Made in the USA vs. Made in America: what's the difference?

Look closely at any Uncle Goose wooden alphabet block, and you’ll see “Made in the USA” embossed on it. That’s because all of our toys are 100% Made in the USA. Some products might say “Made in America”. Isn’t that the same thing?

Well…no. Not exactly.

First, consider geography. North America is a continent. If a product is made in Canada or Mexico, you can technically say it was made in America and be correct.

However, people usually don’t mean the entire North American continent when they say “Made in America”. It’s generally accepted that “America” means “the USA”.

But not always. For example, when United States citizens cross the border into Mexico or Canada, the border guard will ask them for their citizenship.

Whatever you do, don’t say “I’m an American.” At least one agitated border guard would prefer it if you said, “I’m a US citizen.”

(Once you’ve been lectured by an ornery border guard on this issue, you learn to be specific.)

Second, just because something might be “Made in America” - it doesn’t mean the raw materials used to create the product were all sourced from USA materials. While the product might have been manufactured or assembled in the Americas - it may contain parts from all over the world.

But when something is “100% Made in the USA” - it means that the product was not only manufactured, assembled, or crafted in the USA - it also means that all of the raw materials are sourced from the USA, as well.

Not Canada. Not Mexico. Not China.

Everything in a “100% Made in the USA” product is both manufactured in the USA and sourced from USA materials. Recently, some companies have had to switch their labels from “Made in the USA” to “Made in America” - because they source their raw materials from other countries.

But not your Uncle Goose. We handcraft all our toys in the USA. We also source all our materials from the USA. And since 1983, we’ve been as stubborn as an ornery border guard about this.

We’re 100% Made in the USA. Always have been, always will be. And as far as we know, we’re the only company in that makes 100% Made in the USA wooden alphabet blocks.