Look for ‘Made in USA’ Before Buying Your American Flag
May 27 2015 - 9:49AM
Business Wire
Every year as warm weather approaches, Americans turn their
thoughts to upcoming celebrations including three of America’s most
patriotic holidays: Memorial Day, Flag Day and Independence Day.
Unfortunately, offshore flag manufacturers are making preparations
of their own. They’re readying shiploads of foreign-made American
flags just in time for our summer holidays.
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If you see the "Made in U.S.A." labeling
on your flag or on the packaging, you know your American flag is
indeed American-made. (Photo: Business Wire)
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly $4 million worth of
imported American flags are sold in the United States each year.
The vast majority of this amount ($3.6 million) is for U.S. flags
made in China.
“Americans are justifiably proud of their country so they want
to fly American flags at their homes, businesses and at public
celebrations,” according to Thomas J. D’Amico, owner of American
Flags Express, based in Butler, Wis. “However, too many people
assume their American flags are made in the U.S.A. The truth is,
unless you see a ‘Made in U.S.A’ label on your flag, there’s a good
chance it was not manufactured in the United States.”
Consumer confusion over the sourcing of American flags is a
relatively recent concern. Prior to September 11, 2001, nearly all
American flags were made in the U.S.A. The day after the 9/11
terrorist attacks, the greatest demand for American flags in
history began. The patriotic surge made it impossible for U.S. flag
manufacturers to keep up with demand, which caused a shortage that
lasted for months.
“In those early days of e-commerce, our company, American Flags
Express, was the only fully functional flag website on the
Internet,” says D’Amico. “We were swamped with orders, as was every
other American manufacturer.”
By the following year the upshot of America’s desire to wave the
flag was clearly evident. Offshore manufacturers – especially China
– had quickly stepped in to fill the demand. “It was only natural
that Americans wanted to display their patriotism so everywhere you
looked there were American flags for sale,” D’Amico says.
“Unfortunately many of those flags were poorly printed and
assembled. It was frustrating to see our national symbol
represented like that.”
Over the past decade, American flag manufacturers have stepped
up production of American flags to counter the shortage. However,
the initial foothold established in the U.S. by Chinese
manufacturers remains and continues to grow. With the easing of
trade rules, Chinese-made American flags continue to flood into the
United States, furthering the loss of skilled jobs in this
country.
Federal law requires that each individual flag larger than 216
square inches (18″ x 12″) sold in the U.S. must have a label
indicating the country of origin.1
What can you do to make sure your American flag is made in
America?
Consumers should closely inspect their American flags. The
material, stitching and assembly should be appropriate to withstand
the intended use. If it’s a printed flag, the colors should be
accurate and the image should be sharp with no overlap between
colors.
“Above all, my advice to consumers is that if their flag is
larger than 18″ x 12″ they should look for the ‘Made in U.S.A.’
labeling stamped on the canvas header,” D’Amico says. “It’s a
requirement to have this labeling.”
If you’re purchasing a smaller flag on which a label is not
required, ask to see the original package that the flags came in
because country of origin is required to be marked on the packaging
for all flags. Some retailers choose to remove flags from their
original packaging to disguise where the flags were made.
“If you see the ‘Made in U.S.A.’ labeling on the flag or on the
packaging, you know your American flag is indeed American-made,”
D’Amico says.
About American Flags Express
Based in Butler, Wisconsin, American Flags Express specializes
in the highest commercial quality large American flags. The company
serves a wide variety of customers worldwide ranging from all five
branches of the U.S. military, United States Supreme Court,
federal, state and community governments, organizations and
homeowners.
www.FlagsExpress.com
1
https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-center/guidance/threading-your-way-through-labeling-requirements-under-textile#covered
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American Flags ExpressThomas J. D’AmicoOffice: 262-783-4800Fax:
262-783-5645Email: TD@FlagsExpress.com