Made In Usa: Law And History

when did made in become law

The process of how a bill becomes a law is a long and complex one. In the United States, the lawmaking branch of the federal government is Congress, which consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate. A bill is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing law. The idea for a bill can come from a sitting member of the House of Representatives or the Senate or be proposed by citizens or citizen groups. Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee, which will research, discuss, and make changes to it. The bill is then put before the chamber to be voted on. If it passes one body of Congress, it goes to the other body to go through a similar process. Once both bodies vote to accept a bill, they must work out any differences between the two versions. Then, both chambers vote on the same version of the bill. If it passes, it is presented to the President. The President can either approve the bill and sign it into law or refuse to approve it, which is called a veto. If the President chooses to veto a bill, Congress can vote to override that veto, and the bill becomes a law.

Characteristics Values
When did country-of-origin labels become a thing? The 19th century
First significant US law requiring products to be marked with their country of origin The Tariff Act of 1890, also known as the McKinley Tariff
Who is responsible for the labels? Retailers
When are country-of-origin labels required? Generally, products the US imports from other countries
Exception to the rule Most of the products made in the US and sold domestically
Exception 2 Beef

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The first significant US law requiring country-of-origin labels was the Tariff Act of 1890

The history of country-of-origin labels is not without its complexities, with US trade law being far from straightforward. Over time, US law has been interpreted and revised in various ways, leading to a situation where the law does not apply uniformly across all countries or certain food products. For instance, while most products made in the US and sold domestically are exempt from country-of-origin labels, there are exceptions for automobiles, textiles, wool, and fur products.

The placement of these labels is also subject to certain stipulations. For example, manhole covers must have country-of-origin labels on top to discourage municipal authorities from purchasing foreign-made products.

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The Tariff Act of 1930 required that every article of foreign origin [...] be marked with its country of origin

The Tariff Act of 1930, also known as the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act, was a piece of US legislation that substantially raised import duties on around 20,000 imported goods. The Act was signed into law by President Herbert Hoover on June 17, 1930.

The Tariff Act of 1930 required that every article of foreign origin (or its container) imported into the US be marked with its country of origin. This was done to indicate to the ultimate purchaser in the US the English name of the country of origin of the article. The marking had to be legible, conspicuous, and permanent. The ultimate purchaser is generally the last person in the US who will receive the article in the form in which it was imported.

The Act also specified that the marking must be done in a manner that is appropriate to the nature of the article (or container). For example, it is suggested that the country of origin on metal articles be die-sunk, molded in, or etched; on earthenware or chinaware be glazed on in the process of firing; and on paper articles be imprinted.

The Act also set out a list of exceptions to the marking requirements. For example, the marking requirements do not apply to crude substances, goods imported for use by the importer and not intended for sale, goods to be processed in the US by the importer, goods whose ultimate purchaser would reasonably know their country of origin, and goods produced more than 20 years prior to their importation.

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Country-of-origin labels are generally required for products imported into the US from other countries

The first significant US law that required products to be marked with their country of origin was the Tariff Act of 1890, also known as the McKinley Tariff. This was enacted when Germany started to rise as an industrial power, and European countries wanted to distinguish German imports. The Tariff Act of 1930 built on this law, stating that "every article of foreign origin (or its container) imported into the US shall be marked with its country of origin", unless it had special exemptions.

Since then, many other laws have been enacted at the federal and state levels, and US trade law has been interpreted and revised in various forms. For example, country-of-origin labeling is required on food products including muscle cuts of lamb and chicken, wild and farm-raised fish, and fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables. However, there are exceptions to these rules, such as for beef products, which can be labelled as "Product of USA" even if the animal was slaughtered or the meat was repackaged or processed in the US.

Retailers are responsible for the labels, but there are also a series of rules governing when and where to use these labels. For instance, manhole covers must have country-of-origin labels on the top to discourage municipal authorities from buying foreign-made products.

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Country-of-origin labels are not required for most products made and sold within the US

The first significant US law that required products to be marked with their country of origin was the Tariff Act of 1890, also known as the McKinley Tariff. The Tariff Act of 1930, which built on the 1890 law, required that "every article of foreign origin (or its container) imported into the US shall be marked with its country of origin", unless it had special exemptions.

Since the Tariff Act of 1930, many other laws have been enacted at the federal and state levels, and these laws have been interpreted and revised in various ways. For example, country-of-origin labeling is required on food products, including the muscle cuts of lamb and chicken, wild and farm-raised fish, and fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables. However, beef products are exempt from these requirements.

The placement of country-of-origin labels is also subject to specific rules. For example, manhole covers must have country-of-origin labels on the top, and any iron or steel tube must have a permanent country-of-origin label.

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Country-of-origin labels are not required for online products

The country of origin is necessary for several reasons. Firstly, it helps determine whether a good can be legally imported. Secondly, it ensures that products clear customs efficiently. Lastly, it provides the government with statistics on imported goods, which can be useful for future analysis of the country's economic market.

There are exceptions to the country-of-origin marking requirements. Products that are not intended for resale, incapable of being marked (due to their small size), produced more than 20 years ago, or are crude substances are exempt from these requirements. If a product is exempt, its packaging must still bear the country of origin marking.

The process of how a bill becomes a law in the United States is as follows:

  • A bill is introduced by a member of the House of Representatives or the Senate.
  • The bill is then assigned to a committee, which researches, discusses, and makes changes to it.
  • The bill is put before the House of Representatives and the Senate for a vote.
  • If the bill passes in both houses, it is sent to the President for approval.
  • The President can choose to sign the bill into law or veto it.
  • If the President vetoes the bill, Congress can override the veto with a two-thirds vote in both houses, and the bill becomes a law.

Frequently asked questions

The first step in the process of a bill becoming a law is the bill being proposed. This involves a member of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives writing a bill, which is like an early version or draft of a proposed law.

A bill can be proposed by a sitting member of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives, or be proposed during their election campaign. Bills can also be petitioned by citizens or citizen groups who recommend a new or amended law to a member of Congress that represents them.

Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee whose members will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill.

After a committee has reviewed a bill, it is put before that chamber to be voted on. If the bill passes one body of Congress, it goes to the other body to go through a similar process of research, discussion, changes, and voting.

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