Made in: know the actual origin of a product behind the label

The European clothing market is currently fed partly by Italian-made items. « Made in Italy », a label synonymous with quality, craftsmanship and know-how. However, some recent investigations reveal a sometimes quite different reality. In several industrial regions of Italy, notably in Tuscany and Lombardy, the authorities have in fact identified clandestine manufacturing workshops operating without respect for labour standards to produce clothing at reduced prices while taking advantage of the valuing designation « Made in Italy » thanks to opaque subcontracting installations.

The pattern is as follows: textiles come from Asia, are assembled under difficult conditions in Italy, and are then marketed throughout the European Union via distribution channels that drown their actual traceability. Often without knowledge, major brands feed this chain through subcontractors who themselves outsource production. Cascading outsourcing, which is common in the textile sector, makes it difficult to control each stage of production. As a result, some brands have strengthened their audits and contractual clauses, requiring greater transparency in the supply chain.

In addition to the human, social and ethical problems generated, this phenomenon threatens the local economic fabric and the loyalty of trade at European level. It also leads to problems of knowledge of the origin and origin of the articles, due to the opacity of the distribution networks involved.

Despite the controls carried out by the Italian authorities, the economy generated by these clandestine workshops is growing.

However, this type of production on the margins of the rules is not specific to a country or sector. It is the symptom of an increasing tension between world market requirements and manufacturing conditions.