You want to support the U.S. economy, so you look for a "Made in USA" label when you shop. But how do you know it's true? According to the Federal Trade Commission, an Ohio company, Made in the USA Brand, LLC, licensed its Made in the USA certification mark to any business that paid the $250 to $2,000 annual fee. The FTC's complaint charges Made in the USA Brand with falsely advertising that it "independently and objectively evaluated" that certified products met its accreditation standards, when in fact, there was no such verification. In settling the case, Made in the USA Brand is prohibited from claiming that any products or companies meet its certification standard unless it either conducts an independent and objective evaluation, or discloses on its logo (and all of its promotional materials) that companies and products are self-certified. The company said in a statement it was pleased the case has been settled and noted that there was no monetary penalty imposed and no admission of any improper conduct.
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- Herb Weisbaum, CNBC.com
