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East Jordan, MI 49727
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MADE IN THE USA

The Country of Origin Law

The country of origin law requires that all products imported into the United States include a mark that "clearly and conspicuously" identifies, in English, where the product was made. As a buyer, specifier, or inspector of municipal castings, you should be aware of the country of origin law.

In 1979, the U.S. Customs Service recognized that country of origin markings on manhole covers and frames lacked consistency. Some had the country of origin painted on them; others had no other marking except the U.S. distributor’s name. For uniformity, in 1984 the U.S. Congress legislated specific requirements:

• The country of origin must be legibly and permanently marked by die stamping, molding or etching.
• The country of origin mark on manhole covers, frames or rings, and assemblies must appear on the top surface of the product (marking other than the top surface is equivalent to no marking at all).
• If the name of any city or locality in the U.S. appears on the product, the name of the country or origin, preceded by "Made in" or "Product of" or words of similar meaning, must also appear. This phrase must be of comparable size and placed close to the name of the city or locality. These requirements are enforced by the U.S. Customs Service.