On April 14, following last month’s Executive Order (EO) directing the Federal Trade Commission (FTC or Agency) to prioritize enforcement of fraudulent “Made in the U.S.A.” (MUSA) claims, the FTC announced three new MUSA enforcement actions involving four companies. Read the update here.
Product Safety
A New Federal Safety Standard for Water Bead Toys Now in Effect
Mandatory requirements for water bead toys came into force on March 12, 2026. The Federal Safety Standard for Water Beads (Final Rule) amends the Safety Standard for Toys, 16 C.F.R. Part 1250 (Toy Standard), by adding performance and labeling requirements “to eliminate or adequately reduce the risk of injury and death to children from…
Industry Groups Challenge Constitutionality of California’s “Truth in Labeling” Law
On March 17, 2026, a coalition of 18 food industry groups and trade associations brought suit in California federal court challenging the constitutionality of California’s “Truth in Labeling” law (SB 343). Plaintiffs seek a declaration that SB 343 is unconstitutional and a preliminary injunction to prevent enforcement of the law while the suit…
New Executive Order Adds to Growing Uncertainty Surrounding “Made in the USA” Claims
On March 13, 2026, President Trump signed an Executive Order (EO), “Ensuring Truthful Advertising of Products Claiming to be Made in America,” directing the Federal Trade Commission (FTC or Agency) to prioritize enforcement of fraudulent “Made in U.S.A.” (MUSA) claims “wherever appropriate.” The EO’s express targets are “foreign manufacturers and sellers,” who “target…
California Embedded Battery Recycling Fee Kicks in January 1, 2026
Starting January 1, 2026, retailers of covered battery-embedded (CBE) products in California must charge consumers a CBE Waste Recycling Fee at point of purchase or cover the costs of the fee themselves. Per regulations finalized last week, the fee will be 1.5% (capped at $15) of the retail sales price of a CBE product. Proposed…
Is Your Business Prepared for CPSC eFiling?
The July 8, 2026, effective date for the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s (CPSC or Commission) electronic filing (eFiling) requirements is fast approaching. As we previously discussed, last December, CPSC approved a Final Rule to implement mandatory eFiling of certificates of compliance (CoC) for imported consumer products that are subject to a CPSC rule…
JBS USA Settles NY AG “Net Zero” Challenge as NGO False Ad Litigation Continues and California Climate Reporting Deadlines Loom
On November 3, 2025, the New York Attorney General announced a $1.1 million settlement with the U.S. subsidiary of the world’s largest beef producer, ending the state’s lawsuit accusing the company of misleading the public about its environmental practices and sustainability commitments. The complaint, filed in February 2024 in New York state court, alleged…
UPDATE: Supreme Court to Revisit Humphrey’s Executor in December; Reinstatement of Former FTC Commissioner Slaughter Stayed Pending the Supreme Court’s Review
The latest development in the ongoing legal saga regarding the scope of presidential authority to fire officials at various independent federal agencies occurred on September 22, 2025, when the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS or the Court) granted a stay of the reinstatement of Rebecca Slaughter, a former commissioner at the Federal Trade…
SCOTUS Stays Federal Appeals Court Order Reinstating Fired FTC Commissioner; Fourth Circuit Oral Argument on CPSC Firings Tentatively Scheduled
On September 8, 2025, once again, the question of the President’s authority to terminate, without cause, commissioners of independent agencies, was examined in federal court and appealed to the Supreme Court, and once again, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) overruled the court of appeals and granted a temporary stay of that court’s…
And Then There Was One…CPSC Continues Operations with One Commissioner
It has been a turbulent time at the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC or Commission), with several months of legal battles over President Trump’s termination, without cause, of the three Democratic commissioners, Alexander Hoehn-Saric, Mary Boyle, and Richard Trumka. As we previously discussed here, the commissioners were fired in May 2025 and then reinstated…