American Flag Counterfeiter Found

Chinese Company Uses Amazon as a Conduit

On Wednesday morning, March 20, 2019, we received a message from the Flag Manufacturers Association of America that a company based in China has been counterfeiting the FMAA logo, affixing it to their products, and fooling Americans into believing that they would be purchasing American-made American flags before sending them Chinese versions of much poorer quality.

In January, an Amazon customer contacted the FMAA with a request to verify the legitimacy of the company from whom they purchased an American flag — the customer had purchased his flag via Amazon and was not yet aware it was a Chinese company. Of course, the FMAA revealed the truth and has been working with the United States Federal Trade Commission and Amazon's fraud prevention unit to curtail future violations of this type. 

While there are laws in place that require manufacturers, distributors, and retailers to clearly display the country of origin until the product reaches the final consumer, these violations repeatedly occur. The culprits are companies who want to profit from the false perception of selling American-made American flags — they can sell a product of much lower quality for a much higher price as long as they can fool the consumer.

Only the FMAA “Certified Made in the U.S.A.” certification seal assures consumers that their flag was made in the U.S.A. with domestic resources and labor and that the manufacturing process is continually monitored by a professional association and its domestic members.

What is FMAA?

FMAA stands for Flag Manufacturers Association of America, and it is a consortium of United States flag manufacturers whose mission is, in part, to maintain the integrity and authenticity of the American flag. They do so by ensuring that every American has the opportunity to know beyond all doubt that an American flag that they purchase has been made with materials created and sourced in the United States, passed through the hands of exclusively American employees, and produced in factories that stand on American soil.

How Can You Be Sure Your American Flag Is Made in the U.S.A., Even If You Buy It Online?

The Flag Manufacturers Association of America rectangular logo and the oval certification seal (shown above) are your first assurances that your American flag has been made in the U.S.A. and meet with the FMAA three principle criteria listed above.

But what if you are purchasing your flag online and do not have an opportunity to see and check the legitimacy of the FMAA seal? The FMAA provides a list of Certified American flag Retailers on their website. As of this writing, there are only 42 in the nation, and they are listed alphabetically on their site (when the page loads, click the "Membership List" button, then scroll down; retailers are listed below manufacturers and suppliers).

Thank you for your dedication to maintaining the quality of American flags you purchase and making sure that they are manufactured from start to finish in the United States.

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Have a great day, from your friends at LIBERTY FLAGS, The American Wave®.