's main export markets, and a large number of goods are exported to these countries every year. In order to balance the surplus, China needs to import some high-profit goods, and this high-profit industry not only helps to balance the surplus, but also meets the needs of the domestic market. It's like buying an airplane, exporting small commodities to create jobs, and buying large commodities to balance**.
To sum up, it is not that China's imported fire trucks cannot be produced by themselves, but due to the consideration and balance of many factors. As the world's factory, China actually has its own wisdom and strategy in the context of the world's leading world.