WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today sent a letter to President Donald Trump urging his Administration to review and help advance the Reinforcing American-Made Products, bipartisan legislation introduced by Senator King and Republican colleagues that seeks to make it easier for American manufacturers to use the “Made in USA” label without weakening the “Made in USA” standard.

“During this week’s Made in America Week, domestic manufacturers will have a unique opportunity to showcase their American-made products and discuss how this Administration and Congress can work together to help our American workers and companies keep making things in America,” Senator King wrote. “I am writing to urge you to direct staff within the National Trade Council and the Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy to review S.118, the Reinforcing American-Made Products Act, and work with its bipartisan supporters in the House and Senate to determine how we can help ensure that U.S. manufacturers do not face excessive burdens here at home.”

The Reinforcing American-Made Products Act, which was introduced by Senator King and Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), would ensure that the federal government maintains authority in setting country-of-origin labeling standards and that states do not create a patchwork of different standards governing interstate and exported goods. One state has complicated our country standard, setting a rigid 100 percent threshold and exposing manufacturers to unnecessary litigation. This bipartisan legislation would fix that by creating one national standard.

The text of the letter is below and can be read in full HERE.

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Dear President Trump:

During this week’s Made in America Week, domestic manufacturers will have a unique opportunity to showcase their American-made products and discuss how this Administration and Congress can work together to help our American workers and companies keep making things in America. I am writing to urge you to direct staff within the National Trade Council and the Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy to review S.118, the Reinforcing American-Made Products Act, and work with its bipartisan supporters in the House and Senate to determine how we can help ensure that U.S. manufacturers do not face excessive burdens here at home.

As you are aware, the current Federal Trade Commission standard for making Made in USA claims is that the product's content of parts and labor must be "all or virtually all" domestic. This standard is fundamentally different than the California standard, which up until September 2015 dictated that products only carry the Made in USA label if they consisted of 100 percent domestically sourced components. Although California relaxed its labeling requirement on September 1, 2015, the new law still imposes a “bright-line” standard requiring a certain percentage of domestically sourced content in order to bear the Made in USA label.

The discrepancy in Made in USA labeling standards threatens the economic livelihood of manufacturers and retailers. Certain companies that complied with the federal standard but not the California standard faced lawsuits after the California Supreme Court found in 2011 that an individual could sue a company under California laws. Several punitive class action lawsuits followed. Class action lawsuits continue to be filed against domestic manufacturers over alleged false origin claims after the September 2015 change in law.

I remain concerned about this continued discrepancy and its implications for our domestic manufacturers. That is why I joined colleagues from both sides of the aisle to re-introduce S.118, the Reinforcing American-Made Products Act, which would maintain a clear national Made in USA standard to prevent well-intentioned domestic companies from shouldering unnecessary and costly burdens. The bill was reported favorably out of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation in May and is supported by industry groups such as the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA).

I appreciate your consideration of this request and your continued efforts to support American companies.

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