Key takeaways
- For the US, mark every article “Made in India” or “India” so it survives handling to the final buyer. Furniture is not on the J-list of exceptions.
- If a US city, “USA” or another country's name appears on the goods, the origin must appear close by with “Made in” or similar words.
- The EU and UK do not require origin marking on furniture or home décor, but a false or misleading origin is unlawful.
- Canada and Australia require origin marking only for listed goods, including ceramics, home textiles and apparel.
- Origin is one label among several: care, fibre content, fire safety and warning labels differ by market and are a common cause of rework.
United States: 19 CFR Part 134
Section 304 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1304), applied by 19 CFR Part 134, requires every article of foreign origin, or its container, to be marked “in a conspicuous place as legibly, indelibly, and permanently as the nature of the article (or container) will permit” with the English name of the country of origin (19 CFR 134.11).
| Rule | Section | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Permanence and visibility | 134.41 | The marking must stay on until the goods reach the final buyer unless deliberately removed, survive normal distribution and store handling, and be easy to find and read. Marking worked in at manufacture is best: die-sunk or etched on metal, glazed on ceramics |
| Country name | 134.45 | Full English name. Clear abbreviations and variant spellings are accepted |
| US or other place names on the goods | 134.46, 134.47 | If “USA”, a US city or another country's name could mislead, the origin must appear close by, in at least comparable size, preceded by “Made in”, “Product of” or similar |
| Exceptions | 134.32, 134.33 (J-list) | Some articles are excepted, for example sawn lumber and unstrung beads, but their outer container must still be marked. Finished furniture is not on the J-list |
| Penalty | 134.2 | Unmarked goods face an additional duty of 10% of appraised value unless exported or destroyed under customs supervision, and may be held until marked |
Textile products have a second rule. The FTC's Textile Fiber Products Identification Act rules require each imported textile fiber product to be labelled with the country where it was processed or manufactured (16 CFR 303.33). For bedding, towels, curtains and the outer covering of upholstered furniture, “Made in India” goes on the fibre content label.
EU and UK: no general requirement, but no misleading claims
EU law has no general requirement to mark non-food consumer goods with their country of origin. A proposal for mandatory “made in” marking was part of the 2013 product safety package but was never adopted. The General Product Safety Regulation (EU) 2023/988 requires a type, batch or serial number and the manufacturer's and importer's names, postal and electronic addresses (Articles 9 and 11), not the country of origin. A false or misleading claim about a product's geographical origin can still be an unfair commercial practice under Article 6 of the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive (2005/29/EC).
The UK also has no general origin marking rule for non-food goods. Since 6 April 2025, section 226 of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 treats false or misleading information about a product as a misleading action. Many EU and UK buyers still ask for “Made in India” on goods or cartons for their own traceability and customs files.
Canada, Australia and the Gulf
| Market | Which goods | How it must be marked |
|---|---|---|
| Canada | Goods listed in Schedule I of the Determination of Country of Origin for the Purpose of Marking Goods (Non-CUSMA Countries) Regulations. CBSA examples include china and stoneware dishes and ornaments, ceramic tiles, bath mats, towels, blankets, cotton sheets and pillowcases, kitchenware, apparel and handbags. Furniture and lamps are not in CBSA's guide list | Legible, sufficiently permanent, easy to see in normal handling, in English or French; “Made in” wording where another place name could mislead (Marking of Imported Goods Regulations, SOR/94-10) |
| Australia | Commerce (Trade Descriptions) Regulation 2016, section 9: textile products, apparel and shoes, tableware and kitchenware of china, porcelain or earthenware, electrical appliances, toys, tiles, sanitary ware, and goods imported as prepacked articles not covered elsewhere | A trade description in English, in prominent and legible characters, naming the country where the goods were made and giving a true description; attached in a prominent position and as permanently as practicable |
| Saudi Arabia | All imported goods | Country of origin in Arabic or English, in a way that cannot be removed; on the package only where the item's size or nature does not allow it (US ITA guidance, May 2026) |
Other product labels by market
| Market | Labels to check on furniture, home textiles and décor | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| USA | Fibre content, origin and RN or company name on textiles; federal upholstered furniture label and California labels; tip-over warning on clothing storage units; Prop 65 warnings where needed; formaldehyde compliance label on composite wood | TB 117-2013, STURDY Act, Prop 65, TSCA Title VI |
| EU | Fibre composition on textiles; manufacturer and importer details and product identifier under GPSR; CE marking only where a directive or regulation applies | EU textile labelling, EU GPSR |
| UK | Permanent fire safety label on upholstered furniture; UKCA or CE where applicable; importer details | UK furniture fire safety, UKCA and CE |
| Canada | Bilingual fibre content and CA number or dealer address on textiles | Canada CCPSA and textile labelling |
| Australia | Permanent toppling furniture warning; care labels on upholstered furniture and textiles; bunk bed and bean bag labels | Australian furniture standards |
| Saudi Arabia and GCC | Labels matching the product registered on SABER; G-Mark on regulated electrical goods and toys | SASO, SABER and Gulf rules |
What an inspection can verify
Label checks are almost entirely visual and are well suited to a factory inspection. A lab is needed only to prove what a label claims, such as fibre percentages or a flame or chemical test.
| Check | How the inspector does it |
|---|---|
| Presence | Every sampled unit and carton carries each label in your approved list |
| Correct origin | Reads “Made in India” or “India”, not a brand city, a design studio country or a blank |
| Permanence | Sewn, riveted, branded, etched or durable adhesive, not a loose hangtag where permanence is required; a pull and rub test on adhesive labels |
| Legibility and position | Readable without strain, in a place the buyer will find, not hidden under a cushion deck where the rule asks for visibility |
| Content | Wording, languages, importer details and numbers match the approved artwork |
How Clear To Load checks this in India
Send us your approved label list and artwork with the order. On a pre-shipment inspection in India, the inspector checks origin marking and every listed label on the sampled units and cartons, photographs each one, and records missing or wrong labels as defects in the class you set. See AQL sampling explained for how sampling and defect classes work.
The report arrives within 24 hours with a verdict: Cleared to load, Hold or Not cleared. Book an inspection.
Sources
- 19 CFR Part 134, Country of Origin Marking (eCFR)
- 16 CFR 303.33, Country where textile fiber products are processed or manufactured (eCFR)
- Regulation (EU) 2023/988, General Product Safety Regulation (EUR-Lex)
- Directive 2005/29/EC, Unfair Commercial Practices Directive (EUR-Lex)
- Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, section 226
- Marking of Imported Goods Regulations, SOR/94-10
- CBSA Memorandum D11-3-1, Marking of Imported Goods
- Commerce (Trade Descriptions) Regulation 2016 (legislation.gov.au)
- US International Trade Administration: Saudi Arabia labeling and marking requirements