Says Icelandic Products Need “Country Of Origin” Labels

The Federation of Icelandic Industries (SI) believes domestic production is damaged by a lack of “country of origin” labels on Icelandic products.

Icelandic sweaters are making the news again, RÚV reports, as merchants are claiming that visitors to Iceland have difficulty distinguishing between authentic, hand-knit lopapeysur and those made by machine.

Björg Ásta Þórðardóttir, a lawyer for SI, believes the solution lies in properly labeling Icelandic products.

“I think it is quite clear that the problem is great when Icelandic companies are looking at having to shut down simply because they cannot distinguish themselves from products that are made overseas,” she said, adding that the addition of an Icelandic flag, or similar country of origin label, could reduce the confusion.

As reported, the beloved lopapeysur has been the subject of intense debate over how one defines an authentic Icelandic sweater and how to ensure consumers can easily distinguish between one knit by hand and one imported from abroad.