Politics > Department Of Justice

The DoJ Is Coming For Companies That Mislabel Products’ Countries Of Origin

This is a big deal. China is often the beneficiary of these labeling violations, and consumers are hurt when they don’t know where their money is going.

John F. Di Leo | May 3, 2026

It is no secret that the United States spent the past few generations deviating from the path of self-sufficiency, with American corporate purchasing departments—as well as individual consumers—becoming ever more comfortable with buying cheap foreign goods instead of the domestic products that employ their neighbors.

The pendulum had to swing back eventually, and the fact that Trump understands this was a major driver in his becoming president. His follow-through came when he implemented protectionist tariffs to try to speed up a return to domestic purchasing primacy, or at least a rebalancing of the foreign supply pool, in an effort to buy less from our main global enemy, the People’s Republic of China.

But while it is true that President Trump increased numerous tariffs, the foundation for his efforts was already in place in U.S. law. We have long had requirements that manufacturers honestly report the origin of imported goods. Additionally, for well over a century, we’ve had several country-specific tariffs and other regulatory inducements and penalties for various products from various countries.

Plywood imports are an excellent example.

We produce about 8 to 10 million cubic meters of plywood in the United States each year, depending on harvests, demand, and other factors. Depending on the year-to-year strength of new home construction, remodeling, furniture, and related industries, we have an annual market for 12 to 15 million cubic meters of plywood. This means we’ll likely always import some plywood.

Plywood is a great industry for America, serving as a base for many other industries. It’s a terrific source of employment, investment, and community building.

The wood comes from renewable forests that the industry can develop and maintain. The layers of resin that bond the multiple layers of wood together are a variety of natural and synthetic options, produced by the chemical industry from petroleum, natural gas, and various other........

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