An X user named Stephen shared the picture posing a question, “Why does the city of Seattle get their manhole covers from India?” A simple observation quickly turned into online debate.
Often, social media is abuzz with debates and discussions revolving around sensitive and polarising topics, sparking intense conversations. Recently, a photograph of a manhole cover has surfaced online, which has grabbed attention for its label ‘Made In India’ being used in Seattle, US. An X user named Stephen shared the picture posing a question, “Why does the city of Seattle get their manhole covers from India?” A simple observation quickly turned into a debate online, drawing attention to trade, cost and policy cross-country.
The simple photograph sparked a broader conversation about the economic perspective of global manufacturing dependencies. Several users chimed in with their economic insights to reason out the ‘Made in India’ product in the US. A user wrote, “Cast iron all over the world comes from India. It has for decades.” A second user commented, “I bet cost is a factor also.” The third user replied, “Since when has the city of Seattle cared about cost?” The fourth user pointed out, “I wonder if any American ever wonder how many made-in-China products available in their markets.”
Reacting to the online discussion, Stephen, who posted the picture, said, “We know, India isn’t a manufacturing powerhouse so I was curious why that was made there.” A user replied, “Everyone does. All steel forging and casting for these covers is in India now. Damn shame.” Further, the discussion escalated, drawing attention to US-India trades. One user said, “India produces 6 times more iron ore at half the price than the US. So India has a comparative advantage in providing manhole covers to the US. This way Americans can worry about bigger problems like building sophisticated engines, weaponry etc and leave the boring things like manhole covers to India.” “I see and replied to a bunch of anti-india comments. What I don’t understand is, did India force USA to import? Then why blame, demean and stereotype? Bad for your local businesses, agreed. Waste of taxpayers money, could be. Ask your government, blame the beaurocrats,” added another user.
Meanwhile, US cities have reportedly been importing manhole covers from India for decades due to their affordability, with prices 20-60% lower than American-made covers. A 2007 New York Times report highlighted this trend, and a 2014 documentary also explored the lives of the men behind New York City’s Indian-made manhole covers.