Are your products certified 'Made in Britain'?

We're all accustomed to seeing the Union Jack on products in our local supermarket.

And earlier this year, the Liberal Democrats were among those pushing for more, calling for a national 'buy British' campaign, including the use of clear Made in Britain labelling. 

As of September 2024, government statistics show that UK manufacturing accounted for 9 per cent of the UK's total economic output, as well as 8 per cent of overall employment, making it a significant part of the UK's economy. 

And UK-made goods are popular. In 2021, Barclays Corporate Banking asked more than 10,000 people in the US, Ireland. France, the Netherlands, Germany, South Africa, the UAE, India, China, and South Korea how much extra they’d be willing to pay if products such as food and drink, clothing, and cars bore a Union Jack kite mark.

The researchers found that British exporters benefit from price premiums of up to £3.5 billion per year for products made in Britain, with India, the UAE, the US, South Africa, and China the most enthusiastic.

Welsh lamb, Scottish shortbread, alcoholic beverages, and fashion were particularly popular, while 15 per cent of the people surveyed described the UK's automotive sector as ‘the best in the world’.

"These consumers perceive British goods to be higher quality and better value for money, demonstrating international respect for UK-made products," said James Binns, global head of trade and working capital at Barclays Corporate Banking.

"As a result, we think there is opportunity for UK manufacturers to develop profitable new markets while also growing their existing export flows.”

And Brits are keen to buy British too. In a poll earlier this year, the Made in Britain trade organisation, which represents more than 2,160 UK manufacturers, found that 44 per cent of people would be inclined to buy more British goods if there was clear labelling showcasing that the product was British made. 

Meanwhile, Made in Britain found that half of British shoppers prefer to buy UK-manufactured goods over imported alternatives, with 59 per cent saying that supermarkets and large retailers should offer more British products.

More than seven in ten said they prefer to buy domestically grown fruit and vegetables, while 69 per cent favour British animal farm produce and 57 per cent pick fish from the UK over alternatives produced in other countries.

"As consumer activism pushes up demand for British products on UK supermarket shelves, the widely-recognised Made in Britain trademark helps shoppers instantly identify UK-made products on the high street and online, while providing British manufacturers with an instantly recognisable and trusted marketing symbol that helps them capitalise on public demand for goods produced on home shores," says Made in Britain CEO John Pearce. 

Research last year from global branding agency Jones Knowles Ritchie (JKR) and market research organisation Ipsos, in partnership with the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), found that the qualities most associated with the UK and British products are tradition, an enduring pedigree, and wit. 

"The British public is united in identifying the key attributes that define Great Britain — traditional, enduring, and witty — across all age groups and demographics," says Lee Rolston, chief growth officer at JKR. 

"If brands want to leverage the power of Brand Britain, whether based in the UK or connected to it, they must ensure that the experiences they create align authentically with these attributes and the broader 'Brand Britain' identity.” 
 
Already, tens of thousands of products carry the Made in Britain logo. It's a registered trademark owned by the Made in Great Britain Campaign, which allows its members to use the logo to identify their products of British origin. 

Using it requires a licence which can be acquired through membership of the organisation; this costs between £195 and £1,950 per year, depending on the organisation's size. 

To qualify, you'll need to be a manufacturer making products for which the raw materials and components have undergone a 'substantial and transformative change' as a result of manufacturing processes that take place in Great Britain or Northern Ireland. All the labour or human resource involved in the product will need to be local to the UK too.

If, for example, a clothing manufacturer imports fabric from China and stitches it into garments in the UK, that counts as UK made. However, if the company imports plain T-shirts and simply prints the design in the UK, this does not count.

According to the BCC, more than half of UK exporters believe Brand Britain helps drive business growth.

"Despite recent challenges, Brand Britain still packs a punch for UK businesses, particularly those who export,” said Shevaun Haviland, BCC director general. 

"Moving forward, policymakers need to work with businesses of all shapes and sizes to capitalise on the benefits of the British brand. By working together, and using the government’s new industrial strategy, we can leverage our competitive advantage and make sure the UK is the best place to start, grow, and invest in business.”

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