In Denmark, a supermarket chain used a black star. In Canada it was a maple leaf.
President Donald Trump’s trade war inspired new “Made In” country of origin labels this year, as shoppers outside the US sought to avoid American goods and shop local instead. In the US, however, the ‘Made in USA’ brand is losing its domestic appeal.
The mention of the country of origin is intended as a stamp of authenticity and quality. Countries monitor their own rules to ensure that products labeled ‘made’ or ‘assembled’ in their country were actually made or assembled there and that they meet national standards.
When Copenhagen-based think tank 21st Century introduced its concept for a possible future ‘Made in Europe’ label, its chief executive said it was intended to inspire confidence, as if consumers could trust that if something were made in Europe it would not contain arsenic.
In the US, however, this year’s ‘Made in USA’ is less about trust for a growing number of consumers and more about higher prices. And they don’t want to pay them.
A Conference Board survey released in August found that about half of U.S. consumers say knowing a product is made in the U.S. makes them more likely to buy it again, down 18% since 2022. The report’s author blames the decline on consumers seeming to associate “Made in USA” with expensive due to high domestic production costs.
American consumers today face an overall average effective rate of 16.8%, according to Yale’s Budget Lab. That’s the highest figure since 1935, and it comes amid broader economic discontent.
Half of American adults say they spend more time than usual looking for the lowest price on items, according to a US newspaper Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research Poll. That is an increase from 31% in 2021 and partly explains the rise of yuppies, designed generic brands. Value is important to today’s consumers.
Trump’s Federal Trade Commission (FTC) plans to ‘Made in USA’ one of the top enforcement priorities by 2026, half of all shoppers looking for the best deal will not be influenced one way or another, regardless of where a product is produced.
Americans say they are generally attentive to where their products are made October Gallp poll found, with 76% aware of the country in which the products were made before purchasing them sometimes, usually or always.
However, after years of inflation, the most important label for many American shoppers is not “Made in USA.” It’s the price tag.
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