When I worked in the handbag department of Nordstrom I was 
enamored with the plethora of designer purses that we carried, but never really paid attention to the "details". One day, a customer pointed out that she wanted the Kate Spade wallet that said "Made in Italy" instead of the same exact wallet that said "Made in China".
Now, I'm not from China, but somehow I felt insulted by her request. Does it really matter where it was made? They're the same exact wallet! And just because everything is made in China nowadays (because of low labor costs - if you didn't know) doesn't make it less quality.
Or does it?
Hypothetically speaking, If I'm wearing a Marc Jacobs dress that has a little tag on the inside that says "Made in China", is that going to make me feel any different than if it said "Made in Italy"? If you're worried about what a little tag says on your wallet, you've got some serious issues...
But is the dress or handbag that says "Made in Italy" really made in italy, or was it made in China as well, or just shipped to Italy where one last thing was done on it so it could legitimately be said to have been made in China? In the fish business, companies run product through other countries to avoid duties particular to their own countries. I am aware of a company in China that ships its clothes to South America for "finishing" and then shipment to the U.S., with a new country tag. I am aware of a Chinese company that ships a high end product to Italy for which Italy is famous (and China is not) and those same products are then shipped around the world with a "Made in Italy" tag on them, even though wholly made in China. Bottom Line: who really knows?
Posted by: China Law Blog | March 26, 2006 9:06 AM | Permalink to Comment