LABELS WON'T SOLVE THE TRADE DEFICIT

The Federal Trade Commission's unanimous decision last week that all products containing the "Made in USA" label be "all or virtually all" made in the United States maintains the pride of American workers, but it overlooks the fact that a global economy depends more on satisfied customers than on protectionist labels.

The FTC had proposed in May that companies could use the label if a product had more than a small amount of foreign content and labor. Attorneys general of 16 states, government officials and American unions protested. Some said it encouraged corporations to send jobs overseas. The FCC had considered lowering the guidelines on content of domestic parts and labor to give American manufacturers the flexibility to compete globally while ensuring consumers were not deceived.

In the end, international trade depends on well-made products sold at a fair price -- not labels.