Consumers notice and are more likely to buy products that are marketed as Made in USA, but companies face significant legal risk, negative publicity, and decades of government oversight if they overstate the extent to which their products are made in the United States.
- Companies marketing their products without qualification as Made in USA must at least meet the “all or virtually all” standard, meaning that all significant parts and processing that go into the product are of U.S. origin.
- Federal, state, self-regulatory, and private actors are increasingly bringing enforcement actions and other litigation for false or misleading use of Made in USA labels.
This update from September outlines the FTC’s enforcement policy on U.S.-origin claims and analyzes recent actions challenging such false or misleading claims. Read the full Update here.