Biden signs law on purchasing only U.S.-made flags

WASHINGTON, July 31 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday signed an "All-American Flag Act," which mandates federal purchase of flags completely manufactured in the United States.

The new act prohibits federal agencies from purchasing U.S. flags that are not domestically manufactured, with certain specified exceptions, according to the White House.

Currently, the federal government is only required to buy flags that have just 50 percent of American-made materials. Supporters of the proposal said the change will support American jobs and manufacturers.

The United States imports millions of American flags from overseas, mostly from China. It imported approximately 10 million American flags in 2017, with 99.5 percent of them coming from China, ABC News reported on Tuesday.

The new act will go into effect in about six months.