Workers in a Guatemalan factory make T-shirts destined for the United States. Deborah Belgum
Most Consumers Have No Idea Where Their Clothes Are Made
There has been lots of news lately about the April 24 building collapse in Bangladesh that killed 1,127 garment workers.
But a new survey by Harris Interactive shows that most Americans have no idea where their clothes are made. The Harris Poll did an online survey of 2,052 people in the United States. It showed that 56 percent of Americans didn't check labels to see where their clothing was made. Forty-four percent did.
When it came to news about the Bangladesh factory building collapse, 52 percent of those surveyed said the disaster would not make them more or less likely to purchase clothes made in Bangladesh. Thirty-nine percent said they would be less likely to buy clothing made in Bangladesh.
In recent years, Bangladesh has become a major exporter of apparel. The country's biggest markets are in Europe and the United States. About 40 percent of all apparel imported into the United States comes from China.
