Made in USA.

You've seen it on our packaging and product pages, but have you ever wondered what this actually means? How is it different than other products you see with labels like "Designed in USA" or "Assembled in USA"? Are the products you buy actually made here in the United States or is this some clever marketing?

What does "Made in USA" mean?

It might seem simple enough, but what does it actually mean for a manufactured product to be designated as "Made in USA"?

The "Made in USA" label is a regulated term by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The FTC sets guidelines for how the label is used, and if its not used properly businesses will be fined and forced to clarify how their products are made.

To qualify for the label, this mean that "all or virtually all" or the product was made in the USA. Breaking this down further, the FTC makes it clear that "all significant parts, processing, and labor that go into the product must be of U.S. origin". That is, the product should contain no, or negligible, foreign content.

U.S. content must be disclosed on automobiles and textile, wool, and fur products. While there is no law that requires most other products sold in the U.S. to be marked or labeled "Made in USA" or have any disclosure about their amount of U.S. content, marketers and manufacturers who choose to make claims about the amount of U.S. content in their products must comply with the FTC's Made in USA policy.

Because this is a regulated term, when you see "Made in USA" from companies like Common Fibers, you know you can trust it.

What if a product was made in several different countries?

If a product was made in several different countries, and one of these countries is the U.S., companies can advertise this in what the FTC called a "Qualified Claim". There are many ways they can do this, however qualified claims may imply more domestic content than exists. As such, all claims must be truthful and substantiated.

For example, companies can meet this qualification by clearly stating how much of the product was made in the U.S. or what percentage of the content is American made. When making U.S. origin claims about specific processes or parts, all claims must clearly refer to the specific process or part, and not to the general manufacture of the product.

What about "Designed in USA", "Assembled in USA" and other labels?

As more and more people want to shop for products made in America, companies will use selective language to associate themselves with American manufacturing or imply USA origin. In many cases, companies using these terms without the explicit indication they are "Made in USA" do not qualify for the label. One would then reasonably assume either the majority of the product, or the entire product itself, is of foreign origin. This is significant especially in product segments that are highly competitive and where country of origin claims can lead to increases in sales.

Some of these terms and phrases include: "Designed in USA", "Packaged in USA", "Shipped in USA", "Crafted in USA", "Created in USA", "Born in USA", and "Built in USA".

Notably, a product the includes foreign components may be called "Assembled in USA" when it's principal assembly takes place in the U.S. and the assembly is substantial. According to the FTC, for this claim to be valid, "the product's last 'substantial transformation' also should have occurred in the U.S.

This means products that are imported, packaged and shipped, or require quick assembly to put together, aren't substantial transformations and can't use this label either.

Are your Carbon Fiber Wallets Made In USA?

Yes!

We are proud to manufacture our wallets and all of our hinged goods in our Seattle, WA shop. When you get one of our wallets, you can know for certain it was made here. We are truly "Designed in Seattle. Made in Seattle".

Most carbon fiber manufacturing takes place abroad, and there are many companies who sell carbon fiber wallets that use the selective language to imply U.S. origin.As we advance the market with our goods, we encourage competition, but we are clear about our origins.

Not all carbon fiber is made equal or real, there are a lot of knock-off material. Carbon fiber is also tricky to work with and many companies don't have the knowledge, facilities, or quality control to create great carbon fiber products. If you have questions, don’t hesitate to contact us we are here to help!