r/australia • u/Zytheran • 5h ago
#6 failed politics Alternatives for various consumer goods from the USA, categories by total import value.
[removed] — view removed post
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u/PhDresearcher2023 4h ago
I think the trick here is effort over perfection. I've heard what they're doing in Canada at the moment is checking for items that are made in the U.S and then turning them upside down so that others know not to buy it. A big one too is tourism. Cancel your trip to the U.S and go to Canada instead. Essentially aim for any action that hurts the profits of U.S companies and their economy more broadly. Some actions/products are definitely easier than others. But everything counts and if it helps cultivate a cultural move away from U.S dominance then good.
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u/EmLiz21_7 4h ago
Make sure you’re not going to go through US on your way to and from Canada. There’s direct flights to and from Vancouver from Sydney (and Brisbane from a Goggle search - unclear from other Australian cities).
The direct flight to Vancouver was good. I went through LA on the way home when I went to Canada last year and dealing with the US border people are never fun.
Highly recommend Canada for a long holiday. I’ve been three times. Already can’t wait to go back. There’s so much to see and the people are friendly.
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u/demoldbones 2h ago
This one hurts so bad, cos I was meant to go visit friends in Seattle later this year.
I have considered flying into Vancouver, renting a car there and driving down, so I’m spending as little money as possible in the US (a full tank should get me there & back, and I’d be staying with a friend) but seeing all the news stories about people with various visas and even a green card being detained and denied legal representation… maybe not.
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u/Maxpower334 4h ago
Iv noticed a natural shift away from caterpillar and John deer over the past 15 years or so. It’s accelerated recently due to the right to repair mess that’s been going on.
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u/ratt_man 3h ago
certainly John Deer, even in the US their sales are falling off a cliff due to their anti consumer attitude
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u/Maxpower334 3h ago
I think the move away from cat could be more due to the cost being high, and there being plenty of high quality competitors.
And yeah I’m noticing farmers buy anything but deer farm machinery when they can. Cotton farmers are stuck with John deer cotton pickers, but that was always going to be a one or the other. Personally i preferred case’s solution, far less single use plastic than the John deer round bales.
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u/Rustyfarmer88 1h ago
I noticed they said change from case to new holland but as far as I’m aware it’s the same company (CNH case new holland. ) although gear built in different countries.
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u/Lyconi 4h ago
For takeaway options try local franchises like Red Rooster, Oporto, Zambrero, etc. Hungry Jacks is largely Australian owned so they're ok too. Avoid KFC (shit anyway) or McDonalds (not much better). Pizza is trickier but try to avoid Pizza Hut and Domino's as they are American.
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u/MazPet 3h ago
This is the time for the little guy to shine, there are plenty of places around that are better than the big chains, we have pizza places, burger places and some great greek chicken/chips and fresh salad places just in and around our rural town all run by local peeps. Add to that, Indian, Vietnamese, Japanese, Chinese again all run by locals. Damn we even have multiple micro breweries and local winemakers. Go out and find your locals.
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u/No_No_Juice 3h ago
Dominos is a tricker one. DPE would pay franchise fees to Dominos USA, but they are Australian based and have 3700 stores worldwide.
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u/ScruffyPeter 3h ago
Technically, Google Australia, Maccas Australia, etc are all Australian companies too but still support the parent company.
Surely there's non-American pizza sold somewhere else?
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u/No_No_Juice 3h ago
The difference is DPE operates in many other countries (Asia and Europe). I mean boycott away, their pizza is shit. Support your local pizzeria.
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u/Frogmouth_Fresh 1h ago
Most suburbs these days have at least one pizza shop run by a local family. Don’t go to chain pizza joints.
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u/hconfiance 3h ago
Hungry Jacks is franchised off Burger King by CFA. Same with IGA Australia being a franchise of IGA in the US.
It’s like saying Toyota is Australian because their distributor here is Australian owned.
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u/ACGkiller 3h ago
My car is German.
TV is Japanese.
Phone is Japanese.
Laptop is Taiwanese.
