# What does "Made in USA with global materials" actually mean?



## SMP (Aug 29, 2018)

I am trying to purchase USA made products to the best of my ability when feasible. However, I have noticed an increase in items saying "Made in USA from Global Materials" or something to that effect. What does that actually mean? Is it 2 "pieces" of something almost assembled overseas that is then riveted together by a robot? Is it a stay at home mom putting a sticker on an already assembled tool? Is there any kind of standard for this? Or is it kind of like buying "organic" foods?


----------



## therealSteveN (Oct 29, 2016)

Assembled in the USA with foreign made parts and pieces is more accurate. IIRC in the USA it has to have a % of foreign parts, and not totally foreign parts, but I don't remember what the % was/is. Could have changed given a lot of changes from past administration, to current.


----------



## bigJohninvegas (May 25, 2014)

It's an interesting read. I could not copy the link, so Google made in the USA with globally sourced materials. 
I found a link to the FTC, (federal trade commission) and another to investopedia, that explained it. 
I think to answer your question, is that these items may be assembled in the USA. 
There are fairly strict rules about labeling. And items that say more than just plain made in the USA do not qualify as
Made in the USA. 
The investopedia link was a simplified read. The FTC link was the whole law. And more than I have time to get into. 
But I have seen the same as you. 
Red Wing boots were made in the USA. But have moved overseas. 
Now I go to there web site, and I see three options for country of origin. 
1. Made in the USA
2. Made in the USA with imported materials 
3. Assembled in the USA with imported components . 
Crazy, marketing 101 I guess


----------



## sansoo22 (May 7, 2019)

John - I don't know if its marketing or people were getting upset to find out there made in USA products were actually just assembled here so the FTC put in the different levels for labeling. I tend to buy Made in USA when I can but will settle for Assembled in USA with imported bits and pieces. At least if its assembled here I can hope the QA on it is a lot higher.


----------



## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

Means what it sounds like, made of chinesium, probably with trace amounts of Chernobyl steel.


----------



## bigJohninvegas (May 25, 2014)

> John - I don t know if its marketing or people were getting upset to find out there made in USA products were actually just assembled here so the FTC put in the different levels for labeling. I tend to buy Made in USA when I can but will settle for Assembled in USA with imported bits and pieces. At least if its assembled here I can hope the QA on it is a lot higher.
> 
> - sansoo22


Sansoo22, I agree. I try to buy made in USA when i can. I am glad this topic came up. I have saw the global source stuff before. And have not bothered to look it up till now. With so much manufacturing moving overseas, I suppose I'll buy what ever level of made here I can. I actually look for USA first, and then anywhere but China second. I feel the issue is effecting our European friends too.


----------



## tmasondarnell (Jul 2, 2013)

I deal with issue as part of my profession (product management). The rules for saying something is "Made in the USA" are rather strict. The FTC increased oversight and the rules because many companies were cheating on "Made in the USA". As the OP pointed out, many companies would have a product manufactured in another country, shipped to the US and then put into a box labeled "Made in the USA". They would argue that because the "final assembly" was done in the USA, they could advertise that it was "Made in the USA".

The Government got wise and the rules now say that you can only label something as "Made in the USA" if the last "significant transformation of the key components and materials was done within the territorial limits of the USA". What does that mean? Ask a 5 lawyers and you will get 12 answers and a really big bill

If there is any doubt about made in the USA, the safe answer is to say "Assembled in the USA" and not "Made in the USA" .

The exception is for cars. They have to label the country of origin of the materials materials and where it is assembled.


----------



## SMP (Aug 29, 2018)

> It s an interesting read. I could not copy the link, so Google made in the USA with globally sourced materials.
> I found a link to the FTC, (federal trade commission) and another to investopedia, that explained it.
> - bigJohninvegas


I looked at the FTC link and got even more confused. What I took away from that is that:
1. "Made in USA" means all or "virtually all" made in USA. 
2. Companies can also put a "qualified" statement with a % used, examples from site: Example: "60% U.S. content." "Made in USA of U.S. and imported parts." 
3. Assembled in USA.

However, most of these new tools simply say "Made in USA from global materials", instead of saying assembled in USA, or saying 60% global materials. So they seem to be skirting the guidelines, or maybe they don't even really know?

What I did find kind of interesting is DeWalts take on this. They provide a video, which just shows someone in a US "factory" installing a couple of screws into a drill( I "think" they stick the motor in the case and screw the drill together). So although I guess it could be marketing and or tariff/tax issues, it still has the effect of helping to employ US workers(which is along the spirit of why I choose this) I guess they can't say "Assembled in USA" because it must not make a substantial transformation?
https://www.dewalt.com/dewalt-dna/made-in-the-usa-with-global-materials


----------



## MrRon (Jul 9, 2009)

If it reads, "made in the USA", it probably means the box was made in the USA, not the contents.


----------



## therealSteveN (Oct 29, 2016)

For companies like Black and Decker they have more manpower, and payroll going to doods who spend all their time figuring out how to make import junk look like it's quality merchandise. I'm sure they also play hard at wording like we are talking about so something completely made abroad is 99% American made on the packaging.

They would rather do that, then actually have them work on a quality tool.


----------

