seller
- What changed
- FTC Made in USA standard applied to Amazon listings, images and packaging
- When
- FTC letters July 8, 2025; executive order March 13, 2026; settlements April 14, 2026
- Who it affects
- Every brand and seller using US origin claims on Amazon
- What to do
- Audit titles, bullets, images and A+ content for unsupported origin claims
Key takeaways
- An unqualified Made in USA claim must mean all or virtually all made in the US.
- The FTC warned Amazon in July 2025, and 2026 brought an executive order and new settlements.
- Audit text, images and the origin field, and keep supplier proof for every claim.
Made in USA enforcement
FTC warns Amazon and Walmart
July named Made in USA month
Executive order prioritises cases
FTC announces three settlements
What counts as a Made in USA claim on Amazon?
A claim is anything that tells shoppers your product comes from the US. That includes the words Made in USA, Made in America and USA Made in a title or bullet, but also American flag graphics, a country of origin field set to United States, packaging photos and A+ modules. The FTC looks at the overall impression, so an image can create a claim even when the text does not.
Amazon's Seller Code of Conduct also requires accurate information, so a false origin claim is a policy problem on top of a legal one and can affect your Amazon account health.
The FTC all or virtually all standard
Under the FTC's Made in USA Labeling Rule (16 C.F.R. Part 323), an unqualified Made in USA claim means all or virtually all of the product is made in the United States. Final assembly or processing must happen in the US, all significant processing must happen in the US, and foreign content should be negligible.
Qualified claims such as Assembled in USA or Made in USA with imported parts are allowed when they are truthful, substantiated and clearly describe the foreign content. They are still enforced, so you need records that back them up.
| Allowed | Risky | |
|---|---|---|
| Assembled in USA from imported parts | ||
| Made in USA with foreign key parts | ||
| Flag icon on imported goods | ||
| Origin field matches records |
The overall impression counts, not just the words.
What the FTC did about Amazon sellers
On July 8, 2025, the FTC sent warning letters to Amazon and Walmart about third-party sellers whose US origin claims may be deceptive. The letters asked the marketplaces to monitor and act on false claims, and cited examples such as foreign sellers marketing flags as 100% USA made and listings that named both the USA and China as the origin of the same product. The FTC said the letters did not assess whether Amazon itself broke the law.
The FTC also named July as Made in USA month in 2025 and sent warning letters to four companies at the same time.
The 2026 executive order and settlements
On March 13, 2026, a presidential executive order directed the FTC to prioritise enforcement against unlawful Made in USA claims. It also asked the FTC to consider rules under which an online marketplace that fails to set up procedures for verifying sellers' country of origin claims would be breaking the FTC Act. No such rule had been finalised at the time of writing.
On April 14, 2026, the FTC announced settlements with sellers of American flags and flagpole kits, entertainment systems and footwear over unqualified Made in USA claims, and closed two other investigations with staff letters.
Penalties and other risks
Breaking the Made in USA Labeling Rule can bring civil penalties. Kelley Drye notes that the rule allows penalties of up to about $53,000 per violation. Other risks are just as practical for Amazon sellers:
- Listings removed or suppressed after Amazon reviews origin claims
- Class action suits from consumers, which law firms report are active in this area
- Competitor complaints that trigger Amazon investigations
- Loss of trust and reviews if buyers find foreign labels on arrival
How to audit Made in USA claims on your Amazon listings
Treat this as a catalogue-wide review, not a single listing fix.
- Export every listing and search titles, bullets, descriptions and backend fields for USA, America and flag terms
- Check images, packaging shots and A+ modules for flags and origin text
- Confirm the country of origin field matches your bill of materials
- Collect supplier records showing where each component and step happens
- Rewrite claims that fail the standard as qualified claims, or remove them
- Keep evidence on file so you can answer Amazon or the FTC quickly
Origin claim audit
- Titles and bullets searched
- Images and A+ checked
- Origin field verified
- Supplier records filed
- Claims rewritten or removed
Writing compliant origin copy
Be specific and honest. Assembled in Ohio from US and imported parts is safer than Made in USA if a key component comes from abroad. Avoid flag icons unless the product truly meets the standard. Our guide to Amazon listing optimization shows how to keep titles persuasive without risky claims.
What to do if Amazon removes your listing
If a listing is taken down for an origin claim, fix the content first, then gather proof such as supplier invoices and manufacturing records. Submit a clear plan explaining what changed and how you will prevent it. Our guide to Amazon listing reinstatement covers the process, and the same approach applies to other compliance removals such as the Amazon dietary supplement policy.
Where PPC Spider helps
PPC Spider audits catalogues for risky claims as part of our account health work, and SpiderOS monitors listing changes alongside bids, budgets, search terms and stock. If you are unsure whether your origin claims hold up, start with a free Amazon audit. We are not lawyers, so confirm final wording with legal counsel.
Sources
- PPC Land: FTC cracks down on false Made in USA claims across marketplaces, July 2025 (ppc.land/ftc-cracks-down-on-false-made-in-usa-claims-across-marketplaces/)
- Kelley Drye: Trump administration directs FTC to prioritize Made in USA enforcement, March 2026 (kelleydrye.com/viewpoints/blogs/ad-law-access)
- McGuireWoods: As FTC increases enforcement of Made in USA claims, April 2026 (mcguirewoods.com/client-resources/alerts/2026/4)
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