# "Made in" tags - what's the smallest country you've seen on one of those? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 28, 2012, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/made-in-tags-whats-the-smallest-country-youve-seen-on-one-of-those/614203 "2012-02-28T00:35:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/made-in-tags-whats-the-smallest-country-youve-seen-on-one-of-those/614203/1 "2012-02-28T00:35:56Z")
You know those tags, when you buy something, that say “Made in” with the country of origin. In the USA (where I live) it is [required by law](http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/trade/trade_programs/international_agreements/free_trade/nafta/customs_procedures/country_of_origin_marking.xml) for foreign items to have that tag: > [@](#): > > In the United States, the marking statute, Section 304, Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (19 U.S.C. 1304) requires that, unless excepted, every article of foreign origin (or its container) imported into the U.S. shall be marked with its country of origin. We’ve all seen the ubiquitous “Made in China” tags. But in this thread I’m looking for the smallest country that made an object that you’ve bought recently. For example, in my case, it’s probably Switzerland ([#136 on this Wikipedia list](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_size#Countries_by_area)): I’ve got some knives and some chocolate from there that I bought in the USA in the past six months. Name the country and the item. Does anyone have anything with a label indicating “Made in Vatican City”? If so that would be pretty amazing. ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/made-in-tags-whats-the-smallest-country-youve-seen-on-one-of-those/614203/2 "2012-02-28T00:44:19Z")
I’d have to say Hong Kong. We have furniture made there. Years ago my dad worked with a banker from Luxembourg on several occasions, and he and his wife would bring us products from there on their visits to us in the U.S. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/made-in-tags-whats-the-smallest-country-youve-seen-on-one-of-those/614203/3 "2012-02-28T00:48:10Z")
Singapore #193 at least. Clothing, maybe a jacket IIRC. I will tear through my stuff at home if you don’t believe me! Not countries, but US territories show up sometimes, e.g. Guam, NMI. I hear a persistent rumor that they’re allowed to put “Made in USA” but not use US labor laws. ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/made-in-tags-whats-the-smallest-country-youve-seen-on-one-of-those/614203/4 "2012-02-28T00:52:23Z")
I had underwear made in Bhutan when I was in college. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/made-in-tags-whats-the-smallest-country-youve-seen-on-one-of-those/614203/5 "2012-02-28T00:53:14Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > Not countries, but US territories show up sometimes, e.g. Guam, NMI. I hear a persistent rumor that they’re allowed to put “Made in USA” … Since Guam is not one of the United States of America, I find that hard to believe. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/made-in-tags-whats-the-smallest-country-youve-seen-on-one-of-those/614203/6 "2012-02-28T01:07:27Z")
> [@romansperson](#): > > I’d have to say Hong Kong. We have furniture made there. Years ago my dad worked with a banker from Luxembourg on several occasions, and he and his wife would bring us products from there on their visits to us in the U.S. Unfortunately it’s not a country. My dad bought my mum’s engagement ring in Andorra. (Works if you count 45 years ago as recent.) ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/made-in-tags-whats-the-smallest-country-youve-seen-on-one-of-those/614203/7 "2012-02-28T01:23:10Z")
way back I remember having things labeled as “Made in Macau” which is like #236 on that list. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/made-in-tags-whats-the-smallest-country-youve-seen-on-one-of-those/614203/8 "2012-02-28T01:45:29Z")
I had a t-shirt that was made in the Marshall Islands #221. I bought several items when I was in Vatican City a few years ago, but they all said, “Made in Italy” on them. ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/made-in-tags-whats-the-smallest-country-youve-seen-on-one-of-those/614203/9 "2012-02-28T01:59:06Z")
I used to own a sportscoat which was made in “The Federal Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia” according to the label…maybe not the smallest country of all, but the one with the longest name I think. ---
**Author:** ![Toucanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3bc359/32.png) [@Toucanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toucanna)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/made-in-tags-whats-the-smallest-country-youve-seen-on-one-of-those/614203/10 "2012-02-28T02:21:16Z")
[QUOTE=thelurkinghorror] {snip}. Not countries, but US territories show up sometimes, e.g. Guam, NMI. I hear a persistent rumor that they’re allowed to put “Made in USA” but not use US labor laws. [/QUOTE] This is about the Northern Mariana islands: [Moyers on America Citizen's Class](http://www.pbs.org/moyers/citizensclass/capitol_crimes/abramoff_inc/). For years, I’ve told myself I should really look into this but to my shame…well I got distracted. ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/made-in-tags-whats-the-smallest-country-youve-seen-on-one-of-those/614203/11 "2012-02-28T03:16:06Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > Unfortunately it’s not a country. > > My dad bought my mum’s engagement ring in Andorra. (Works if you count 45 years ago as recent.) Hong Kong is, however, on the list Arnold linked to, and is considered a sovereign city-state like Singapore and Vatican City. Close enough I’d say. ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/made-in-tags-whats-the-smallest-country-youve-seen-on-one-of-those/614203/12 "2012-02-28T03:27:30Z")
I’ve had Macau and Singapore. ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/made-in-tags-whats-the-smallest-country-youve-seen-on-one-of-those/614203/13 "2012-02-28T03:45:44Z")
Lots of [Neutrik](http://www.neutrik.com/en/products/audio/) audio connectors are stamped Made in Liechtenstein. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/made-in-tags-whats-the-smallest-country-youve-seen-on-one-of-those/614203/14 "2012-02-28T05:16:41Z")
I was on a bus today, and noticed that the window glass was stamped “Made in Finland”. (The bus was a Van Hool, made in, I believe, Belgium.) ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/made-in-tags-whats-the-smallest-country-youve-seen-on-one-of-those/614203/15 "2012-02-28T05:36:25Z")
On every one of my Curta calculators it says “Made in Liechtenstein” ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/made-in-tags-whats-the-smallest-country-youve-seen-on-one-of-those/614203/16 "2012-02-28T12:45:12Z")
I’ve got some sandals and a coconut fibre hat that are made in Seychelles (#201, and the smallest country in Africa) ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/made-in-tags-whats-the-smallest-country-youve-seen-on-one-of-those/614203/17 "2012-02-28T12:55:26Z")
Macao ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/made-in-tags-whats-the-smallest-country-youve-seen-on-one-of-those/614203/18 "2012-02-28T15:12:38Z")
I’ve had several pieces of clothing made in the Federated States of Micronesia, which has “micro” in the name and should count for something. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/made-in-tags-whats-the-smallest-country-youve-seen-on-one-of-those/614203/19 "2012-02-28T15:31:35Z")
Another vote for Macau at #236. If we were going by [population](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_population), I would probably win with the Falkland Islands at #234 ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/made-in-tags-whats-the-smallest-country-youve-seen-on-one-of-those/614203/20 "2012-02-28T16:41:31Z")
I’ve had several articles of clothing made in Sri Lanka, which is #123 on the Wiki list. Also I _think_ Qatar, which is #165. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/made-in-tags-whats-the-smallest-country-youve-seen-on-one-of-those/614203.md?page=2)