Legislation like the COOL Online Act is the next logical step in protecting the ‘Made In USA’ label.
Last week President Trump signed an executive order (EO) that, although you may not have heard about, could impact your shopping experience.
What is this executive order? It’s called “Ensuring Truthful Advertising of Products Claiming to be Made in America.” The order’s aim is to crack down on false country-of-origin claims. It directs the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to “prioritize enforcement” against these claims.
Under FTC guidelines, to be labeled “Made in USA”, a product must be “all or virtually all” American-made. That means assembled, processed and finished here, with all or virtually all components being sourced from the U.S. This is a stringent standard, and rightfully so. Nearly four in five Americans prefer to buy American-made to support the economy, grow jobs and more. When a product is labeled “Made in USA”, shoppers should be able to trust that it has truly been made here in America.
Targeting deceptive bad actors taking advantage of shoppers’ desire to support American-made products is extremely important. Companies like Williams-Sonoma have come under fire in the past for their false Made in USA claims.
But false Made in USA claims aren’t the only way shoppers are being duped, which brings us to the second part of Trump’s executive order. It asks the FTC to consider if online platforms that don’t verify country-of-origin claims are also engaging in...
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