Determining If Your Leather Coat Was Made In The USA

The distinction between domestically produced and imported products, including leather coats, is growing foggier by the year. It is becoming hard to determine what is truly made in the United States, especially for leather products.

First, as a consumer one must understand that not all leather coats labeled USA Made are 100 percent produced in the United States. Trade regulations are vague as to what is considered made in the United States versus foreign made leather coats. Many consumers are unaware that a variety of leather coats are partially manufactured offshore and then finished on U.S. soil so that a Made in the USA label can be legally affixed to the garment. Basically, though it may say Made in the USA, only a small fraction of a leather coat actually has to be produced on American soil.

Sometimes leather is tanned and processed in a foreign country and shipped to the U.S. where only a zipper, snaps, or a lining is later affixed to the leather coat. This can still be considered a product made in America. In addition, sometimes labels are switched to indicate that a leather coat is made in America but it is really produced offshore. Sweatshops often switch tags, which is illegal, but very hard to track. It is rare to actually catch a tag-switch, as they are sewn on in production like any other tag.

This is also a common method for disreputable vendors to pass off pig napa or other lesser types of leather coats as more expensive and high quality lambskin. Again, this crime is very hard to prove and consumers are often none the wiser to the switch in the quality of their leather coat. Unless you know leather well, a pig napa leather can seem very similar to lambskin, though it is not nearly as valuable. In addition, any garment made in the U.S. can have some buttons, zippers, or snaps from foreign sources and still have a Made in the USA label, and many do. Unless the laws are changed, there is nothing that can be done about this practice and consumers need to just be aware of the potential problems when buying a leather coat. Be aware that you may not be able to get a leather coat that is made in the United States exclusively, as most leather coats have at least some parts made in foreign countries.

Many times, when it comes to leather goods, including high end leather coats, customers get what they pay for. If a leather coat seems too cheap, it probably has a problem, and may not be the quality that the vendor is claiming that it is. It is especially important to be vigilant when buying leather coats online, which are easier to pass off as high quality because the consumer is not able to feel or smell the leather coat until it arrives, after payment has been made and the consumer has little recourse.