A consumer advocacy organization, truthinadvertising.org, has filed a complaint with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), asking it to investigate the validity of New Balance’s “made in USA” label, which it uses in at least a dozen models of footwear. According to the complaint, NB claims “a domestic value of 70% or greater” on these styles, written in fine print on boxes and labels, without defining what it means by domestic value. The law requires such labels of origin to be prominently displayed, and the FTC adopted new regulations last month that allow it to fine companies up to $43,792 for each violation of its criteria for the “made in USA” label. New Balance has been hit by similar accusations in the past. Three years ago, it settled a class action suit charging that it was misleading customers as some of the shoe components were imported from abroad.

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