FTC and American Apparel Manufacturers Association Release New Business Guide

The Federal Trade Commission has published, in partnership with the American Apparel Manufacturers Association, a new business guide explaining labeling requirements for textile and wool products. Threading Your Way Through the Labeling Requirements under the Textile and Wool Acts provides up-to-date information about the Commission's rules implementing these statutes. The Textile and Wool Rules were amended last year to streamline the labeling requirements and eliminate unnecessary words, such as "fiber content on reverse side."

In addition to answering questions about the three basic labeling requirements - fiber content, country of origin, and manufacturer or dealer identity - the guide contains many examples of correct labels and briefly summarizes labeling requirements for fur products.

The Commission also has a new web page for information on textile, wool, and fur labeling requirements. It includes Threading Your Way, the full text of the rules and statutes, and other information helpful to members of the textile and apparel industry. The FTC's web site is found at www.ftc.gov -- click on Business Guidance.

A new information phone tree, at 202-326-3553, also provides information about the labeling requirements and the RN (registered identification number) system for manufacturers, importers, and sellers of textile products. The RN database -- which now contains more than 100,000 entries -- is available on the Commission's web site so that industry members and consumers can readily identify RN holders without contacting the FTC. Industry members also are urged to check their own listings in the registry and to update any information that is not current.

Copies of Threading Your Way [HTML, PDF] may be ordered from the FTC's Consumer Response Center, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20580; 202-FTC-HELP (202-382-4357); TDD: 1-866-653-4261.