All products in store and online must have 2 flags on the display side of the package.
1.) Flag 1 is the country where the product is headquartered. If a product is produced by an American owned company an American flag is posted. If it is owned by a Chinese company a Chinese flag is shown.
2.) Flag 2 is the country where it is produced. If the product is 100% made in America an entire American flag is presented. If it is 50% made in America 50% of the flag is colored in with red/white stripes. If it is made in a China a Chinese flag is shown.
This simple system will make it very easy to know who owns the company and who makes it. Consumers may be willing to pay a few dolars more if they see 2 American flags that show it is 100% American owned and manufactured product. They may also buy the product if it is Chinese owned but made in America or vice versa.
The point is for the American consumer to be able to make an educated decision before they purchase the product. The country where it is manufactured currently needs to be listed but that is almost always inside the packaging and only found after the product has been purchased.
This system will also encourage foreign companies to manufacture in America in order to receive a made in America flag.
This is a very simple way of giving the consumer the information they need to support American businesses and their employees.
That’s a great question. My initial thoughts are that it would go by percentages again. Made in America with foreign parts would get a 50% American flag. If they can demonstrate that the part is not available in America they would be able to petition to get a % of the filled in flag back. If they choose foreign parts because they’re cheaper the most they could get is a 50% flag for being manufactured in America. This would encourage the purchase from American part manufacturers. If the American manufacturer can get the part price down to, or at least near the foreign equivalent with transportation cost, it will help to level the playing field. It will also encourage American ingenuity to devise a way to make the parts at a more competitive price. The only reason why I don’t believe this has happened yet is because there is no desire to compete against foreign manufacturers because their prices are so low. This will encourage our corporations to enter some of these part manufacturing fields as they will hear the demand from our citizens for American owned/made parts at a competitive price.They may never be able to match China’s slave/worker manufacturing prices but at least it keeps our companies in the conversation as to where to go to get the parts required. As sales increase for American owned and made manufacturers their ability to produce more products/parts in America will also increase. They may go into manufacturing their own parts after expected sales increase. It will definitely be a process that will take a little time to work out unexpected difficulties our manufacturers encounter. That’s OK though as it keeps the conversation on helping our companies and their employees as they work through it.
This would also serve as an excellent campaign addition to the platform. It sends the message to our workers that they are appreciated & we’re doing what we can to help facilitate the purchase of American owned/made goods. The party that adopts this will appeal to American blue collar workers.
The last thing I will say is that I would love to know who I’m really helping out when I make a decision as to which named product to buy. The manufacturers do not package products w/o their name and logo on it. The two flag system will advertise which purchases help our friends/family/fellow Americans and which purchases send our money overseas to help their citizens.
You’re thoughts on this idea are greatly appreciated.
I like the idea in principle. I miss those old “proudly made in the USA” commercials. I just think there’s got to be a simpler solution than flag/half flag, another flag system. Maybe some sort of endorsement system or marking for products made in the USA with 51+% American parts?