Are you getting questions from end users about products “Made in the USA”? Or is your company purchasing something for the office and wants to support domestic production? Either way, it’s important to understand the difference between “Made in the USA” and “Assembled in the USA.” Let’s take a look:
Made in the USA
This label is strictly regulated by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). It means:
• All or virtually all of the product’s parts, processing, and labor are of U.S. origin.
• There is no (or negligible) foreign content.
To qualify for this label, raw materials and components must be sourced from the United States (with very limited exceptions), and manufacturing must take place in the United States.
Example: Paper made from pulp harvested in the United States, manufactured in a paper mill in Upstate New York, and used to print checks at Wise’s production location in Butler, PA.
Assembled in the USA
This label has more flexibility and is used under the following circumstances:
• The product is substantially assembled in the United States.
• Key assembly happens here, even if the parts are foreign.
• Final assembly must be more than minimal, meaning it adds meaningful value.
Example: Promotional items. These products are often assembled of multiple components, some or all of which may be manufactured outside of the United States. If the components were assembled into the final product here, then they qualify for the Assembled in the USA label. If they were assembled into the final product outside the United States, and simply printed or embellished here, then they generally don’t.
If you or your customers are looking to avoid tariffs, you’ll be looking for the “Made in the USA” label. If you are looking to support American manufacturing, both products “Made in the USA” and “Assembled in the USA” will support American workers.
