Quality

A few months ago, the news media reported that Chinese meat-packing plants were increasingly hiring rabbis to certify their products as kosher in order to assuage concerns about contaminated food being exported to global markets. Yesterday, the International Trade Law blog noted how the United States Customs and Border intercepted a shipment of power adapters bearing a counterfeit certification mark, namely that of Underwriters Laboratories.(UL) To me, these stories all point to the increasing relevance of certification marks in the global economy.

UL would readily admit that most people in the United States know little or nothing about their brand. Years ago, however, most people would not buy an electrical product not bearing a UL mark. The UL certification mark meant that the product had undergone a rigorous testing procedure in one of UL's labs to ensure that it wouldn't cause an electrical short that would lead to property damage or loss of life. Today, UL tests a heck of a lot more than toasters, and they're actually a non-profit organization.

Whichever manufacturer opted to slap the relevant label on its counterfeit products was willing to risk their power adapters being seized on the way through the United States--that's how important certification marks have become. To me, this is a good sign: certification marks in the global economy are an important measure of manufacturing quality, particularly in light of recent product safety issues. Now if only UL tested pharmaceuticals...