A swag bag dished out by the American chamber of commerce to promote US industry at an international summit wasn’t quite on message – with some gifts bearing the slogan “Made in China”.
Delegates and attendees at the Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles this week have been plied with all manner of freebies and samples from various groups wanting to push their agenda.
A sideline gathering dubbed the “CEO summit” has seen the leaders of industry and politics talk about how business can help to boost development in impoverished parts of Central and South America.
Attendees, who have included Google boss Sundar Pichai, US president Joe Biden and Meta number three Nick Clegg, have been able to avail themselves of a blue bag of goodies provided by hosts the American chamber of commerce.
But a closer inspection reveals that its contents are not exactly born in the USA. An insulated metal drinking bottle in the bag is stamped with a capitalised CHINA on the bottom, denoting its origin.
And while delegates might welcome the free pair of shades to stop them squinting under California’s perpetually sunny skies, the “Made in China” message on the label isn’t quite living the American dream.
The US chamber of commerce, which describes itself as a “non-profit membership organisation representing the unified interests of US business”, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.