FTC Flags - “Assembled in USA” vs “Made in USA”

The FTC is watching your product labels.

“Assembled in USA” and “Made in USA” are not the same thing. Use the wrong one, and you attract federal attention.

What “Made in USA” actually means.

The FTC requires “all or virtually all” of the product to come from the U.S. That includes final assembly and sourcing of parts.

The “Assembled in USA” loophole.

This flag applies if your product uses mostly foreign parts. The main assembly happens here, but you cannot claim it as "Made" here.

When does the rule apply?

If you slap a “Made in USA” label on a product built with 50% foreign components, you are mislabeling it. The FTC checks for this.

Why does the distinction matter for your store?

You could list a phone case as “Made in USA” when it’s just assembled here. A customer buys it, feels misled, and reports you to the FTC.

The risk of getting it wrong.

The FTC can fine you. Worse, customers lose trust. If your claims are vague, shoppers will assume you are hiding something.

How to verify where products come from?

You need to track the supply chain. Ask suppliers for certificates of origin. Do not rely on a product page description alone.

A quick test for your listings.

If the raw materials and labor are foreign, use “Assembled.” If the product is sourced and finished locally, you can use “Made.”

Spocket makes product sourcing clearer.

You can filter for US and EU suppliers on Spocket. This helps you know exactly where an item originates before you list it. Check Spocket’s catalog for products you can confidently tag.