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The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has ordered home goods company Williams-Sonoma to pay a $3.17 million penalty for listing several products as "Made in USA" despite actually coming from China and other countries.
According to the FTC, this marks the largest ever settlement for a "Made in USA" case. Between 2022 and 2023, the FTC discovered that Williams-Sonoma mattress pads listed as "crafted in America from domestic and imported materials" were actually fully imported from China. After that, the FTC identified six other products that were deceptively advertised as American-made. This was in violation to a previous lawsuit against Williams-Sonoma in 2020, where the company was found to have improperly listed multiple product lines under four separate brands as made in the U.S.
According to the FTC, Williams-Sonoma will have to prove that any product listed as "Made in USA" was assembled and/or processed in the country. For products that contain any parts or components from overseas, the company will also have to include a "clear and conspicuous" disclosure for customers.
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