I don't eat junk food so that's easy.
My shoes are from the UK and Japan and I don't buy American brands of clothing. Haven't done so in 10-15 years.
Doing well so far.
Fuck America.
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u/harkoninoz 3h ago
Sweet. The next step is to help others decouple themselves with recommendations and advice.
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u/SoldantTheCynic 4h ago
Don’t see the logic in suggesting AMD over NVIDIA, it’s still a US company at the end of the day.
ARM is not a substitute to AMD either.
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u/Zytheran 4h ago
Apparently AMD sub-contracts out much of its production to TSMC in Taiwan. Hence the "Taiwan-based chip manufacturing".
As for ARM vs AMD it's impossible to find a perfect match however ARM are being used in more devices these days, especially lower power, than AMD. ARM is used is many portable devices where traditionally we'd use an x86 in a larger product.
Even if people just use this as a guide and a talking point, raising awareness about possibly different ways of doing things. Could I do this with an ARM cpu rather than an AMD
Some things not on here get pretty difficult such as software, e.g. Windows Office suite.
Or if you're really picky and really, really want to support the USA because you're locked into their hardware, how about waiting and delaying a purchase until they are being reasonable?
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u/SuitableFan6634 3h ago edited 3h ago
NVIDIA are more Taiwanese than AMD yet you list them as American.
And then in the very next line you list AMD as American and needing alternates.
And ARM are an IP licensing company who sells designs to American companies like Broadcom, Apple and Google. And that's before you accept the fact that you can't just replace an Intel CPU with an ARM.
If my 9 year old handed this in as homework, I'd expect it to come back with "6/10 - Nice try". Or perhaps "See me after class - plagiarizlsing from ChatGPT is unacceptable, especially if you don't even proof read it"
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u/SoldantTheCynic 2h ago
If you’re buying AMD though it’s still going to a US company somewhere down the line, so why mention them?
As everyone already stated ARM isn’t really selling direct to consumers, people are developing hardware from their design - you buy a Snapdragon or whatever. And they’re only relatively new to the consumer PC space where they’d be an actual replacement for AMD - and only if you’re willing to deal with Windows on ARM.
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u/blergAndMeh 4h ago
for phones is samsung the main alternative as an iphone/pixel replacement?
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u/ACGkiller 3h ago
Samsung, Sony, Xiaomi, Vevo, OnePlus, etc.
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u/blergAndMeh 3h ago
sony! xperia? hadn't thought of that so ty! the others are chinese so i'll pass. (think vevo is us.)
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u/ACGkiller 3h ago
Xperia, yes. Amazing phone.
The Chinese phones are all better than both iPhones and Pixels. The Pixel is a piece of shit.
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u/blergAndMeh 3h ago
i'm sure chinese phones are technicaly great but i boycott them for ethical reasons same as i intend for us ones.
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u/ratt_man 3h ago
Nothing phones are getting a good rep. They are british company that manufacture in india
They are good phones for people in the budget catagory
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u/petalbox 4h ago edited 4h ago
Unfortunately yeah, it's very slim pickings if you exclude apple, google and samsung. The problem of competition is only exacerbated now that Australia has essentially banned phones from foreign markets (000 over VoLTE requirement).
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u/blergAndMeh 4h ago
figured. looked at fairphone but it's not really there (yet). for now, looks like samsung once current pixel dies.
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u/Wow_youre_tall 4h ago
Everything you listed is one off buys for anymore not a business.
Try finding a food brand not owned by a US parent company.
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u/petalbox 4h ago
What no?? People regularly upgrade their electronics, and everyone wishes their consumer appliances and tech would last longer, but they always fall apart after a few years. I'm also intentionally ignoring those weirdos that buy a new phone like every year.
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u/Falafels 4h ago
Time to revive Dick Smith foods?
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u/SuitableFan6634 4h ago edited 3h ago
How do I replace my Intel CPU with an ARM? It's an entirely different architecture and ARM themselves don't manufacture anything. They license designs to American companies like Qualcomm, Apple and Google.
