​Do you know where your American flag is being made?

The Flag Manufacturers Association of America urges the American consumer to be aware that marketplace sellers on the internet use deceptive wording to disguise the true “country of origin” when advertising a United States flag product.

(Wayne, PA, July 24, 2018) . . . The Flag Manufacturers Association of America (FMAA) and its member companies have mobilized to create an awareness campaign that seeks to inform the American public about the steps for identifying authentic vs. inauthentic “Made in the USA” American flags.

Did you know that many of the US flags that will be flown this year did not originate in America? These flags, which have come from foreign manufacturers in countries such as China, Thailand, and Cambodia, and are actively advertised as “Authentic American Flag”, “All-American Flag”, or “100% US Flag”, are misrepresenting this nation’s great patriotic symbol.

These foreign manufacturers, and the online marketplaces that sell their products, are circumventing existing labeling laws, like the Tariff Act of 1930 and the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act of 1966, and in doing so, are effectively misleading the American public. These Acts were measures passed by Congress to require that “all articles of foreign origin (or their packaging containers) must be marked permanently, legibly, and in a conspicuous place, as to inform the ultimate purchaser in the United States of the English name of the article’s country of origin.”

This summer, the FMAA seeks to raise awareness of this issue and educate the American public about the ways in which they can inform themselves of the origins of their American flags and ultimately detect whether a US flag was, in fact, “Made in the USA” or not.

Steps for the Flag-Buying Process

1.Look for American flags with packaging and/or a sewn-in label that indicates the exact wording, “Made in the USA”. Common misnomers to be aware of: “Authentic American Flag”, “All-American Flag”, and “100% US Flag”.

2.Look for the designated FMAA certified seal denoting authenticity. In 2005, FMAA launched its “Certified Made

in the USA” certification program, designed to ensure that all American flags purchased are made in the US of materials that are domestic in origin and that all processes involved in its manufacture were completed in US facilities with US labor. The FMAA monitors and requires re-certification from its member manufacturers every year.

3.Be inquisitive when buying an American flag, whether in-store or through an online marketplace like Amazon. If there is no verbiage that states, “Made in the USA”, contact the vendor group and inquire if their manufacturing facilities are based in America.

4.Purchase your flag from an FMAA Certified Retailer, such as Flags.com.

About the FMAA

The Flag Manufacturers Association of America is a nationwide industry group representing member companies composed of proud and dedicated makers of authentic “Made in the USA” American flags, some of who have been in business producing US flags in America for over 100 years.

Their manufacturing members remain wholly committed to the US production of our country’s greatest symbol and all it stands for, with utilization of 100% American factories, American employees, and US-sourced raw materials. They are dedicated to educating and promoting the quality, variety, and proper use of flags manufactured in the United States.