“Made in USA” tables: what the FTC rule requires
“Handmade in America” is a big selling point for custom furniture. But an epoxy table can be built in a U.S. shop from imported resin, imported hardware or a foreign-made steel base. The FTC sets a high bar for unqualified U.S.-origin labels.
- An unqualified Made in USA label needs final assembly or processing in the U.S., all significant processing in the U.S., and all or virtually all components made and sourced in the U.S.
- ‘Made,’ ‘manufactured,’ ‘built,’ ‘produced,’ ‘created’ and ‘crafted’ in the USA all count as Made in USA claims.
- The rule also covers Made in USA seals and labels in mail-order catalogs and promotional material.
- If components are imported, a qualified claim (for example ‘Built in the USA from imported resin’) is the honest route.
The rule
Under 16 CFR 323.2, FTC Made in USA Labeling Rule, it’s an unfair or deceptive practice to label a product Made in the United States “unless the final assembly or processing of the product occurs in the United States, all significant processing that goes into the product occurs in the United States, and all or virtually all ingredients or components of the product are made and sourced in the United States.”
What counts as a claim
16 CFR 323.1, definitions defines Made in the United States as “any unqualified representation, express or implied,” including that a product is “made,” “manufactured,” “built,” “produced,” “created,” or “crafted” in the United States or in America. 16 CFR 323.3, mail order advertising applies the rule to Made in USA seals, marks, tags or stamps in mail order catalogs and promotional material.
How to read a seller’s claim
- Ask where the wood, resin and base were made. Locally milled slabs are common; resin and steel often aren’t.
- Treat “crafted in the USA” the same as “made in USA.” Under the definition, both are unqualified claims.
- Prefer specific, qualified statements over a flag graphic.
See wood grain and texture for table buyers and spalted wood for epoxy tables for questions about the wood itself.
General information, not legal advice. Sources: 16 CFR 323.2, FTC Made in USA Labeling Rule; 16 CFR 323.1, definitions; 16 CFR 323.3, mail order advertising.
Header image: Photo: “Woodworking workshop (Unsplash)” by s w wengenroad, CC0 (cropped).