According to the Federal Trade Commission's website, for a product to be deemed worthy of the label, it must be "all or virtually all" made in the U.S.

For some RTO dealers, sticking to their "made in the good old USA" roots is more important than saving some green. Visit: www.shopinform.com or www.rtoforms.com

Most products are manufactured overseas today, or so it seems. Many manufacturers and suppliers have yielded to the pricing pressures of competitive overseas goods, no longer able to compete by providing American-made products. Yet, ironically, there's a strong demand for the traditional home-grown items.

And for some RTO dealers, sticking to their "made in the good old USA" roots is more important than saving some green.

What "Made in the USA" means - It's important to understand what it means for products to be USA-made. According to the Federal Trade Commission's website, for a product to be deemed worthy of the label, it must be "all or virtually all" made in the U.S. The FTC defines the term "United States" as "the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S, territories and possessions."

Benefits of USA-Made Products - Here are four reasons to buy USA-Made wearables and other products:

1. Feel-Good factor. Knowing products are U.S.-made gives buyers a feeling of patriotism and satisfaction because goods were produced by Americans and not overseas, possibly by child laborers.

2. High quality. Domestic-made products have a higher quality than those produced overseas that use cheaper labor and materials.

3. Faster turnaround time. Since products are produced in the U.S., they can be turned around much more quickly than if they need to be sent overseas for assembly and decorating.

4. Cuts the red tape. When products don't need to be shipped overseas, messy red tape and Customs issues are completely eliminated, making for a much smoother operation.

What to Look Out For

Visit: www.shopinform.com or www.rtoforms.com for promotional wearables.

While companies may claim their products are totally made in the U.S., this may not always be the case. And just because a product is union-made doesn't necessarily mean all of the materials used to make the product are U.S.-made.

Union-made vs. U.S.-made - Products made by a union-affiliated supplier aren't always made in the U.S. A union-affiliated supplier may imprint on products assembled overseas, or may assemble products using materials and parts from overseas. According to www.unionlabel.org, union labels "are symbols of quality and fair play" and "demonstrate that the employees who make the product or provide the service are skilled workers who are treated fairly and decently by their employers." While it's possible for a product to be made from 100% U.S.-made materials and made in the U.S. by union-affiliated suppliers, it's important to know that the terms union-made and U.S.-made aren't the same.

False advertising. At times, companies that know their customers want U.S.-made products and are willing to pay a higher price for them may be tempted to stoop to some dishonest practices. There have been stories around for years about companies changing the labels on imported products to "Made in the USA" labels. First and foremost, this is illegal, On top of that, the customer is being seriously deceived by paying more money for a product they think is U.S.-made. The problem with this practice is that it's very difficult to catch, but there are strict penalties for companies caught doing this.

To avoid being duped by fake U.S.-made labels, working with a company that produces only U.S.-made goods is a safe bet. End-users should be wary of companies that have traditionally provided only imported goods, and then suddenly come up with a stock of U.S.-made products.

InForm Print & Promotions, with its vast resource of Advertising Specialties and Wearables, has access to truly "Made In USA" products and wearables for your promotions. Give us a call to see what is available to fit into your budget for that next promotion.

For a complete catalog and online and ad specialties search visit: www.shopinform.com or www.rtoforms.com or call Inform at: 888-786-3676

Source: Megan Hurst, Editorial Intern for Wearables. Tonia Cook Kinbrough also contributed.