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According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), a product can be labeled 'Made in USA' if all or virtually all of the product is made in the United States. This means that all significant parts and processing must be of U.S. origin, with no or negligible foreign content.

Yes. The FTC enforces Made in USA claims under Section 5 of the FTC Act. Companies making unqualified 'Made in USA' claims must meet the 'all or virtually all' standard. Qualified claims like 'Assembled in USA' have different requirements.

Look for specific manufacturing details on the company's website, check FTC enforcement actions, look for third-party verification, and contact the company directly. Our platform helps by collecting and displaying this information transparently.

'Made in USA' means all or virtually all components and processing are domestic. 'Assembled in USA' means the product was put together in the U.S. but may contain significant foreign-made components.

No. We are a transparency and education platform. We do not certify, approve, or endorse any company's manufacturing claims. We share information that companies and public sources provide so consumers can make informed decisions.

Manufacturing details on our platform are optional. Some companies choose to share detailed information about their manufacturing processes, while others provide basic information. We display whatever has been shared and note when details are not available.

Under the Federal Trade Commission's standard, a product can carry an unqualified "Made in USA" label only if it is "all or virtually all" made in the United States. This means the final assembly or processing must occur in the US, and all significant parts, materials, and processing must also be of US origin. The FTC evaluates claims case by case — there is no fixed percentage threshold, but negligible foreign content is generally acceptable.

The phrase "all or virtually all" is the FTC's standard for unqualified Made in USA labels. It means the product's total manufacturing cost must be predominantly US-origin. The FTC looks at the proportion of the product's total cost attributable to US parts and processing, the importance of any foreign components, and how consumers would understand the claim. There is no hard percentage cutoff — the FTC judges each case individually.

"Made in USA" is the stricter standard: the FTC requires that a product be "all or virtually all" made domestically, with all significant components and processing being US-origin. "Assembled in USA" is a qualified claim that means a product's principal assembly or final processing happened in the United States, but its components or materials may come from other countries. Both can be legitimate labels — but they represent very different levels of domestic manufacturing involvement.

Legally, "Made in America" is not a defined standard the way "Made in USA" is under FTC rules. Companies that use "Made in America" in marketing are generally expected to meet the same FTC standard as "Made in USA," but because the phrase isn't explicitly governed by the same regulation, enforcement can be less consistent. When in doubt, look for transparent manufacturing details rather than relying on the label wording alone.

"Made in USA" is an FTC-governed label for manufactured goods, requiring that a product be "all or virtually all" domestically made. "Product of USA" is primarily used for agricultural and food products and is governed by USDA rules — it requires that the item be grown, produced, or manufactured entirely in the United States. For meat, poultry, and egg products, USDA rules require animals to be born, raised, slaughtered, and processed entirely in the US.

Generally, no — not with an unqualified label. If a product uses significant foreign components, the FTC requires a qualified claim that discloses this, such as "Assembled in USA from US and imported parts." An unqualified "Made in USA" label requires that all significant parts, materials, and processing be of US origin. A product assembled here from predominantly foreign parts would likely not meet the "all or virtually all" standard.

A qualified claim acknowledges that a product is not entirely made in the United States. Examples include "Made in USA of US and imported parts," "Assembled in USA," or "Contains 60% US content." Qualified claims are permitted by the FTC as long as they are accurate and not misleading. They give consumers more precise information than a vague unqualified label would, making them a sign of honest marketing when used correctly.

The FTC can take enforcement action against companies that make deceptive Made in USA claims under Section 5 of the FTC Act, which prohibits unfair or deceptive acts in commerce. Penalties can include civil fines, consent orders requiring the company to stop the claim, and corrective advertising. Consumers can also report suspected false claims directly to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is the primary enforcer of Made in USA claims for manufactured consumer goods. The USDA enforces "Product of USA" labeling for meat, poultry, and egg products. US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) governs country-of-origin markings for tariff and import purposes, which operate separately from FTC consumer-labeling rules. State attorneys general may also act on deceptive claims under state consumer protection laws.

The most reliable approach is to look beyond the label and seek out companies that publish transparent manufacturing details — where the product is assembled, where key components come from, and whether claims are third-party verified. Made It In The States is built around this principle: we list companies with honest manufacturing disclosures so you can evaluate claims yourself, not just take a label at face value. Use our directory to search by category or state.

Look for specificity. Vague "patriotic" language without detail is a warning sign. Legitimate companies will typically disclose where the product is assembled, identify which components are domestic vs. imported, and — in the strongest cases — provide third-party verification. You can also check whether a company has an FTC-compliant qualified claim if they use foreign components. When in doubt, contact the company directly and ask for sourcing details.

Domestic manufacturing generally involves higher labor costs, stricter environmental and safety regulations, and smaller production runs compared to overseas factories. US workers earn higher wages and have legally mandated benefits. These factors raise unit costs, but they also reflect better working conditions, lower carbon footprint from shorter supply chains, and quality control that can reduce defects. Many consumers consider the total cost — including durability and values alignment — when making purchasing decisions.

Many industries maintain strong domestic manufacturing. These include aerospace and defense equipment, heavy machinery and industrial equipment, medical devices, chemicals and plastics, food and beverages, steel and aluminum, firearms, and various specialty goods. In consumer categories, American made options exist across cookware, knives and cutlery, boots and workwear, furniture, musical instruments, sporting goods, and more — though they may represent a smaller share of total market supply than decades past.

