The Trump administration has removed nearly two dozen foreign product offerings from its approved federal purchasing platform after an investigation revealed they were falsely marketed as “Made in America,” officials announced on Friday.
The joint action by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the General Services Administration (GSA) resulted in the de-listing of 22 foreign-made flatware products from GSA Advantage!, the primary e-commerce portal utilized by federal agencies for procurement, following a three-week probe.
The directive aims to eliminate deceptive advertising on commercial online marketplaces and strengthen domestic verification processes within government supply chains.
Loopholes in the Supply Chain
The federal probe was triggered after executives from New York-based Sherrill Manufacturing—the sole remaining manufacturer of 100 percent American-made stainless steel flatware—warned that China-based competitors were falsely claiming domestic origin on the GSA platform for items that were only partially assembled or finished in the United States.
Such misrepresentations violate domestic sourcing laws, including the Buy American Act and the Trade Agreements Act, which govern general federal procurement, as well as the Berry Amendment, which strictly mandates that specific items purchased for military use—including flatware—must be grown or produced entirely within the United States.
“The Trump Administration is sending a clear message that we will not tolerate foreign impostors that hijack Made in America labels, or those that undercut honest, generational, American small businesses like Sherrill Manufacturing,” Loeffler said.
Broader Support of Domestic Infrastructure
The enforcement action comes amid a broader legislative and administrative push to fortify domestic supply chains. For companies like Sherrill Manufacturing, which has supplied U.S. armed forces since World War I, foreign undercutting poses an existential threat.
Matthew Roberts, Co-Founder and CEO of Sherrill Manufacturing, expressed deep appreciation for Trump, Loeffler, and GSA Administrator Ed Forst, thanking their ongoing efforts to”keep American manufacturing alive and restore pride in products made in the USA.”
He added that their commitment to prioritizing American-made goods “strengthens our economy, supports domestic industry, protects critical supply chains, and ensures that government agencies receive high-quality products made from American steel.”
To further support the domestic manufacturing sector, the SBA has introduced several financial incentives in Fiscal Year 2026. These include a new 90 percent “Made in America” loan guarantee specifically tailored for small manufacturers, alongside the “Make Onshoring Great Again” Portal, a digital directory launched last year that connects small businesses with over one million domestic suppliers.
