The Turn of the “Made in America” Claim Enforcement

http://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/the-turn-of-the-made-in-america-claim-53209/

July 211, 2017

It has recently be reported by Reuters that President Donald Trump is looking for ways to defend American-made products by certifying legitimate U.S. goods and aggressively going after imported products unfairly sporting the “Made in America” label, the White House said on Tuesday (July 18, 2017). President Trump announced that his administration would crack down on “predatory online sales of foreign goods” that are hurting U.S. retailers. According to a senior official, the United States loses about $300 billion a year to theft of intellectual property ranging from semiconductors to jeans. In March of this year, the President signed an executive order that gave customs officials more authority to stop pirated and counterfeit items.

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An emphasis on policing the “Made in America” label claim is therefore not new. The question will be how will the Trump Administration’s “new” emphasis be enforced. As is the case for nearly all other federal agencies, the FTC is in line to have its budget cut. Under President Trump’s proposed spending plan for fiscal 2018, the FTC is to lose approximately $6 million. Additionally, the Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Ajit Pai, reportedly wants to cede to the FTC enforcement of internet service priority pricing and net neutral practices. More responsibility for the commission with less funding.

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