BEHIND MADE IN FRANCE”, 3 YEARS ON” | France 2 | la suite

Saving jobs, kick-starting the economy by buying French: “economic patriotism” is more fashionable than ever. Today, 75% of French people say they are ready to pay more to consume products “made in France”. The French guarantee sells goods. But what’s behind the label and how can you be sure you’re buying French? In 2010, we revealed some of the tricks of “made in France” and discovered that companies were using loopholes in the law to use the precious label or to relocate production without informing customers. For a product to be officially “made in France” it only requires 45% of its cost price to be incurred in the hexagon. Three years on has the situation changed? We carried out an investigation into some of the emblematic products of French expertise: knives, high-end tableware, textiles. Three years ago businesses were fighting each other to be more transparent. A label “Origine France Contrôlée” was created in 2011 and awarded after verification by Veritas. And today requests for the “Origine France Contrôlée” label abound. The made in France: more than ever a loss leader.