Ensuring Truthful Advertising of Products Claiming To Be Made in America
The order directs the Federal Trade Commission to crack down on false 'Made in America' advertising, consider new rules for online marketplaces, and requires federal contracting agencies to verify American-origin claims and refer fraudulent vendors to the Department of Justice.
It targets the growing problem of foreign manufacturers misrepresenting products as American-made in digital marketplaces, aiming to protect both consumers who seek domestic goods and businesses that genuinely manufacture in the United States.
What this order does
What it orders
The order directs the FTC Chairman to prioritize enforcement against sellers and manufacturers who falsely claim products are "Made in America" or carry similar American-origin labels. It also instructs the FTC to consider issuing proposed rules that would make it an unfair or deceptive trade practice for an online marketplace to lack procedures for verifying country-of-origin claims. Agencies with country-of-origin labeling oversight must consider issuing regulations that encourage voluntary American-origin labeling and coordinate to give businesses consistent guidance.
For federal procurement, all agencies overseeing government-wide contracts must periodically review and verify American-origin claims; if a contractor or vendor is found to have misrepresented a product's origin, the agency must remove those products from procurement availability and refer the vendor to the Department of Justice for potential False Claims Act liability. The order does not itself create new regulations or change existing law — concrete regulatory and enforcement changes depend on future agency action.
Who it affects
Foreign and domestic sellers, manufacturers, and online marketplaces that make country-of-origin claims; federal contractors and vendors who certify products as American-made on government contracts; and American consumers relying on "Made in America" labeling when purchasing goods.
Why it matters
Businesses that genuinely manufacture in the United States gain stronger protection of their brand advantage, while consumers seeking domestic products get better assurance of what "Made in America" claims mean. Federal contractors who falsely claim American origin face removal from procurement and possible False Claims Act liability.
What must happen and when
How the order is supposed to work
The FTC leads enforcement and must consult other agencies with product-specific expertise before pursuing cases. Separately, agencies with labeling authority work in parallel to draft voluntary-labeling rules, coordinating to keep guidance consistent. On the procurement side, each contracting agency self-monitors and self-refers violators to DOJ — there is no central enforcement body. Most operative changes require future rulemaking or prosecution decisions; the order sets priorities and opens processes rather than imposing immediate binding rules.
Actions and deadlines
- Prioritize FTC enforcement actions against false 'Made in America' claims by sellers and manufacturers
- Consider issuing proposed regulations requiring online marketplaces to verify country-of-origin claims
- Consider promulgating regulations promoting voluntary country-of-origin labeling for U.S.-made products, in coordination with other agencies
- Periodically review and verify American-origin claims on government-wide acquisition contracts
- Remove misrepresenting contractors' products from government procurement and refer vendors to the Department of Justice