A New York state lawmaker is trying to encourage more people to buy American-made products and wants to enlist large online retailers this holiday season.
Republican Mark Walczyk, a North Country Republican who is currently in the state Assembly and was elected to a state Senate seat this month, is urging Amazon to create a "Made in the U.S.A" filter on its website ahead of Cyber Monday.
Walczyk in a letter released Monday sought to encourage the company to do so, pointing to data that shows adult consumers are more likely to buy an American-made good even if the price is higher than a comparable item.
"As more and more people are making conscious choices about their spending, investing in quality goods over cheaply-made, mass produced items, it’s wonderful that Amazon is able to provide a platform for independent sellers and even handmade items," he said. "However, it is still difficult for consumers to identify these items and make the quick buying decisions they have grown accustomed to when shopping on Amazon."
Cyber Monday is typically held the weekend after Black Friday, when online retailers offer deep discounts for shopping on their sites. Amazon has already a suite of American-made goods on its website. Walczyk points to polling that has shown 67% of Americans would prefer to buy items made in the U.S.
“Not only does ‘Made in the U.S.A.’ support the entrepreneurship of American citizens, but it also supports our economy and reduces spending our nation’s tax dollars on foreign-made goods,” he said. “It would be a benefit to consumers, the company, the sellers and our national economy for Amazon to implement this simple change – and I hope they do for this holiday season.”