On Monday, U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla. sent letters to Amazon, Walmart and the National Retail Federation urging them to take action to inform Americans about where the products they buy online are made.
Following a recent push from the Indian government, Amazon Inc. and Walmart’s Flipkart voluntarily agreed to require merchants to prominently display the country of origin for all goods sold online in India, and Scott is encouraging all online retailers to voluntarily do the same in the United States.
Scott’s letter to Amazon is below.
Dear Mr. Bezos:
As Americans continue to take steps to stay safe amid the coronavirus pandemic, more are choosing to shop online. To protect our families, Americans need to know where the products they buy online are made. As the largest online retailer, Amazon has an opportunity to lead this effort, and I was pleased to learn that Amazon will be requiring third-party sellers on its U.S. marketplace to publicly disclose their business name and address. This is a positive step to provide information American consumers need to make informed choices for themselves and their families, but Amazon can do more by providing country of origin information as well.
Following a recent push from the Indian government, Amazon voluntarily agreed to require merchants to prominently display the country of origin for all goods sold online in India. Last year, I sent you a letter urging Amazon to voluntarily do the same in the United States. Now is the time for Amazon to lead the charge on this effort and initiate this same requirement here.
In the U.S. Senate, I introduced the Promoting Responsibility in Markets and E-Retailers (PRIME) Act to require online retailers to list the country of origin for each product they sell, and have joined Senator Tammy Baldwin in introducing the Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) Online Act, which would give the Federal Trade Commission the authority over such laws. I am urging all of my colleagues to quickly pass these bills to provide more transparency in online shopping.
Buying products “Made in America” is the most important step American families can take to support American jobs, American manufacturers and American innovation. Americans have a right to know where the products they buy are made, and I urge Amazon to be a leader in this effort.
