Business owners dealing with foreign merchandise are being reminded by Alaska Attorney General Treg Taylor that it is illegal to remove foreign country of origin markings from products.
Taylor sent out reminders of that stipulation on May 5 to 44 Alaska businesses.
Last year Taylor filed a lawsuit against a firm known as B. Merry Studio, Inc., alleging that they had labeled products made in the Philippines as “Alaskan Made.”
The Department of Law continues to receive information indicating that other companies may be removing foreign country of origin markings from products and selling them to consumers who likely believe that the products are arts and crafts that are made in Alaska.
“Tourists and Alaskans want to buy authentic Alaskan made products and support local artisans. Legitimate Alaskan artists, Native craftsman and honest shops should not be forced to compete against products that were made cheaply out of the country, but do not have the required label. My office has the obligation to ensure products are identified accurately and promoted legally,” he said.
The Law Department’s Consumer Protection Unit encourages anyone who has evidence of illegal country of origin label removal to file a complaint. Complaint forms can be found at https://law.alaska.gov/department/civil/consumer/cp_complaint.html.
