Murphy Calls On Federal Trade Commission To Investigate & Prevent Fraudulent "Made In The USA" Origin Labeling

Press Release

Today, U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) called on the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate fraudulent or misleading "Made in the U.S.A." claims made by retailers and manufacturers. Murphy's call follows an investigation by NBC Connecticut into these fraudulent claims, as well as an investigation by the non-profit Truth in Advertising, which found 200 examples of mislabeled foreign-made products at Walmart. In a letter to FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez, Murphy warned that manufacturers and retailers are taking advantage of Americans' willingness to pay more for the quality associated with American-made products by placing fraudulent origin labels on their products, and are harming genuine U.S. manufacturers by doing so.

Murphy wrote, "As you know, businesses are only allowed to include a "Made in USA' label if "all or virtually all' of a product's parts, processing, and labor are of U.S. origin. I have particular concern over fraudulent labels that are placed on products by retailers on outer packaging or in advertising for products. I ask to the greatest extent possible, you dedicate resources to these fraudulently labeled products and that you please communicate with me what resources Congress can provide to help you carry out more robust enforcement. Without enhanced enforcement practices, these abuses will continue to hurt real American manufacturers."

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