On July 1, 2025, FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson designated July as “Made in USA” Month.
Chairman Ferguson noted that in a recent poll, 61% of Americans stated that whether a product was “Made in USA” played a factor in their purchasing decisions. Unfortunately, many companies that could label their products as “Made in USA” don’t, presumably because the requirements to support that type of claim can be complex.
To help clear up some of that complexity, the Chairman points to business-friendly guidance that the FTC has issued. He hopes “to help companies showcase that their products are made by American workers and that American manufacturing is an engine of American innovation, job creation, and economic growth.”
Of course, in addition to helping companies comply with the law, it’s “important to protect Americans from deceptive advertising.” The Chairman states that the FTC will enforce the law against companies that don’t comply so that consumers have confidence that when they buy something that says “Made in the USA,” that’s what they’re actually getting.
Although the FTC has traditionally taken the lead on enforcing “Made in USA” claims, we’ve seen an increase in challenges from other sources. On the same day the FTC issued its press release, NAD announced a decision in a dispute between two competitors that make industrial products regarding “Made in USA” claims. The advertiser agreed to stop making the claims.
Also, as we noted in this post, an article in The Wall Street Journal last month examines a recent increase in lawsuits over “Made in USA” claims. These lawsuits—as well as NAD cases and FTC enforcement—are likely to continue, so if you haven’t recently looked at how you make “Made in USA” claims and what substantiation you have for them, now may be the time to do that.
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