A photo of a made-in-India manhole cover in Seattle left Internet users scratching their heads on whether this too has any cost factor, and that's why US cities get manhole covers from India. "Why does the city of Seattle get their manhole covers from India?" a user posted as a lot of focus is on India with US tech workers claiming that their jobs are being eaten up by H-1B workers.
"Cast iron all over the world comes from India. It has for decades," one replied to the viral post. "My bet is a lack of environmental standards, as a lot of Iron ore requires tons of coal to melt it. Though the US can still do it, it likely does a lot less of it," another wrote.
"Especially weird as there are two vendors in Washington that look like they could have fulfilled the order," one posted.
"Entire country does for the most part. At least dem run major metros," one person wrote. "Everyone does. All steel forging and casting for these covers is in India now. Damn shame," another added.
"Everywhere you look, we've been hollowed out by foreigners and our own government. It will take time, but it must be undone," a user added.
"Its where they get their computer scientists.... so ya," one post read.
A 2007 report of the New York Times shed light on this decades-long practice of getting Indian-made manhole covers for US cities, as they are 20 to 60 per cent cheaper than American manufacturers. The report said that some state laws in the US require city governments to buy the lowest-priced products available that fit specifications and forbid the city from excluding companies based on their location, even if from India. A 2014 documentary by Natasha Raheja dealt with the subject -- the lives of the men behind the manhole covers in New York City.
"Cast iron all over the world comes from India. It has for decades," one replied to the viral post. "My bet is a lack of environmental standards, as a lot of Iron ore requires tons of coal to melt it. Though the US can still do it, it likely does a lot less of it," another wrote.
Why does the city of Seattle get their manhole covers from India? pic.twitter.com/E75TEP7ZNj
— Stephen “The Yellow Dart” Schutt (@schuttsm) May 23, 2025
Cast iron all over the world comes from India. It has for decades.
— FarmerAa (@AaFarmerAa) May 23, 2025
Especially weird as there are two vendors in Washington that look like they could have fulfilled the order.https://t.co/W6VJLZpzTH
— Progressing California (@ProgressingCali) May 23, 2025
India produces 6 times more iron ore at half the price than the US.
— Vineeth Naik 🇮🇳 (@vineeth_naik) May 23, 2025
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…
Everywhere you look, we've been hollowed out by foreigners and our own government. It will take time, but it must be undone.
— Noumenon (@fourthcritique) May 23, 2025
"Especially weird as there are two vendors in Washington that look like they could have fulfilled the order," one posted.
"Entire country does for the most part. At least dem run major metros," one person wrote. "Everyone does. All steel forging and casting for these covers is in India now. Damn shame," another added.
"Everywhere you look, we've been hollowed out by foreigners and our own government. It will take time, but it must be undone," a user added.
"Its where they get their computer scientists.... so ya," one post read.
A 2007 report of the New York Times shed light on this decades-long practice of getting Indian-made manhole covers for US cities, as they are 20 to 60 per cent cheaper than American manufacturers. The report said that some state laws in the US require city governments to buy the lowest-priced products available that fit specifications and forbid the city from excluding companies based on their location, even if from India. A 2014 documentary by Natasha Raheja dealt with the subject -- the lives of the men behind the manhole covers in New York City.
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