KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Toni Rochelle Ford, an associate professor of marketing at Park University, says over the past few years, she's noticed an increase in companies highlighting products made in America.
Ford says that marketing strategy has escalated recently.
Earlier this month, the White House said, "'Made in America' is not just a tagline — it’s an economic and national security priority of this administration."
Political science assistant professor Jack Zhang runs the Trade War Lab at the University of Kansas. The course focuses on the U.S.-China trade conflict.
“The way a lot of policy makers are talking about trade is a very 19th, early-20th century way of thinking about trade, where things are manufactured within the borders of a country and then the finished product is shipped to other countries," Zhang said.
The White House said President Donald Trump's "reciprocal trade agenda means better-paying American jobs making beautiful American-made cars, appliances and other goods."
Zhang said it's a little more complicated than that.
“The administration’s answers are, ‘buy American.’ It’s like, well, the things that have the ‘Made in America’ label have components that are imported from overseas as well. Those things will get more expensive," he said.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulates the labeling of American-made products. The commission says products advertised as "Made in USA" must be "all or virtually all" made in the United States.
"That's something that consumers aren't fully aware of because that 'virtually all' could mean anything," Ford said.
For products to be labeled "Made in USA," the FTC requires the final assembly and all significant processing of the product to occur within the United States. Additionally, the product should contain no — or negligible amounts of — foreign ingredients or components.
Ford says despite the uptick in "Made in America" advertising, consumers' spending habits are still tied to convenience and affordability.
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KSHB 41 reporter Lily O’Shea Becker covers Franklin and Douglas counties in Kansas. Share your story idea with Lily.