Made in America: But check the label

By Robin Itzler

Editor's Note:  This is one of the commentaries selected from Robin's weekly newsletter Patriot Neighbors.  Any cartoons will have been added by me. If you wish to get the full edition, E-mail her at PatriotNeighbors@yahoo.com to get on her list, it's free.

Thanks to the America First movement that includes increased tariffs for products manufactured overseas, patriotism is front and center. This means companies will want to market their products that are made in the USA or have a connection to the United States.

Some American manufacturers are reporting that they are now operating seven days a week to fill orders as customers seek to avoid tariffs. When shopping we will be looking to see where the item was made. There are various terms that use “USA” or “America” but have different meanings. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) “Made in USA Labeling Rule” (Rule 16 CFR Part 323) specifies how the term can be used.

Made in USA – This refers to the location where the product was manufactured – must be somewhere in the United States. The entire product or virtually the entire product must be made in the United States.

Product of USA – Implies that most of the ingredients or components came from America.

Assembled in the USA – For products that don’t meet “Made in USA” standards, the label might read “Made in the USA from domestic and imported parts” or “Built in the USA.” For it to include “USA” in the description, the item must be “substantially transformed” by the manufacturing process.

For descriptions that use “USA,” the question is “what percentage of parts must be made in the United States? Only textiles, wool, fur products and automobiles are required by law to detail the percentage that is actually “made in America.”

President Trump understands that for the United States of America to remain a world leader, it must maintain and increase its manufacturing base. Our nation cannot rely on other nations, especially nations such as Communist China that seek our destruction.

Secretary of Health & Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., knows this also extends to our medications. Kennedy said: 

"All medications sold in America should be MADE in America to ensure Quality and Security."

Read about America’s Early Patriots of Industry. Titans of Industry: Patriots – Who Shaped America by Katherine Daigle.