The paperclip: an often overlooked but essential office supply just got an upgrade—but will it catch on?

Lincolnshire, IL- company ACCO Brands Corp., one of the leading paperclip manufacturers in the U.S., recently unveiled a new type of paperclip called “Klix” that aims to change the way Americans feels about the often utilized by underappreciated paperclip, reports the WSJ.

The Klix steel clamp comes in a variety of colors, and makes a snapping sound when closed. This new product reflects a rare example of innovation in the American paperclip industry, which thanks to import tariffs implemented in 1994, represents a steady (albeit small) stream of revenue for office supply manufacturers like ACCO and Officemate. The tariffs were implemented to protect American paperclip manufacturers from what the government considered unfair competition from China.

Though most Americans have no idea that the paperclips tucked away in their desks were most likely made in the USA, it's the paperclip companies that have no idea what Americans do with all the paperclips they sell:

"A bigger mystery is what Americans do with the estimated 11 billion clips sold annually in the U.S. That works out to about 35 per American. 'We actually can't understand how the U.S. consumption can be so huge," says Martin Yang, a senior vice president at Officemate.'"

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