The university banned Chinese-made products because Beijing does not allow independent trade unions. Ten years after adopting the policy, Notre Dame remains the only major US university that forbids license holders to put the school logo on any product from China, the top US source of manufactured goods. The Catholic institution’s policy is linked to the status of workers in China.
A standards code adopted by the Catholic university in 1997 requires freedom of association and the “right for workers to organize and form independent labor unions of their own choosing.”
Chinese-made products dominate US consumer goods such as sports equipment, shoes and clothing. The mainland sent US$ 26.9 billion of toys and sports items, US$ 16.7 billion of footwear and US$ 33.5 billion of apparel to the U.S. in 2010, according to Commerce Department data.
Notre Dame’s ban has drawn the attention of some members of Congress who are critical of China’s human rights record.
“What Notre Dame is doing is very, very important,” said Rep Frank Wolf, a Virginia Republican and chairman of the Appropriations Committee panel that oversees trade.
Wolf added that he would press Virginia universities to impose a similar ban.