TCAN Investigations

Made in USA False Advertising

When companies make products with a label that says Made in the USA, Made in USA or American made, the usually charge more for the products because they are better quality. Sometimes companies use the Made in USA label but the product is actually made from materials that are from outside the USA. This is false advertising and not allowed by federal and state laws. If you have a product you suspect is made with foreign materials or made with materials from outside of the U.S., please contact us by filling out the form on this page or calling us.

The Federal Trade Commission has said that companies cannot deceive consumers and misrepresent consumers about the origin of products. The recent 2021 rule from the Federal Trade Commission says, only when the following occurs can a company use Made in the USA claim: “(1) Final assembly or processing of the product occurs in the United States, (2) all significant processing that goes into the product occurs in the United States, and (3) all or virtually all ingredients or components of the product are made and sourced in the United States.”

(See: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/07/14/2021-14610/made-in-usa-labeling-rule ) If you have purchased a Made in USA or American made labeled product that you suspect was not from US parts or made in the U.S., please contact us by filling out the form on this page or calling 424-245-5505.

One type of product is foil which is made from foreign materials, sent to the U.S. for manufacturing. Even though it may be made in the U.S. with foreign materials, it cannot be labeled as made in the USA because it is primarily made of materials outside the U.S.

Consumers are protected from these false claims so that they are not tricked into buying Made in USA products that are actually lesser value or quality. Many people believe that if a product is made in the USA, it is better quality and so worth more money. It also may be a better value because the shipping costs have not been added into the product, thus the consumer pays less for a better product.

Congressional Research Service has also provided guidance about Made in USA or American made claims. There is a study about the importance of correctly labeling products that consumers can access here: https://sgp.fas.org/crs/misc/R44755.pdf

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