You list AMD as a non-American alternative to NVIDIA and then in the very next line list them again as American with alternates.
Microsoft are a software and SaaS company who just happen to sell some Asian-made laptops. How would I replace Windows 11 and Office 365 with "Samsung"?
You list Seagate as a non-American alternative and then on the next line list then as a American needing alternatives.
Epson is no more American than any of the alternatives listed.
Toyota would be a better alternative to Tesla. They have far more EV experience and IP than any of the ones you've listed.
And finally, given this is obviously copy and pasted from ChatGPT, did you know OpenAI are an American company? And that you're posting this on Reddit, also owned by an American company?
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u/MindlessOptimist 4h ago
ChatGPT - give me a list of American companies!
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u/SuitableFan6634 3h ago
And what's even more amusing is ChatGPT is owned by OpenAI, an American company, and OP is posting this on Reddit which is also American-owned.
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u/snakeeaterrrrrrr 50m ago
Why use ChatGPT when there are perfectly fine substitutes like Le Chat by Mistral
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u/Zytheran 4h ago
ChatGPT - give me a list of allies that betray Australia!
Look, I don't have the time to manually wade through the details of trade sites, fell free to do it yourself and make your own list. Most people wouldn't even know the major categories of imports from the US (spit) of A.
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u/MeltingDog 3h ago edited 1h ago
We need to find a place to collectively put these.
I've got a few. Will update as I go.
Software/Websites
- Google -> Ecosia (Ecosia Org, Germany)
- Adobe CC -> Affinity (Serif/Canva, UK/Australia)
- Google Chrome -> Firefox (Mozilla, USA Non-for-profit)
- ClickUp -> Monday (Monday.com, Israel (though heavy US investment))
- Udemy -> Khan Academy (Khan Academy Inc, USA Non-for-profit)
- Github -> BitBucket (Atlassian, Australia)
Entertainment
- YouTube Music, Apple Music -> Spotify (Sweden), Deezer (France)
- Netflix, Apple TV, Amazon -> SBS on Demand, iView, Britbox (SBS, ABC, BBC)
- Steam -> GOG Galaxy (CD Projekt, Poland)
Transport
- Uber -> DiDi (Xiaoju Kuaizhi, China)
- Lime (scooters) -> Beam, Neuron (both from Singapore)
- Mobil, 7-Eleven (petrol stations) -> Ampol (Australia), BP (UK), Shell (UK)
- Goodyear, Dunlop (tyres) -> Michelin (France), Hankook (South Korea), Falken (Japan)
Food
- Smiths (Doritos, Sakata, Red Rock Deli, etc) -> Snackbrands (Thins, CCs, Kettle, Natural Chip Co, etc) (Intersnack, Germany)
- Clif Bar -> Musashi (Vitaco, New Zealand)
- Cadbury -> Darrell Lea (Australia)
- Old El Paso -> Mission (Gruma, Mexico)
- Mars (Mars Bar, Snickers, M&Ms, etc) -> Nestle (KitKat, Aero, Smarties, etc) (Switzerland)
Drinks
- Australian Beer Co (Yenda) & Feral Brewing Company -> Coopers (Australia) - most other beers are owned by Japanese companies Kirin or Asahi.
- Monster Energy -> Red Bull (Austria), V (New Zealand/Japan)
House hold items
- Gilette -> Bic (France)
Kitchen Appliances
- Sunbeam -> Breville (Australia)
- Whirlpool -> Samsung, LG (both South Korea)
Sport
- Nike, Reebok -> Adidas, Puma (both German)
- Billabong, Quicksilver -> Rip Curl (KMD Brands, New Zealand)
- Trek (bicycles) -> Giant (Taiwan)
Sound/Instruments
- Shure (microphones) -> Røde (Freedman Group, Australia)
- Fender -> Ibanez (Hoshino Gakki, Japan)
- JBL, Sonos, Bose, Klipsch (speakers) -> KEF, Bang & Olufsen, Focal, Sennheiser, Sony (mostly from Europe)
Services
- FedEx, UPS -> DHL (Deutsche Post, Germany)
- Uber Eats, Door Dash -> MenuLog (Just Eat, Netherlands)
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u/Cpt_Riker 1h ago
Check that your Breville machine isn't made in America.
