Is The U.S. Flag You Buy In Washington State Made In The U.S.?

You're looking for an American Flag to fly in front of your home in time for a holiday, say Memorial Day, and you figure you'll just head to store that carries them and pick one up.  Most people take for granted that an American flag is made in the good ole' US of A.  That's where you may be mistaken.

As of 2015, data from the US Department of Commerce and the US Census revealed roughly $4.4 million worth of US flags sold were imported.  $4million of that were US flags made in China.  In 2017, the number of US flags that were imported  was a whopping 10 million.  US flags imported from China accounted for all but 50,000 flags that year.

Legislators at the federal level began trying to mandate the US flags be 100% made in America as far back as 2011.  Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown (D) introduced a bill that year that passed the Senate unanimously but didn't make it to then President Obama's desk.  He tried again in 2013, it passed the Senate again (not unanimously this time) and once again it stalled.

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A bipartisan bill was introduced in November of last year.  Brown was again a sponsor and he was joined in the Senate by Susan Collins of Maine (R) while the house also ran a bipartisan bill.  Both passed and President Biden signed it into law this summer.  Before you celebrate too much, there is a catch.  The law only applies to flags purchased by the Federal Government, not to flags purchased by you or I.

Hard to believe that America's most iconic symbol could be made in another country and sold here.  In 1958 Congress passed the Textile Fiber Products Identification Act.  The cliff notes version of the law states that all fabric goods must have an origin label on the product so you know what country made it.

American Flags also must have a country of origin label affixed to it, or the seller needs to state in an advertisement that the flag is not made in the US.  Take this flag sold by Walmart on their website.

The description doesn't reveal it isn't made in America until you scroll further down the page and get into the fine print where most people don;t bother to scroll.  Most of us stop at "put in cart" if we like the sales pitch and the look.  The say it is imported, the tag on the flag itself will tell you what country it was made.

The Flag Manufacturers Association of America (FMAA) say on their website that 95% of US flags are made in America.  Others think the number could be higher.  What most agree on is that roughly 95% of the imported flags are coming from China.  Many imported flags are purchased online where you can't see the origin label.  Hare is an example from Amazon.

Again, you need to look to find where it states that the flag is not made in America.  They hit you in that nice price range between $20 and $35 dollars and boast about their durability (which may or may not be true).  The Federal Trade Commission, in their consumer advice section, has recently put out some things to look for to make sure the flag you buy is made in America.

Some deceptive tactics are using the word "ships from the USA".  That is definitely not the same as made in the USA.  Be aware of scammers who may pitch a great deal and then scam you out your money.  If you think someone is pushing a flag as made in the USA when it isn't, you can contact the FTC and report it by clicking here.

Ultimately,, buying an American Flag that is made in America supports American businesses, American workers, and the American economy.  It may also give you a little extra special feeling knowing that your own "Old Glory" was made in the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave.