Made in America?

I’ve seen it so many times before and today’s was no different. A well-meaning e-mail, it urged us to buy U.S.-made products. It’s a message I agree with and one I’ve supported over the years. After all, purchasing produce from local farmers and items made in America supports our citizens and stimulates our economy.

Then the e-mail took an unexpected turn.

The message focused on products that my company manufactures—-my American family-owned business born from two men who made their American dream come true. You see, I already buy local produce and clothes with “Made in the U.S.A.” tags. It’s as ingrained in me as baseball and apple pie. But this e-mail attacked the products that support my livelihood and that of our employees throughout the U.S.

The author urged people to buy products labeled “Made in the U.S.A.” because she found that they were cheaper than those imported and labeled “Made in China” and they promoted American business. On the surface, this seems like a reasonable assumption. The problem is that some companies, like mine, choose to manufacture products overseas to maintain the brand quality and technology their consumers expect at prices they’re willing to pay. Producing these same products on U.S. soil would mean an increase in production costs which would be passed onto consumers. Think about it. Would you honestly pay $20 for a t-shirt or an energy-efficient light bulb that you can get at Wal*Mart or Target today for $5 each?

The truth is that items made in the Far East might very well support American-based companies trying to balance staying afloat in an unsteady economy while providing low-cost products their consumers are willing to buy.

Another angle that rarely gets noticed is that something labeled as “Made in the U.S.A.” might be assembled here, but its components might be imported. Chances are that many American products are sourced one way or another from international businesses. If you’re a die-hard, ‘only-buy-American’ kind of consumer, you might want to do a little research before blacklisting certain products or companies based solely on their labels.

So, the next time you decide to buy something “Made in the U.S.A.” to show support for American businesses, consider that you just might be putting Americans out of work—and adding to the U.S. jobless rate, which burdens the system of unemployment payouts funded by you, our U.S. tax payers.