Supporting British industry and heritage

Inspired by legislative efforts in the USA, a debate is brewing in the UK about the origins of the Union flags flying across the UK in increasing numbers. The US is pushing for its national emblem to be made entirely on American soil and the UK should follow suit and guarantee British-made flags for its public institutions.

The US debate

US Senator Ashley Moody is backing federal legislation that would ensure American flags bought with federal dollars stitched, dyed and sewn entirely on American soil. Moody is supporting a new BILL called The Make American Flags in America Act, which is an offshoot of the All-American Flag Act approved last year.

The intent of the original measure was to block any federal funds from being spent on American flags unless they are made and manufactured in America, with a few exceptions.

The latest measure closes loopholes from the previous measure after the All-American Flag Act was approved a year ago. US Senator Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, proposed the new bill which focused mainly on technicalities that allowed for some exemptions for purchases of American flags by federal agencies.

The new measure provides additional elements stipulating what federal agencies the measure applies to amongst some other modifications. The details of the original law approved in 2024 are specific. “The term ‘made in the United States’ means 100% manufactured in the United States from articles, materials, or supplies that have been 100% produced or manufactured in the United States,”.

The latest Senate measure also prohibits federal organisations from displaying American flags that are manufactured outside of the US. “A federal agency may not display a flag of the United States on federal property unless such flag has been made in the United States,” the wording of the proposed legislation states. “Funds appropriated or otherwise made available to a federal agency may not be used for the procurement of a flag of the United States unless such flag has been made in the United States.”

According to official statements made in March 2025 by Senator Ted Cruz and Senator Rick Scott, the Make American Flags in America Act was introduced to close loopholes in the previously passed All-American Flag Act.

The new legislation aims to ensure that flags procured or displayed by federal agencies are manufactured entirely from American-made materials.

The All-American Flag Act of 2024The original legislation, signed into law in 2024, stated that federal agencies could not use funds to buy US flags unless they were manufactured in the United States using materials that were US-grown, produced, or manufactured. Despite this law, loopholes were discovered that allowed foreign, particularly Chinese, companies to sell American flags to federal agencies by fraudulently labeling them as American-made, often through online platforms.

Provisions of the Make American Flags in America Act of 2025

• Closes loopholes: The new act is specifically designed to eliminate the fraud and mislabeling issues that surfaced after the 2024 law.
• Procurement and display: It explicitly requires that any US flag procured by a federal agency or displayed on federal property must be entirely manufactured within the US from American-produced materials.
• Enforcement oversight: The bill removes any acquisition threshold that may have been exploited and mandates that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) submit a report assessing enforcement.
• Implementation timeline: For procurement, the new rules would take effect 90 days after the act is signed into law. For existing flags displayed on federal property, agencies would have up to two years to comply with the display requirements.
• Study on labeling: The legislation also directs a study to be conducted on country-of-origin labeling for flags.

The UK debate

The UK debate was highlighted in the aftermath of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 2022. As the UK entered a period of mourning, demand for Union Flags soared but many orders were fulfilled not by British manufacturers, but by factories in SE Asia, China and Taiwan to name a few.

This moment in UK history raised the question .... that for all our national pride, are we actually importing our most potent symbol and missing out on the benefits of choosing home grown?

For many, the Union flag represents the UK's heritage, identity, and craftsmanship, applying also to the regional flags of St George (England), the Welsh Dragon / Ddraig Coch for Wales, the Saltire for Scotland and the unofficial Hand of Ulster for Northern Ireland (plus of course the flags of the outlying British Islands to be discussed further in another BLOG).

British flagmakers like us at Flag Studio in South Wales - and by this we mean manufacturers with factories in the UK not factories outside of the UK who make and then import to the UK - have a long history of supplying royal households and the armed forces, castles, councils and churches use the industry standard of the UK Ministry of Defence high-quality woven polyester by default - which combined with traditional stitch techniques produces world class top quallity flags. These UK businesses face stiff competition from overseas companies who produce flags at a fraction of the cost and while this keeps prices down for the consumer, it does come at the expense of local jobs and traditional skills.

A question of national standards

The quality of flags can also be a point of difference. While UK manufacturers are known for durable, long-lasting flags produced to high standards, cheaper imported alternatives are often of a lower grade. The question is whether government buildings, embassies, and other official sites should be flying flags made to the highest possible standard, reflecting national quality, rather than simply opting for the lowest price.

A call for action

The "Made in America" legislation serves as a powerful model for the UK. A similar "Made in Britain" measure could:

• Ensure that public money is used to support British industry and British jobs.
• Guarantee that the UK's arguably most important symbol is produced to the highest standards of craftsmanship.
• Uphold the integrity and symbolism of the Union Flag.

Just as a US senator proudly declared, "Let’s make sure American flags are American-made!", it is time for a similar campaign in the UK. Let's follow that lead and ensure our Union Flags are British-made, honouring our heritage and supporting our skilled artisans.

Public sector spending on flags (last five years)

The potential economic effects of mandating British-made flags for public procurement can be extrapolated from broader data on the manufacturing sector and public procurement.

While we haven't been able to find any relevant and comprehensive published data across all departments, figures disclosed via FOI requests have shown:

• £163,000 in two years 2020 and 2021: Reports from August 2021 indicate that the UK government spent over £163,000 on Union flags over the previous two years
• Ministry of Defence (MoD): The MoD was a major contributor to this spending, outlaying £118,000 on flags between 2018 and August 2021.
• Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS): The DCMS spent £54,420.89 in the 2020–2021 financial year, citing the need to replace many flags due to wear and tear.
• Many other departments reported smaller but consistent spending on flags over the same period, including the Cabinet Office (£3,000), the Treasury (£1,000), and the Department for Transport (£1,100).ONS spending (from 2022): Office for National Statistics (ONS)shows that it spent £1,611.23 on flags and replacements between January 2022 and June 2025.

Economic impact of the UK flag industry