The Federal Trade Commission said Tuesday that it closed a probe of Walmart after the company addressed false advertising of goods as “Made in USA.” After Walmart removed all “Made in USA” logos from products on its website, the FTC agreed to take no action.
Walmart has redesigned its “Made in USA” logos for private brand products that are promoted in conjunction with the Investing in American Jobs Program. These logos include larger disclosures about the percentage of U.S. content contained in the product.
FTC staff attorney Julia Solomon Ensor wrote in a letter to Walmart, “Based on your actions and other factors, the staff has decided not to pursue this investigation any further.”
The problem had its roots in Walmart’s 2013 pledge to buy an extra $250 billion in U.S.-made goods over a decade to support U.S. manufacturing jobs, according to Reuters. The Watchdog group Truth in Advertising found 100 instances of mislabeled products in June and raised them with the company. They then found another 100 in July and took the information to the FTC, Laura Smith, Truth in Advertising’s legal director, said in a statement to Reuters.
Walmart reported satisfaction in the FTC’s decision to drop the probe, according to Reuters. Spokesman Kory Lundberg said, “We’re committed to reviewing and strengthening our processes.”