FTC: Made In The USA Comments Concerning Garment Contractors Association of Southern California, Inc.--P894219 GARMENT CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION Internet: http://www.garmentcontractors.org
August 4, 1997 Robert Pitofsky, Chairman Dear Mr. Pitofsky: We respectfully urge you not to change the standard or definition for labeling garments as MADE IN USA! To allow a garment to be identified as MADE IN USA when up to 25% of its manufacturing cost is of foreign source is to invite our importers and retailers to further decimate our domestic apparel manufacturing base. Importers would argue and conclude that since the labor component of garment, that indeed it would be legal to label a garment wholly cut and sewn in China, Mexico or any other low wage country as MADE IN USA. Another reason this change should not be allowed is that this would be a total deception to the consumers you are required to serve and protect. Any consumer that buys a garment labeled as MADE IN USA has the right to feel that it is indeed manufactured in this country. Yet under the proposed change in definition a consumer might buy a MADE IN USA labeled garment when in fact it was made in Guatemala. A change in definition that would fool the public should be considered outrageous and unconscionable. Very truly yours, Joseph Rodriguez cc: FTC Commissioners Mary Azcuenega; Janet Steiger; Roscoe Starek III; Christine Varney |