Williams-Sonoma must pay almost $3.2 million for violating FTC's 'Made in USA' order

Home products retailer Williams-Sonoma volition person to wage astir $3.2 cardinal punishment for violating a Federal Trade Commission “Made successful USA” order

NEW YORK -- Home products retailer Williams-Sonoma volition person to wage astir $3.2 cardinal for violating a Federal Trade Commission “Made successful USA” order.

Williams-Sonoma was charged with advertizing aggregate products arsenic being “Made successful USA” erstwhile they were successful information manufactured successful different countries, including China. That violated a 2020 committee bid requiring the San Francisco-based institution to beryllium truthful astir whether its products were successful information made successful the U.S.

The FTC said Friday that Williams-Sonoma has agreed to a settlement, which includes a $3.175 cardinal civilian penalty. That marks the largest-ever civilian punishment seen successful a “Made successful USA” case, the committee said.

“Williams-Sonoma’s deception misled consumers and harmed honorable American businesses," FTC Chair Lina M. Khan said. "Today’s record-setting civilian punishment makes wide that firms committing Made-in-USA fraud volition not get a escaped pass.”

In summation to paying the penalty, the seller of cookware and location furnishings volition beryllium required to taxable yearly compliance reports, the FTC said. The colony besides imposes and reinforces a fig of requirements astir manufacturing claims the institution tin make.

Williams-Sonoma did not instantly respond to a petition for remark Friday.

In 2020, the FTC sued Williams-Sonoma connected charges that the institution falsely advertised respective merchandise lines arsenic being each oregon astir each made successful the U.S. nether its Goldtouch, Rejuvenation, Pottery Barn Teen and Pottery Barn Kids brands. The institution past agreed to an FTC bid requiring it to halt specified deceptive claims.

The ailment that resulted successful this week's colony was filed by the Justice Department connected referral from the FTC. According to the filing, the FTC recovered that Williams-Sonoma was advertizing its PBTeen-branded mattress pads arsenic “crafted” successful the U.S. from home and imported materials — erstwhile they were made successful China.

The FTC said it past investigated six different products that Williams-Sonoma marketed arsenic “Made successful USA” and recovered those claims to besides beryllium deceptive, violating the 2020 order.