Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) has sent letters to double down on e-commerce platforms and retailers providing the country of origin of their products.
Sen. Rick Scott co-sponsored the Country of Origin Labeling Online (COOL) Act in May. This bill requires “origin and location disclosure for new products of foreign origin offered for sale on the internet” according to the official congressional website.
In the letter to a multitude of e-commerce businesses, the Florida senator requests that online retailers provide this necessary information to protect consumers from “faulty and dangerous goods” that come from nations such as China.
“Country of origin information and labeling is important to empower consumers to make informed decisions on how they spend their hard-earned cash. It is also important to provide this transparency in the digital era with increased access to retailers from your office, home and handheld devices,” said Sen. Scott. “Brick and mortar storefronts provide this service to their customers, empowering greater choice, accountability and consumer freedom. It is time that online retailers and e-commerce platforms do the same.”
Scott then brought up an example of a major recall of a Chinese company that had lead in its products.
“Recently, there was a recall[2] on Cupkin stainless steel cups for children that were manufactured in Communist China. These cups contained lead and were recalled by the company with government advisories issued by the U.S. and Canada. No level of lead is acceptable for anyone to ingest – let alone children,” said Scott. The facts stand that Communist China and Cupkin allowed these unsafe products to be made and shipped to us without adequate intervention to test their safety. This is just one of many examples of the corners Communist China is willing to cut to make cheap products to be imported to America.”
He continued, “Americans are powerless to change their buying choices to avoid malign manufacturers and non-market economic actors like Communist China without proper online country of origin labeling. If you only find out where a product is made after it is recalled for lead that could poison your child, it is too late.”
In his conclusion, Scott said that buying products that are made in America is a crucial step toward safety.
“Buying products ‘Made in America’ is the most important step American families can take to have greater safety assurances and recourse if there is a product problem. But Americans can only do this with proper information. Buying ‘American’ is the way to support American jobs, American manufacturers, and American innovation,” concluded Scott.
Sen. Scott is running for reelection in 2024. His expected general election opponent is former U.S. Congresswoman Debbie Murcarsel-Powell (D-FL).
