When you check the country of origin label on the products, you may find the label “Made in PRC”. But not everyone is clear about what PRC means. They may have some misconception about it.
Actually, these products are manufactured and imported from China. But why are they labeled Made in PRC rather than Made in China? Are there any differences? If you care about the origin of the country label, take a deep look at these issues in the following.
1. What Does “PRC” Stand For?
PRC is an abbreviation of the People’s Republic of China, the official name of China. “Made in PRC” is a country of origin label on the product and its packages, which is used by some Chinese manufacturers in recent times.
In general, the country of origin label is mandatory for all products imported and sold in most countries. It is used to inform the ultimate purchaser in which the imported goods are produced.
Previously, Made in China is a more familiar label for most people. But beginning in 2013, the use of “made in PRC” is becoming ever more common on products manufactured in China. We can also witness different terms such as “Made in PRC” or “Made in PROC” or the “Made in the People’s Republic of China” in many different products from China.
2. Made in PRC vs Made in China
Many people regard Chinese goods to be of low quality previously. This stereotype is changing but still exists. It is not only untrue but also creates a great challenge for Chinese manufacturers to market their brands.
For some Chinese manufacturers, using “Made in PRC” is a marketing strategy to bypass the public negative attitude concerning the quality of Chinese goods due to the “Made in China” label.
China is a global supplier, and such perceptions seriously damage its reputation and adversely affect its exports. This misunderstanding is widely spread across various geographical regions. Made in PRC provides this quick and easy solution to address this issue.
Besides, some manufacturers use Made in PRC because the oversea clients require them to do so. These clients think products Made in PRC will give the ultimate purchasers a feeling of better quality than Made in China.
This is a totally untrue opinion. In the following, I’ll talk about some misconceptions you may have about Made in PRC and Chinese products.
3. Five Misconceptions About Made in PRC and Chinese Goods
Made in PRC is moderately effective for some Chinese suppliers, but it is certainly not the perfect solution to get rid of the stereotype.
In fact, most of the customers do not understand the differences between the two terms. This has led to further growth in questionable opinions and speculations regarding Chinese products. Due to this issue, people tend to make several mistakes. A few of these are discussed below:
As we mentioned above, PRC stands for China. Thus, Made in PRC is nothing but Made in China. Also, the products labeled on Made in PRC are the same as Made in China. Both terms are labeled on Chinese products interchangeably and legally.
Made in PRC and Made in China are two labels with no difference in their substance.
Most people are not clear of the meaning of PRC so they think that PRC and China are different. Some people know the meaning of PRC but misunderstand that made in PRC has better quality than made in China.
Here is an example. A French client asked the Chinese manufacturer to put Made in PRC rather than Made in China, even though he knew what PRC means. Just because he thought that products with Made in PRC will be regarded as better-quality by ultimate purchasers.
However, these are all certainly not true.
Made in PRC is the same as Made in China. There can be several reasons why a manufacturer replaces Made in China with Made in PRC. Quality assurance might be the reason behind this label, but you’ll have to judge each product on a case-by-case basis.
Made in PRC is a legal term that can be used by any Chinese manufacturer just like Made in China. Manufacturers can use any term that clearly presents their country of origin.
US manufacturers can use Made in the US or USA or the United States. Similar is the case with Chinese manufacturers. They can use made In PRC or PROC or China or People’s Republic of China. Not only are these terms legal in China but also permissible by all countries across the world.
However, whether Made in PRC is acceptable or not still depends on the customs regulations in different countries.
A Chinese manufacturer who once shipped goods labeled Made in PRC to South Korea was told that’s wrong. The South Korean customs service told him that the country of origin must be marked in a familiar way to the ultimate purchaser. Namely, marking of the country of origin should be the country name rather than its abbreviation, but expect for those of 4 countries like US, UK, Swiss, Holland.
Products Made in PRC/China have poor quality
The most common mistake people make while inquiring about Chinese products is that they perceive all products as of low price and poor quality. This perception is based on several reasons such as the manufacturers utilize cheap raw materials and incur low labor costs to achieve maximum profit. This, however, is not the ground reality.
China is a global manufacturing hub. Several luxury and high-end brands, across various industries, have manufacturing plants in China. These companies have stringent quality assurance standards which strictly are followed by Chinese manufacturers.
For instance, Apple is a global leader in innovation, product design, development, and software ecosystems. They have outsourced their manufacturing to Foxconn which is the manufacturing partner of Apple in China. Foxconn follows a design and engineering principle that is set by the American company itself. Also, several key components used in Apple products are sourced from Chinese suppliers.
China has achieved this economic sustainability through its commitment to supply high-quality goods. Therefore, the general understanding regarding the substandard Chinese products is certainly not true.
Raw materials used in the “Made in China” products are also from China
Most people perceive that a particular product with a Made in China label is entirely sourced and manufactured in China. That’s not true. Many Chinese manufacturers also import components and raw materials from international suppliers, mainly from the European Union, South Korea, Japan, and the United States.
Therefore, it is entirely possible that a product with Made in China label might have Japanese or Korean components.
4. Is Marking Made in PRC Perfect to Remove These Misconceptions？
Every Chinese manufacturer has the right to choose any term to label products in any allowable method. But this selection should not be for marketing purposes. This is because it spreads further confusion among customers. For example, simply changing the label from “Made in China” to “Made in PRC” on identical products to suggest an improvement can be misleading.
Products must create value for their users. Changing the labels on the products can be effective for a brief time but it is not economically sustainable for a foreseeable future.
Therefore, a vast number of Chinese manufacturers struggle to compete in certain highly competitive global markets. There is a predominant culture, especially among small and mid-sized Chinese manufacturers that prefer quantity over quality. These practices damage the ‘Made in China’ trademark across the globe and make it difficult for quality-conscious Chinese brands to market themselves.
In recent times, this culture has slowly and gradually changed, and we can increasingly witness high-quality Chinese products across distinct categories. All Chinese manufacturers must improve and innovate their production methods to address the negative perceptions in various international marketplaces.
Reading here, you’ll understand more key aspects of Chinese products and their different country of origin labels. If you want to buy made-in-PRC products and resell them in your country, the most effective advice is to find a reliable sourcing company in China.
We are StrategicSourcing, a leading sourcing company in China. So far, we’ve helped 4000+ clients to source good quality products and ship worldwide. We offer one-stop services: supplier selection, production follow-up, product quality control, shipping, etc. This can make your importation process smoother and more efficient.
