US Fibre Content Labeling for Imported Knitwear: What the FTC Requires

By YZR Sweaters · 2026-10

Labelling is one of those topics that looks administrative until it isn't. We have seen shipments held at customs over a label that said "50% Viscose, 50% Polyester" when the FTC's generic name list wanted "Rayon". The fix cost more than the testing that would have caught it. Here is what the rules actually say for knitwear, and how to run them without drama. (This is general information from our side of the table, not legal advice — for that, talk to a US customs or FTC specialist.)

Which rules apply to a sweater

Two statutes cover almost every knitted garment entering the US:

• The Textile Fiber Products Identification Act (TFPIA, implemented at 16 CFR Part 303) covers most textile products and requires fibre content disclosure using the FTC's list of generic fibre names.
• The Wool Products Labeling Act (16 CFR Part 300) applies when a product contains wool in any amount — which for a sweater importer is most of the time. Its requirements largely mirror the TFPIA but add wool-specific rules, including how recycled wool must be described.

Care instructions are a separate requirement under the FTC's Care Labeling Rule (16 CFR Part 423) — one label or two is permitted, but the care information itself is not optional. We cover the care-symbol side in our guide to care and composition labelling across the US, EU and UK; this article focuses on the fibre-content side that trips importers up most.

What the label must say

• Generic fibre names in descending order of weight. "Cotton", "Rayon", "Polyester", "Spandex" — the FTC's recognised names, not trade names. "Viscose" is not a recognised US generic name (the US term is "Rayon"), and "Lycra" on a label should read "Spandex".
• Percentages by weight, and the 5% rule. Each fibre's share of total fibre weight. Fibres present at under 5% generally cannot be named at all (with exceptions like spandex and wool where function is the point) — and only "other fibre(s)" may aggregate them. There is a 3% tolerance on stated percentages; deliberately rounding up a marketing fibre is a known enforcement trigger.
• Country of origin. "Made in China" in English, in a conspicuous place. For knitwear, the origin is where the garment was knitted and assembled — not where the yarn was spun.
• Dealer identity. The full company name of the US importer/dealer, or their RN. Using the factory's Chinese company name does not satisfy this requirement.

The mistakes we actually see

• EU-style labels shipped to the US. A label correct for the EU ("50% Viscose" with the EU's fibre list) is not correct for the US. Programmes sold in both markets need either two labels or a combined one checked against both rulebooks.
• Trim and decoration ignored. Ornamentation above a threshold, and linings, can need separate disclosure. A sweater with a faux-fur collar is two labelling problems, not one.
• "Wool" used loosely. Under the Wool Act, "wool" means sheep/lamb fibre (with a defined list of related fibres like cashmere and mohair named separately). A recycled-wool content must be labelled as such. Marketing language like "pure new wool" has its own definition and cannot be improvised.
• Percentages taken from the tech pack, not the garment. The label must reflect the finished product. If the bulk yarn was substituted or the blend ratio drifted, the label drifts with it — this is why composition verification testing exists, and why we run it on bulk, not on the original development sample.

Who is responsible — and what to do about it

Legally, the US importer or the domestic seller is responsible for accurate labelling. Practically, the factory sews the labels. The workable arrangement we run with US-bound orders is this: the buyer provides the exact label text and artwork approved by their own compliance contact; we supply verified composition data from bulk-yarn testing to back it; and a label sample goes into the pre-shipment inspection photo set so the buyer sees the actual sewn label before the goods leave. The label is cheap. The relabelling of a held shipment is not.

At YZR Sweaters we treat US labelling as a checklist item with a deadline: composition confirmed by bulk test, label text signed off by the buyer, artwork and placement approved at pre-production sample stage. Our partner factories in Dongguan (BSCI, SEDEX, Oeko-Tex certified) sew buyer-specified labels to the artwork you approve — and we will flag it ourselves if a composition label drifts from what the test report says.

Frequently asked questions