From a recent Economist article:
REGGIE CHARLES, the chief executive of High Society Freeride, a maker of skis and snowboards based in Colorado, is keen to wrap his firm’s products in the Stars and Stripes. He is convinced that American customers will be more willing to buy the company’s relatively costly gear when they discover that it is made in America with largely local materials.
Bryan Aldridge is betting that the recession will encourage more bosses to think like Mr Charles. He and a partner have just kicked off a new venture, My American Jobs, which plans to create a certification process to help customers identify products in which most of the materials and labour were sourced in America. The firm’s website will list the goods that it certifies, their manufacturers and the retailers that stock them.
My first reaction to the piece is that I'm surprised we don't see more of this, in the U.S. and elsewhere. Perhaps there just aren't that many products that can benefit, as so many are now made with some foreign content.
Second, I must admit that I'm a little torn about the practice. As a general matter, I don't think promoting economic nationalism is such a great idea. On the other hand, perhaps by leaving open the possibility for individuals to practice their own personal protectionism, we make it politically possible to reduce the level of government-sponsored protectionism.
