The Washington Post Fact Checker reported on Aug. 26, 2016, that products sold under Donald Trump’s brand had been made in at least 12 countries outside the USA. Its review, which checked a claim in a campaign ad, also found four Trump products made in the USA. The same day, PolitiFact Texas confirmed that the campaign’s “Make America Great Again” caps were made in California, not China.
How the Post checked
The Post searched online retail listings and ImportGenius records of shipments into U.S. ports from 2007 through Aug. 17, 2016. Those records show the last port before entry and, for some items, where the goods were made.
What it found
- Apparel: Trump shirts were made in China, Bangladesh, Honduras and Vietnam, and some sport coats in India. Amazon listings for some Trump suits said “imported,” “Made in USA” or both. A suit BuzzFeed ordered from a listing that said both arrived with a label showing it was made in Indonesia. Trump eyeglasses were made in China.
- Home and hotel goods: Several Trump Home mirrors, vases, kitchen items and light fixtures were listed as made in or imported from China. Trump by Dorya furniture was produced in Turkey with some components from Germany, and a tabletop line was made with a Slovenian company. Many hotel amenities, from pens to towels, were listed as made in China.
- Beverages: Trump Vodka was distilled in the Netherlands. Trump Natural Spring Water is bottled in New York.
The Post counted China, the Netherlands, Mexico, India, Turkey, Slovenia, Honduras, Germany, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Vietnam and South Korea. It noted that online origin information is not always reliable; one shirt photo showed a “Made in Bangladesh” label while the listing said China.
The USA-made items
The Post found four Trump products made in the USA: the campaign’s “Make America Great Again” hats, Trump bedding comforters, the spring water, and “Success by Trump” cologne. The hats come from a Southern California factory and are labeled “Proudly Made in USA.”
PolitiFact Texas rated a Texas legislator’s statement that the caps were “made in China” Pants on Fire. It cited earlier reviews by PunditFact and Snopes and a 2015 Los Angeles Times report on Cali-Fame, the Los Angeles-area hat maker. The campaign said all official merchandise, including the hats, was made in the USA. PolitiFact also noted an Associated Press test in which the fabric in one sampled hat was of unknown, possibly foreign origin; see our coverage of that review.
Source & credit
Sources: The Washington Post: “How many Trump products were made overseas? Here’s the complete list.”, Aug. 26, 2016 (also published by The Bulletin); PolitiFact via Austin American-Statesman: “Trump’s caps made in California, not China”, Aug. 26, 2016.