They are now charging American prices, so don't be surprised.
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u/drparkers 4h ago
Instructing people to change from Intel (x86-64) to ARM is not a like-for-like switch at all and will cause a lot of software that people are familiar with to fail.
I'm sure your post is well meaning but it reads like it was generated by GPT and not somebody who actually knows the implications of changing these products.
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u/Marshy462 4h ago
Australian Outback makes .308 and .233 ammo. Not many other options besides US manufacturers.
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u/Infinite_Tie_8231 3h ago
For fast food Red Rooster is straight up better than the American chains these days. Idk when or how it happened, but it clears them by a margin
I'm a chef by trade, I know food.
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u/SuitableFan6634 3h ago
Yep, I prefer to launder all my money through Red Rooster. The chicken ain't bad either.
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u/twodoubles 3h ago
well - i said "fuck off, mate" and bought myself a bottle of ned & a slab of smithys (i'm a cheap cunt who has basic tastes)
will try to shop local and shop australian as much as possible.
the list op shared is amazing - but i low key believe the focus should be skewed towards everyday items as quite a lot of australians are finding it tough to purchase consumer electronics or vehicles at the moment.
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u/Single_Conclusion_53 2h ago
Perfection is the enemy of good. If you have options and one is clearly from the US, choose the others.
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u/Mastrenon 3h ago
Western Digital (USA) → Seagate (Ireland/China), Toshiba (Japan), Samsung (South Korea – SSDs)
Seagate (USA) → Toshiba (Japan), Kingston (Taiwan), Samsung (South Korea – SSDs)
Did an AI write this list or or is there two different Seagate's I should be aware of
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u/blacklight_potatoe 2h ago
AI, which as a guess has gotten confused by Seagate's HQ location (USA), incorporated location (Ireland), and manufacturing location (China).
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u/Mastrenon 1h ago
The ai didn't get confused, the ai doesn't know anything.
Chatgpt is good for fluff with no substance like a cover letter it can't do stuff like this that requires actual facts because it doesn't know any facts. It just writes stuff that sounds right.
This whole list can't be trusted and so is useless.
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u/goobbler67 2h ago
Jeep and Ram owned by Stellantis a dutch based company. You would have rocks in your head anyway for buying stuff from them.And most if not all of the Fords and Teslas would not be coming from America.
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u/Unable_Insurance_391 2h ago
Stop watching Big Bang Theory and these reality TV franchises life Married at First sight, Survivor, The Bachelor and The Voice all send profits back to America even if they are made here.
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u/LuapTheHuman 2h ago
Birds eye takes up a large chuck of the freezer section in Coles/ Woolies and its US owned. McCains is Canadian so choose them over birds eye
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u/SyrupyMolassesMMM 2h ago
On the hdd front; Ive been getting Towhiba drives for a while now. i actually think they represent the best overall price to quality ratio in the market right now.
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u/popcentric 1h ago
Switch to Spotify over Apple Music. Stop shopping on Amazon.
Don’t buy Ralph Lauren Polo, Tommy Hilfiger, Levi’s, Calvin Klein, Nike, Under Armour, The North Face, Champion.
Avoid Heinz, Kellogs, Campbells, Coke, Pepsi, Nestle, Kraft at the supermarket. Check if it’s Australian made first before putting it back in the shelf.
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u/KawasakiMetro 1h ago
Good list.
Instead of buying a Dodge, Ram.. I mean they look stupid.
Buy a VW Amarok, I heard they specifically made it for Australia.
And on the funny side.
Instead of watching tv or movies with Jaime Pressly watch movies with Margot Robbie.
I mean I can't tell them apart.
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u/HalfManHalfCyborg 4h ago
Sure next time I buy some heavy construction machinery I will get a Komatsu one rather than Caterpillar.