I bought a 3M Lint Roller designed to remove lint, manufactured by 3M Home Care Division.

Found strange on the label - it mentions "Manufactured in China with US and China materials". :confused:

Do you think this sort of info is required ? Whats your say :rolleyes:

I bought a 3M Lint Roller designed to remove lint, manufactured by 3M Home Care Division.

Found strange on the label - it mentions "Manufactured in China with US and China materials". :confused:

Do you think this sort of info is required ? Whats your say :rolleyes:

Hello Qualityalways,

I am not very familiar with "country-of-origin" requirements. I found some information (http://www.ftc.gov/os/1997/12/epsmadeusa.htm) from the Federal Trade Commission (1997) that may clarify.

More information is available from the Federal Trade Commission (http://www.ftc.gov/index.shtml) website.

Stijloor.

.....................Found strange on the label - it mentions "Manufactured in China with US and China materials". :confused:
:rolleyes:

It's to appease consumers in the home country that there are at least some 'local contents'. For consumers in other countries, the message is - this is not an entirely Chinese manufactured product and hence worth paying a premium.

It's to appease consumers in the home country that there are at least some 'local contents'. For consumers in other countries, the message is - this is not an entirely Chinese manufactured product and hence worth paying a premium.

In this global era, we have materials from different parts of the world which go into the product. Thus telling the consumers made from materials of x country or y country sounds irrational.

Probably, they are mentioning with the background of Chinese material recalls. :notme:

In this global era, we have materials from different parts of the world which go into the product. Thus telling the consumers made from materials of x country or y country sounds irrational.

Probably, they are mentioning with the background of Chinese material recalls. :notme:

Your lint roller was probably manufactured before all that, it is not necessarily time to pull on the tin hat. Country of origin information is just that, information to allow the consumer to see the facts and make their decisions. It is no big conspiracy, and some labeling requirement are just that, a requirement to the company who is manufacturing or distributing. Just about every purchase I make has a manufactured by/in label. Take a deep breath, let it out slowly and then repeat until you feel better.

IMO, it's pure marketing.

I think it's to make Americans feel better about purchasing something that is a least partially US vs. 100% Chinese (foreign). With global trade and the movement of raw materials perhaps "Made on Earth" would be a better label :D.

Here in Canada we purchase apple juice (among other food items) that is lableled "Product of Canada", even though the juice concentrate most likely came from China (China is the world's largest exporter of apple juice concentrate). Here in Canada they add water and package it and it becomes a "Product of Canada". Government loophole and slight of hand marketing on the producers side. But it sure makes us feel good to be buying good ol' Canadian apple juice.............

IMO, it's pure marketing.

I think it's to make Americans feel better about purchasing something that is a least partially US vs. 100% Chinese (foreign). With global trade and the movement of raw materials perhaps "Made on Earth" would be a better label :D.

Here in Canada we purchase apple juice (among other food items) that is lableled "Product of Canada", even though the juice concentrate most likely came from China (China is the world's largest exporter of apple juice concentrate). Here in Canada they add water and package it and it becomes a "Product of Canada". Government loophole and slight of hand marketing on the producers side. But it sure makes us feel good to be buying good ol' Canadian apple juice.............

Yeah, "Made on Earth" is a good suggestion to cover the globalized products. :)

This is a little off topic, but not a mile.

I was in Chaina last year for a couple months working with a new client company there.

One of "their" gripes is when a USA company sends them a project, let's say a die or mold, but the print is in "inch".

It's not the dimensions that bother them. Not at all. When gripes them is . . . all the screws, bolts, etc. are standard. It's difficult for them to get standard fasteners, etc. Ends up costing the customer more $$$.

The reason a company sends work to China is to get the price down.

Hmmmm. :)

I've worked in an injection molding company, where we made painted front ends for a very famous German Sports Car.

As our company was located in Belgium, we needed to make the inscriptions in the part :"Made in Germany".:notme:
Some of our sub suppliers got parts from China, which were assembled into the front end, and even these parts were engraved with "Made in Germany".

This was only to please the end customer, that in cas of an accident where the front end would be removed, at least he would have the impression that this car was completely made in Germany. "Made in Germany" must have a higher €€€ than "Made in China".:mg:

Since that time, I don't care anymore about what the "Made in..." label tells me.
They can put whatever they like, or estimate in €€€'s...

I've worked in an injection molding company, where we made painted front ends for a very famous German Sports Car.

As our company was located in Belgium, we needed to make the inscriptions in the part :"Made in Germany".:notme:
Some of our sub suppliers got parts from China, which were assembled into the front end, and even these parts were engraved with "Made in Germany".

This was only to please the end customer, that in cas of an accident where the front end would be removed, at least he would have the impression that this car was completely made in Germany. "Made in Germany" must have a higher €€€ than "Made in China".:mg:

Since that time, I don't care anymore about what the "Made in..." label tells me.
They can put whatever they like, or estimate in €€€'s...

Could this practice (falsifying the country of origin), be a violation of EU directives?

Stijloor.

Could this practice (falsifying the country of origin), be a violation of EU directives?

Stijloor.

Well, a very good question.

So I tried to browse the EU Directives searching for something on "The Country of Origin". I must admit that I couldn't find anything directly refering to this particular case.

Than maybe it might be justified that (and I found this in Wikipedia) "Made in Germany" is actually a merchandise name.

Source: Wikipedia: "Made in Germany is a merchandise mark indicating that a product has been manufactured in Germany"
"Legal status: "Made in Germany" is not controlled by a central regulatory body. In 1995, the Oberlandesgericht Stuttgart ruled that the term Made in Germany is misleading according to Germany's Fair Trades Act when the largest part is not German raw materials or German craftsmanship."

In this case the raw materials were supplied from Germany. Meaning we had to buy the raw materials from the OEM themselves, and act as a distributor up the supplychain.

This is the only answer I can give which might "justify" their intentions.

On the other hand, as it is stated in their drawings that the engraving "Made in Germany" needs to be on the part(s), is their still an obligation to add somewhere "Belgium"?
You know it's automotive, and you might end-up with a complaint because your part isn't according to the specification on the drawing...
Ofcourse you can discuss this bit with the customer, I know, but still...

Hopes this answers your question.

Yes, may be in this context, the company 3M is being honest in declaring that their product is made with US and China materials.

Sure, 3M might be very honest, and it is good when they actually declare the origin of their materials.
I just wanted to point out, that I had other experiences with this kind of "declarations".
I 'm convinced that the majority of producers is honest with their declarations.;)