Fed up with fake "Made in America" claims, our CEO, Liz Morris, headed to Washington, D.C. on June 11, 2024. She joined 21 fellow U.S. flag retailers to rally support for the "Make American Flags in America Act." Their goal was to generate a buzz for the new bill during National Flag Week (June 9-15) and on Flag Day, June 14th.  

 

If passed, this act (H.R. 4137) will require all U.S. flags on federal property to be made entirely in the U.S.A. It will also ask the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to review and improve country-of-origin labeling laws to prevent fraud. 

 

"What we're seeing on Amazon is misleading ways of titling products," Liz Morris said. "It has become more and more of an issue recently, so we're pushing for honesty and transparency. I think it’s important to be honest with the customer, label the flags correctly, and let the chips fall where they may.”  

 

The "Make American Flags in America Act" aims at stopping online retailers from falsely claiming their U.S. flags are made in America. This law would replace the old law, which requires the U.S. government to purchase flags made from at least 50% American-made materials.  

 

Senator Ted Cruz introduced another version of the bill to the Senate in 2023. The “Make American Flags in America Act” needs to pass the House and Senate before becoming official law.  

 

A similar law, “The All-American Flags Act” (S. 1973) passed the Senate in 2023. This law requires U.S. flags purchased by the government to be made with 100% domestic materials. It does not address fraud or other issues perpetuated on Amazon and other online marketplaces.  

 

According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, consumers purchased more than $6.5 million worth of imported U.S. flags in 2022 and $4.4 million worth in 2023. Of these imported flags, more than 93% came from China. Both the "Make American Flags in America Act" and "All-American Flags Act" would prevent the U.S. government from purchasing American flags made outside of the U.S. 

 

Fighting Fraud 

 

Members of the National Independent Flag Dealers Association (NIFDA) are spearheading the fight for authentic U.S. flags in collaboration with Representative Elise Stefanik, H.R. 4137's author.  

 

NIFDA's mission is to represent the interests of independent retailers that specialize in selling the American flag, our nation's most beloved symbol.  

 

Their official position is that all American flags should be made in the U.S.A. As part of their efforts to protect domestic flag manufacturing, NIFDA members, including our CEO, are visiting U.S. representatives to encourage them to co-sponsor the "Make American Flags in America Act." 

 

"There's been some sort of version of this bill around for a long time. I think there's kind of a renewed vigor in the flag community to do something about it just because it's really impacting us this year," Liz Morris said. "I want to be a part of that movement in whatever way I can." 

 

In addition to visiting members of Congress, NIFDA retailers met with Military Legislative Assistant Stephanie Buesser and Jim Robertson, Representative Elise Stefanik’s chief of staff, to share how fraud has impacted their business. Currently, H.R. 4137 is the only bill written and backed by NIFDA – underscoring its critical importance in ensuring the integrity of American-made flags. 

 

According to Representative Stefanik’s staffers, the bill has a real chance of passing by the end of the year. Her team has asked NIFDA and the FMAA (the Flag Manufacturers Association of America) to write up their top concerns to maximize the effectiveness of any new laws. 

 

Beyond H.R. 4137 and “The All-American Flags Act,” there are other laws pending in Congress that could affect the flag industry. The “COOL Online Act” would require e-commerce shops to state the country of origin in their product descriptions. The Import Security and Fairness Act would require all goods entering the country to be subjected to tax. These laws would help American businesses better compete with imported products and encourage transparency for shoppers. 

 

Help Support U.S. Manufacturing 

 

Carrot-Top Industries is dedicated to only selling outdoor U.S.A. flags 100% manufactured in the U.S. with domestically sourced materials. As members of the FMAA, we guarantee our products come from top-tier U.S.A. flag makers with decades of manufacturing excellence. Purchasing from Carrot-Top ensures the money you spend on our flags cycles through the U.S. economy, supporting hardworking Americans and keeping jobs within our borders.  

 

Purchasing flags falsely labeled as "Made in the U.S.A." impacts the factories that craft the flags and the retailers who work hard to curate a high-quality catalog.  

 

We encourage patriots who wish to support domestic flag manufacturers to contact their local representative at Congress.gov. Crafting a simple letter can go a long way toward rallying support. You can also post on social media or share our article "How to Spot Fake Made in the U.S.A. Flags" to support our cause.