Manufacturing is distributed across the US, with concentrations varying by industry. California, Texas, Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin consistently rank among the top states by manufacturing output and employment. The Midwest remains especially concentrated in automotive, machinery, and food processing. The South has grown significantly in auto assembly, aerospace, and chemicals. Made It In The States lets you browse manufacturers by state to find what's made near you.

Yes — for a wide range of everyday goods. American made alternatives exist for cookware, clothing, footwear, furniture, bedding, tools, cleaning supplies, personal care products, and more. The challenge is that they can be harder to find in mainstream retail. Made It In The States exists precisely to close that gap — browse our directory by category to find domestic options for products you buy regularly.

Companies are legally responsible for the truthfulness of their Made in USA claims, and the FTC can investigate and penalize false claims. However, there is no mandatory pre-certification or government approval process before a company can use a Made in USA label — companies self-certify. This is why third-party verification programs and transparency-first directories like Made It In The States exist: to give consumers an independent check on marketing claims.

Third-party verification means an independent organization — not affiliated with the manufacturer — has reviewed the company's supply chain, production processes, and documentation to confirm that its Made in USA claim is accurate. Programs like Made in USA Certified conduct these audits. Third-party verification adds credibility because it removes the conflict of interest inherent in self-certification. On Made It In The States, we flag companies that have obtained third-party verification.

We encourage companies to voluntarily disclose their manufacturing details — where products are assembled, where key components are sourced, and whether they hold third-party verification. We do not conduct independent factory audits, but we surface the information companies provide and flag when details are verified by a third party. Our goal is transparency: we believe honest disclosure, even of imperfect sourcing, is more valuable than vague patriotic marketing.

A verified badge on Made It In The States means the company has claimed its listing and provided detailed manufacturing information directly — including specifics about assembly location, component sourcing, and/or third-party certifications. It does not mean we have independently audited their factory, but it does mean the company has taken an active role in being transparent with consumers. Unverified listings are based on publicly available information.

Reshoring is the process of moving manufacturing operations back to the United States after they had previously been offshored. It is being driven by several factors: rising labor costs overseas (especially in China), supply chain disruptions exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, increased shipping costs and lead times, federal incentives through legislation like the CHIPS Act and Inflation Reduction Act, and growing consumer preference for domestically made goods. Reshoring is measured and tracked by the Reshoring Initiative, which reports tens of thousands of jobs returning annually.

The Buy American Act (41 U.S.C. §§ 8301–8305) is a federal law requiring the US government to prefer domestically produced goods when making purchases for public use. It applies to government procurement, not to private consumer purchases. Under current executive orders, products must generally meet a 60% domestic content threshold (phasing to 75% by 2029) to qualify as "domestic end products" under the Act. The Buy American Act is separate from the FTC's Made in USA standard for consumer goods.

No. The Buy American Act applies exclusively to US federal government procurement — it governs what agencies purchase with taxpayer dollars. It has no bearing on what private consumers can buy or what labels companies can put on consumer products. Consumer-facing "Made in USA" labeling is governed by the Federal Trade Commission's separate standard.

The Berry Amendment (10 U.S.C. § 4862) requires the US Department of Defense to give strong preference to domestically produced goods in specific categories, including food, clothing, fabrics, fibers, yarns, and hand or measuring tools. Unlike the Buy American Act, the Berry Amendment generally requires 100% domestic production and sourcing of covered items, with limited national security exceptions. It is a key driver of domestic manufacturing in the textile and apparel industries.

The United States remains the world's second-largest manufacturer by output (after China), producing roughly $2.5 trillion in goods annually. However, the share of consumer products made domestically has declined significantly since the 1980s — estimates suggest that roughly 10–12% of manufactured goods sold in the US are domestically produced across all categories, though this varies enormously by product type. Sectors like aerospace, chemicals, and industrial machinery remain predominantly domestic, while electronics, apparel, and many consumer goods are predominantly imported.

You can submit a company using the form at madeitinthestates.com/submit. We review all submissions before publishing. Please include as much detail as possible about where the company manufactures its products. Submissions are free — our goal is to build the most complete, transparent directory of American made companies possible.

If your company is already listed, you can claim the listing at madeitinthestates.com/company/claim. Claiming your listing lets you add or update manufacturing details, add your company story, list your products, and respond to customer questions. Claiming is free. Verified, claimed listings give consumers more confidence and improve your visibility in our directory.

Collectives are curated groups of American made brands within the same product category — for example, a cookware collective or a workwear collective. Brands in a collective can benefit from shared marketing, cross-promotion, and a combined audience of American made shoppers. Collectives help smaller domestic brands compete for visibility alongside larger retailers. Learn more at madeitinthestates.com/collectives.

Yes — browsing the directory, reading company profiles, and searching for American made products is completely free for consumers. We believe making this information accessible is how we support the broader American made movement.

Our directory is updated regularly as companies submit new listings, claim and update existing profiles, and as we add verified manufacturing details. Featured content and spotlights are refreshed frequently. If you notice outdated information about a specific company, you can flag it through the company's listing page or contact us directly.

Not yet — our directory is growing and we rely on a combination of our own research and community submissions to expand it. We prioritize companies that manufacture in the United States and are willing to be transparent about their process. If a company you're looking for isn't listed, you can submit them at madeitinthestates.com/submit.