Made in America?

 When you buy an American made product, what does that mean? According to the Federal Trade Commission, the product must be “all or virtually all” made in the U.S. Simply being headquartered in the U.S., or having a distribution hub in the U.S. does not qualify the products sold through a company to be identified as American made.

Why is this important? Because many companies imply that they are selling quality, American made products, pointing to their distribution facilities here or a misleading label as proof. The imported products they sell are not necessarily made to standards you would expect. Their manufacture definitely does not benefit the U.S. economy.

Products brought in from overseas rarely have manufacturers liability insurance to protect the end user and all people in the supply chain from damages in the event of failure. Ask your suppliers where their products are made. Ask if you can tour their facility. Ask them for certificates of origin for their materials. If the answer to any of these questions isn't what it should be, can you afford to use their products?