Did you know…

that “Made in …” was originally introduced as a “shame” label on German products so that fewer British consumers buy them?

In 1879 Germany introduced a number of protectionist measures to reduce imports, primarily of iron and rye.

To retaliate, Britain’s Merchandize Marks Act of 1887 made it mandatory to mark the country of origin. Since back then foreign goods in general, and German goods in particular were perceived as of inferior quality, the hope was that the “Made in Germany” label will reduce demand for German goods. As the quality of German products improved, the policy backfired. By the early 1900s “Made in Germany” was perceived as a sign of quality and actually increased demand for German products.