Proposed Senate amendment would block infrastructure-bill grant money from buying Chinese-made drones

[GFields]

IMHO where will it end? I don't There are thousands of products in the US made in China. Even many US manufacturers use components made in China.

 

[wardtom084]

So no drones but ok for parts for the F-18, makes sense.

 

[Drone Views Media]

I'm returning my TVs my toaster my modem and my wife

I'm returning my wife too, she's Filipina, but looks totally Chinese ?

 

[Drone_Pilot]

Whats your wife done to have a return label slapped on her? I can understand the toaster, that's obviously hard core military weaponry but your wife might just object and then you are real trouble

Whats your wife done to have a return label slapped on her? I can understand the toaster, that's obviously hard core military weaponry but your wife might just object and then you are real trouble.

She spends too much then I don't have money to buy a new drone

 

[vindibona1]

Or we could be just like the Chinese Communist Party and give the money away to the president's favorite supporter that offers the highest kickback!

We done that before...
A123: The battery maker received a $249 million Department of Energy stimulus grant to build two factories in Michigan to manufacture batteries for electric cars.
The company drew down $132 million of that grant, and the factories are up and running, according to the DOE.As part of A123's bankruptcy announced earlier this week, the factories were sold to Johnson Controls (JCI), which is expected to keep them open. Since the investment was a grant, the government got no money back. It's unclear whether Johnson will be eligible to draw down the remaining grant funds.

Abound Solar: The manufacturer of thin-film solar panels received a $400 million DOE stimulus loan guarantee to build two factories -- one outside Kokomo, Indiana and another outside of Denver. Abound drew down $70 million of the grant to build the Denver factory. Abound declared bankruptcy in June amid strong competition and the collapsing price of solar panels.Its assets are being auctioned off, and DOE is expected to lose to $40 to $60 million on the deal.

Beacon Power: The company received a $43 million DOE stimulus loan guarantee to build a facility in upstate New York that uses flywheels to store extra energy from the power grid, and then release it when needed. Such technology is seen as essential to integrate wind and solar into the grid, as those sources don't produce energy 24/7. The company spent $39 million to build the project, which consists of wheels inside vacuum tubes that can spin at near perpetual motion. Beacon went bankrupt amid low prices for natural gas, which can be burned to produce electricity.

 

[DavidT_ NZ]

DavidT for the US it's always about the Benjamins $$$

Yes. The trouble is that NZ and the US share a similar standard of living but when products get imported to NZ from the US it becomes crazy to talk $ for $ because anything from the US costs about twice as much, landed, mostly just due to the currency conversion factor. It disadvantages both the buyer (cost) and the seller (with fewer exports). That will be the same reason why US car manufacturers went to Mexico and Brazil etc. $ costs. Personally, if a US company made drones for the same landed price as DJI and at the same (or better) performance specs, I would certainly buy one over a Chinese model - because we have been good allies since WW2. ????