Bar Code shows where a item is made
By bdugas
@bdugas (3577)
United States
June 18, 2009 6:04am CST
A friend sent me an email yesterday that will help you in deciding where a item you are about to purchase is made, by looking at the first few numbers you can tell what country this item came from. With everyone saying buy American, it is nice to be able to see if the item you are buying was actually made in the USA or some where else.
When you pick up an item and are interested in buying it, look at the BARCODE,
the first few numbers tell you where it was made.
All numbers beginning with 00-09 are American made products
30-37 are France
40-44 are Germany
47 are Taiwan
49 are Japan
50 are UK
690-692 are all Chinese made products
So if you are concerned about buying American made products then this code should help you decide where it was made. I believe we should all here in the USA buy more American made products, we need to keep out companies here in the usa and by buying American made products we can help do that.
Hope this is helpful to you.
1 person likes this
3 responses
@ShirleyBillingsley (1544)
• United States
19 Jun 09
We should support our own country by buying items that are made here. I try not to buy foreign products anymore than i have to. And, if i see something that is local, i will buy it quicker, even if i have to pay a couple of dollars more.
@ShirleyBillingsley (1544)
• United States
19 Jun 09
I think i feel the same way. And of course, if you buy something that is made in China..or in this case, first manufactured in china, then naturally, you would be supporting China.
@mysdianait (66005)
• Italy
19 Jun 09
I am in Italy and many times I go to buy clothes that are 'made in Italy' but then the cloth with which they are made is 'produce of China' 
Assuming I bought such an item, which country am I supporting when that happens? 
Assuming I bought such an item, which country am I supporting when that happens? @mysdianait (66005)
• Italy
19 Jun 09
If you read here:
http://www.snopes.com/politics/business/barcodes.asp
you will see that the email you received has been circulating for a while now but the information contained in it is incorrect.
The first 3 digits of the barcode do NOT indicate the country of origin of the produce.
@bdugas (3577)
• United States
19 Jun 09
Thank you very much for the correction, yes I got it in an email from a friend that was sent to her. So even if it is a certain bar code it does not really mean that it was made in that country, could of been made anywhere but this is the country that is packing and sending out it's product. Very interesting. Well I do agree the best way to know it is made in America, is look for the label MADE IN AMERICA. So anyone who reads this should go to the snopes site and get the true story.
1 person likes this
@mysdianait (66005)
• Italy
19 Jun 09
When I see affirmations like this arriving in emails I often doubt that they are really true and often use Snopes to check them out. Things are notwhat they seem as far as barcodes are concerned either andit isall very, very confusing 
Maybe globalisation is not such a good thing after all 
Maybe globalisation is not such a good thing after all 
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
18 Jun 09
I buy what is quality, I buy within my budget, I buy what I can, and if it Canadian like I am great, but if it is american that is fine we two countries are each other biggest trading partners, and we both need this trade for our countries to continue to prosper and be among the greatest countries in the world.
@bdugas (3577)
• United States
19 Jun 09
Yes I think it is important that being neighboring countries that we support what is made in ours and your country. We must try and keep what jobs are left at home. I also buy what is cheapest but if I see that it cost a few cents more to buy what is made at home then that is what I will buy.
