Walmart kicks off its annual U.S. Manufacturing Summit in Arkansas on Tuesday, highlighting progress in its 10-year commitment to purchase $250 billion in American-made goods. With approximately 80 percent of Walmart’s suppliers still located in China, we’ll let the facts speak for themselves:
5 hours for $10 million
Walmart makes $34,985 in profit every minute, meaning that Walmart makes $10 million in profit approximately every five hours.
Source: Statistic Brain
795,900 Shipping Containers
For several years, Walmart has been the single largest U.S. importer of consumer goods, surpassing the trade volume of entire countries. According to the Journal of Commerce, Walmart remains the top U.S. importer.
2012: Walmart ranked No.1 at 720,000 TEUs
2013: Walmart ranked No. 1 at 731,500 TEUs
2014: Walmart ranked No. 1 at 775,400 TEUs
2015: Walmart ranked No. 1 at 795,900 TEUs
Source: Journal of Commerce: 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015
2/3 Groceries
“The main Walmart U.S. unit sells mostly groceries and already procures two-thirds of its goods – including a lot of food – from U.S. sources.”
Source: Reuters
2.7 Million Jobs Lost
Between 2001-2011, 2.7 million jobs were lost to China with 2.1 million in manufacturing.
Source: Economic Policy Institute
100 For Every One
More than 100 U.S. jobs were displaced for every actual or promised job created through Walmart’s Investing in American Jobs initiative.
Source: Economic Policy Institute
95 Percent vs. 20 Percent
Walmart China “firmly believes” in local sourcing with over 95 percent of their merchandise coming from local sources. In America, estimates say that Chinese suppliers make up 70-80 percent of Walmart’s merchandise, leaving less than 20 percent for American-made products.
Source: Walmart China, Frontline, The Atlantic
$3.9 Trillion vs. $250 Billion
Walmart’s financial records show it collected $3.9 trillion in net sales between 2005 and 2014. In 2013, the company committed to purchasing $250 billion in American-made goods by 2023 – just 6 percent of its net sales over the past decade (5% in 2014).
If Walmart continues to grow at the same rate, in 2023 the company will spend just 3.2 percent on American-made goods.