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Made in the USA?

šŸ·ļø How Can Something Say “Made in the USA” If It’s Not All Made Here?

šŸ§µ At Patriot Prayer Teesā€¦

At Patriot Prayer Tees, our goal is to be transparent and honest. For that reason, we clearly state where every part of our shirts comes from. We believe in supporting American farmers and bringing you quality you can feel. Each of our shirts is crafted using 100% cotton grown right here in the United States. While our shirts are assembled in facilities in Haiti, Honduras, or the Dominican Republic, the cotton itself is proudly U.S. sourced.

However, other sellers may claim their shirts are “Made in the USA,” and we may both be selling the base same shirt.

It might sound strange, but in the world of labels, the rules can be a little tricky. Here’s what happens sometimes:

Imagine you grow cotton in Vietnam, send it to China to be turned into a T-shirt, then ship it to the USA, where someone finishes the shirt by sewing the bottom edge (hemming it) or printing a design on it. In some cases, because the “last important step” was done in the USA, companies might label it as “Made in the USA.”

The U.S. government has rules for what counts as ā€œMade in the USA,ā€ but sometimes companies stretch it. Hereā€™s what usually happens:

  • If a product is truly made in the USA, it means all or almost all of it was made hereā€”from the materials to the sewing and packaging.
  • But if only the last step happens here, and itā€™s a “significant” step (like printing, assembling, or final touches), some companies might still try to say itā€™s made hereā€”even if most of the work was done overseas.

āš–ļø The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) watches for false claims, but not every product is checked right away.

šŸ§µ Why Does This Matter?

Because people want to support American jobs, and when a label says ā€œMade in the USA,ā€ we expect that means the workers and materials are from here. But sometimes, itā€™s only partially true, which is why itā€™s important to ask questionsā€”like youā€™re doing.

For more detailed information, you can refer to the FTC’s official guidance on this topic: