Walmart plans to invest $350 billion in products made, grown or assembled in the United States over the next 10 years, a move it says it says will help create 750,000 jobs.
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| The estimated 750,000 new jobs from this new commitment came from research sponsored by Walmart and performed by Boston Consulting Group. |
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About two-thirds of Walmart’s current US store assortment is made, assembled or grown in the US, according to a company spokesman.
With the move, the retailer said US products will become an even larger part of its sourcing execution.
The world’s largest retailer said last week it is committing to source a wide range of American-made products, focusing on six product categories: textiles, plastics, small electrical appliances, food processing, and pharmaceutical and medical supplies.
Over the past several years, Walmart has created new ways for American suppliers to get picked up by its stores and website, including an annual Open Call event, in which small businesses can pitch their products to Walmart buyers.
It also created a web site where Walmart vendors can learn about how to bring their operations back to the US
The announcement follows a similar commitment from 2013, when it said it would invest $250 billion in products made domestically. That program later came under scrutiny after consumer advocacy groups reported what they called misleading labels on Walmart.com to the Federal Trade Commission,
In 2015, Walmart dropped a "Made in USA" logo from products on its web site, after a probe by the FTC and a watchdog group found the items were not US made. The company now details the percentage of a product that is US made on its label.
In 2017, Walmart issued its "Policy Roadmap to Renew U.S. Manufacturing" report, a 10-point plan intended to breathe new life into the domestic industry. The retailer identified trade policy barriers that, if removed, could create as many as 1.5 million new jobs in product manufacturing for categories such as cookware, furniture and sporting goods.
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 The estimated 750,000 new jobs from this new commitment came from research sponsored by Walmart and performed by Boston Consulting Group, using data from the Economic Policy Institute and Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Walmart US CEO John Furneralso said Walmart will also launch a new program, called American Lighthouses, which will bring together stakeholders in different parts of the country to come up with ways to overcome barriers to domestic production.
Participants will include suppliers, government officials and academic experts who can suggest ways to support and expand US manufacturing.
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