From stigma to a seal of quality: The 125th anniversary of the "Made in Germany" trademark

For exactly 125 years, "Made in Germany" has been a trademark for the quality, longevity and innovation of German products. With the Merchandise Marks Act of 1887, the British began insisting that a product's origin be displayed on the label. 

The "Made in Germany" label was originally intended to stigmatise foreign products in general and German ones in particular, as British society considered foreign products to be inferior to the domestic ones. However, "Made in Germany" ultimately became a positive trademark that distinguished German products from those of other countries. This positive image even survived the British boycotts of German products that occurred during both World War I and World War II. 

The General Manager of IHK Peter Driessen stated yesterday, on the occasion of 125th anniversary of introducing this trademark, that the the Chamber of Commerce for Munich and Upper Bavaria (IHK) has rejected attempts by the EU to make it more difficult for German companies to continue using this seal.

Driessen has rejected demands of the EU-Commission to change this designation of origin. Presently, where the the production takes place is integral to the marking of some high-quality products. For example, some parts might be produced outside of Germany, but the majority of product assembly occurs here. If the proposal were to actually become an EU directive, 45 % of supplier products would have to be produced in Germany in order for a product to keep the coveted "Made in Germany" label.

The proposal that the EU has been considering for a few years would increase the bureaucracy involved in securing the "Made in Germany" certification. "It´s unrealistic to change proven regulation in a era of globalized supply chains," said Driessen. A change would be costly and could generate legal uncertainty. There are also concerns that if companies lost the "Made in Germany" designation, they might simply export production entirely.

To this day, the label "Made in Germany" is used globally as a marketing tool that indicates high quality products.