FTC: Made In The USA Comments Concerning Richard B. Gelinas--P894219 August 4, 1997 Office of the Secretary Subject: Made in USA Policy Comment Dear Commission, It has recently come to my attention that you are considering changing the definition of "Made in USA". I am writing to tell you I oppose anything that would weaken the guidelines for the use of this labeling. There are many people, myself including, that look to see if a product is Made in USA before they purchase it. This is with the goal of buying quality merchandise and more importantly keeping Americans working. I can feel good about my purchases when they bear that label. If you were to change the guidelines I would no longer have that tool to help me in deciding what I should and should not buy. Currently, Made in USA is simple to understand. If you changed the guidelines it simply would not mean what it says. I hear all this talk that we are changing into a global economy. I am no economist, but I am a consumer and therefore know that when something is advertised in one way and really isn't that way, that is fraud. It also doesn't take an economist to know that more Americans working is good for America. Should the guidelines be changed, I firmly believe American jobs will be lost. This is because there is value in the Made in USA label and if a manufacturer can still use it while importing a portion of its product, that translates into instant profit at the expense of jobs. I do not see this as benefiting America, only American manufacturers. Thank you for taking the time to consider my views and again, I urge you not to change the guidelines for Made in USA. Sincerely, Richard B. GelinasRichard B. Gelinas |