Utah company, Lions Not Sheep ordered to cease “made in USA” claims
Aug 5, 2022, 3:10 PM
(AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
SALT LAKE CITY — The Federal Trade Commission has ordered Utah-based clothing company Lions Not Sheep Products, LLC, to cease making false “made in USA” claims.
And in a 5-0 vote, the FTC also ordered owner Sean Whalen to pay $211,335.
A complaint against Whalen and his company was filed by the FTC in May of this year.
The complaint said Whalen’s company removed foreign tags in clothing and replaced them with fake “made in USA” tags.
The FTC’s order says Lions Not Sheep cannot claim its products are made or assembled in the U.S. without proving that they meet the FTC’s standards.
“Companies that slap phony Made in USA labels on imported goods are cheating their customers and undercutting honest businesses, and we will hold those companies and their executives accountable for their misconduct,” said Sam Levine, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection in an online statement.
“American consumers have the right to know the truth about where their clothes and accessories are made.”
Lions Not Sheep must also “come clean” about foreign production, according to the order.
The FTC also ordered the company to be transparent about any qualified “made in USA” claims. Any product that has elements produced or processed in a foreign country has to clearly disclose that.