Williams-Sonoma Penalized $3M for False ‘Made in USA’ Claims, Grilling Industry Cost Highlighted by Andrus

Jeremy Andrus discusses the high costs of running a grilling business while Williams-Sonoma faces a $3 million penalty for falsely claiming that certain products were made in America when they actually originated from China. The Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) accused William-Sonoma Inc., which owns several popular home furnishings brands, of violating an earlier FTC order requiring the company to be truthful about its product’s country of manufacture. In addition to paying a fine, Williams-Sonoma has been ordered to admit that it lied and must maintain records on future reporting related to manufacturing locations for government agencies. This penalty marks another example in which businesses committing false claims regarding American made goods face harsh penalties under FTC orders.