The FTC alleged that Lithionics and Tartaglia violated Section 5 of the FTC Act by misrepresenting that their goods are all or virtually all made in the United States.
To settle the complaint, the defendants must pay $100,000 in civil penalties. They must also stop claiming that their products are made in the United States, according to the FTC’s proposed order.
In a statement, FTC Bureau of Consumer Protection Director Samuel Levine said, “As our country works to onshore production of lithium-ion batteries, it’s critical that honest businesses have a chance to compete, and that consumers can buy American. Falsely labeling batteries as made in the United States is against the law, and the FTC is using its new Made in USA rule to make sure this misconduct comes with a price.”
In October 2021, the consumer protection watchdog ordered Resident Home LLC, the parent company of Nectar Brand LLC better known as Nectar Sleep, to pay a civil penalty of $753,300 for making false claims that its mattresses are Made in USA.
