Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
Royal Crown Derby has told the Confederation of British Industry that product origin marking legislation is damaging British manufacturers.
The message was conveyed to CBI director general Richard Lambert during a recent visit to the English fine bone china manufacturer.
“Current European legislation does not demand that a product display its country of origin,” explained Royal Crown Derby chief executive Hugh Gibson. “At present, a product made overseas can be imported with no marking whatsoever, leaving consumers ignorant of the real provenance of the product they’re purchasing. This is a disadvantage for both consumers and for any company which is genuinely manufacturing exclusively in England.”
Lambert agreed that the company’s strength lay in its manufacturing roots. “What makes Royal Crown Derby distinctive is the fact that after 250 years it continues to be manufactured in England,” he said. “The wealth of skills and experience that have been developed over that time gives the brand ‘stardust’, and the company should continue to promote this to the markets that appreciate these strengths.”
Gibson asked for CBI representation on the issue.
