On April 14, 2026, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced a coordinated enforcement sweep targeting deceptive “Made in the USA” claims. The enforcement actions center on companies that marketed products as American-made despite relying on imported materials or fully foreign production. The FTC’s standard for an unqualified “Made in the USA” claim is strict: parts of the products must be “all or virtually all” made in the United States.
TouchTunes
Maker of electronic dartboards claimed to be “Made in the USA” across its website and other marketing materials, even though the electronic dartboards contained imported components. Though final assembly was completed in the United States, many crucial components – such as computer chips, cameras, and flatscreen monitors – were made abroad. This led to $625,000 in consumer redress, among other prohibitions.
American Liberty LLC, Three Nations LLC, and the company principals
Its product line consisting of American flags, U.S. military flags, and patriotic flag displays and other accessories were touted as “Made in the USA,” “All-American Made,” “100% Made in the USA,” “100% American Made Tough,” and “Built by Americans for Americans” through corporate websites, digital marketing, and other marketing materials. However, several products were wholly imported from China. This led to $167,743 in consumer redress, among other prohibitions and requirements.
Oak Street Bootmakers
The company falsely claimed that certain boots, loafers, and other footwear products were “handcrafted 100%” in the United States, and the entire product was made in the United States “from heel-to-toe, using no pre-assembled components from overseas,” and that their footwear products were “More than Made in USA.” However, the footwear company used a factory in the Dominican Republic to source materials as well as factories in Brazil. This led to $75,000 in consumer redress, among other prohibitions.
How Does This Affect My Dealership?
While it is not common, we have seen instances where dealers make “Made in the USA” or similar claims in advertisements. Dealerships should exercise heightened caution before making any representations in advertising, in marketing materials, on websites, in showrooms, or even by sales staff about where vehicles or its components are made must be accurate, substantiated, and consistent with FTC standards. Even if a vehicle is assembled in the United States, major components (engines, electronics, batteries) may be sourced internationally, meaning broad or unqualified claims could be considered misleading.
Part of an Increasingly Aggressive FTC Approach to Advertising
It seems like the FTC is only getting started here. Christopher Mufarrige, the Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, who also sent 97 letters to autogroups nationwide over concerns of deceptive pricing, said, “The FTC is committed to ensuring that ‘Made in the USA’ claims are truthful and trustworthy.” Additionally, “We will robustly enforce the ‘Made in the USA’ standard so that the American people have confidence that their purchases of American-made products support American workers and manufacturing.”
ComplyAuto’s Guardian solution can help. Guardian, the only tool of its kind, will help you ensure that your ads are compliant with all federal and 50-state advertising laws, including “Made in the USA” claims. Contact us to learn more.
For more information regarding “Made in the USA” claims, please review other ComplyAuto articles, including “FTC Levies Record-Setting Civil Penalty Against Heavy Duty Equipment Manufacturer for Misleading “Made in USA” Claim” and “Navigating “Made in the USA” Claims in Dealership Advertising”.