Home products retailer Williams-Sonoma will have to pay almost $3.2 million penalty for violating a Federal Trade Commission “Made in USA” order.

Home products retailer Williams-Sonoma will have to pay almost $3.2 million for violating a Federal Trade Commission “Made in USA” order.

Williams-Sonoma was charged with advertising multiple products as being “Made in USA” when they were in fact manufactured in other countries, including China. That violated a 2020 commission order requiring the San Francisco-based company to be truthful about whether its products were in fact made in the U.S.

The FTC said Friday that Williams-Sonoma has agreed to a settlement, which includes a $3.175 million civil penalty. That marks the largest-ever civil penalty seen in a “Made in USA” case, the commission said.

“Williams-Sonoma’s deception misled consumers and harmed honest American businesses,” FTC Chair Lina M. Khan said. “Today’s record-setting civil penalty makes clear that firms committing Made-in-USA fraud will not get a free pass.”

In addition to paying the penalty, the seller of cookware and home furnishings will be required to submit annual compliance reports, the FTC said. The settlement also imposes and reinforces a number of requirements about manufacturing claims the company can make.

  • @[email protected]English
    5•2 months ago

    I’ve never bought anything specifically because it was made in the USA because US made does not equal good quality. When I used to work retail and people would ask me if something was American made it was because they assumed it was better quality and they were racist. I do find it ridiculous that a company can do this and still be allowed to operate. William Sonoma should be forced out of business for even having the audacity to do this as far as I’m concerned.

    • oce 🐆
      13•1 month ago

      I’ve never bought anything specifically because it was made in the USA because US made does not equal good quality.

      Not sure about the USA, but I consider it’s more likely the ecological and social impact of the product is better if it was made in my country than in a cheap labor one.