Purpose: S. 1076 would require the labeling of all fur products, regardless of value. Under existing law, the Fur Product Labeling Act requires that garments made entirely or partly with fur must have a label disclosing certain data. However, the existing law does not apply to fur trim or fur products that are sold for $150 or less. S. 1076 would delete this $150 exception.
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Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Action: SUPPORT. Please contact your two U.S. Senators and urge them to support S. 1076. Tell your Senators that fur trim and low-budget garments account for a significant percentage of the fur sold in the U.S. today. Consumers have a right to know the source of fur clothing. In addition, the fact that fur trim and low-budget items do not have to be labeled has caused confusion among consumers, who may assume that an item is faux fur when in fact it is real fur.
Talking points for your letter:
- Consumers have a right to know the source of fur clothing. The fact that fur trim and items priced $150 or less do not have to be labeled has caused confusion among consumers, who may assume that an item is faux fur when in fact it is real fur.
- The loophole in existing law is being exploited by the fur industry. The fur industry has become increasingly adept at disguising fur, making it difficult for conscientious consumers to know whether a trimmed collar, boot cuff, fuzzy cat toy, or mitten lining is in fact a real animal product or simply a good synthetic.
- The loophole in existing federal law allows retail items priced $150 or less not to carry any label indicating the type of animal fur used to create the furlike trimming or effect. This means that if consumers are considering buying an item that costs $100 and are wondering whether the fluffy pink collar is real fur, the consumers are forced to conduct some sleuthing to ensure that their purchases are not supporting animal suffering. It is time to remove this loophole and take the burden to obtain accurate information off the consumer.
- These days, fur trim abounds — along with misconceptions about the real nature of this product. Even in the U.S., cat and dog fur are sold as fur trim in spite of federal law to the contrary. In 2000 the U.S. banned the import of domestic dog and cat fur. Yet each year more than two million dogs and cats are killed for the fur trade. And items made from cats and dogs are still making their way into the U.S. market, often imported from China. Stronger labeling laws will aid in addressing the import of the dog and cat fur.