A federal judge in Minnesota has refused to toss a proposed consumer class action accusing Nordic Ware of misleading shoppers with “Made in the USA” claims on certain aluminum bakeware, setting the company up for a deeper court fight over what, exactly, Americans think they are buying when they pay for domestic origin. The ruling, issued December 29, 2025, denies Nordic Ware’s motion to dismiss and keeps multiple state consumer protection and warranty claims alive.
According to coverage of the decision, the case centers on allegations that Nordic Ware labeled and marketed aluminum bakeware as American-made even though a key material used to make aluminum is mined abroad and processed into aluminum overseas.
In the complaint summarized in the court order, plaintiffs allege that bauxite, the raw material tied to aluminum, is sourced outside the United States and that conversion steps occurred in Canada before coils were formed into finished bakeware in the US. The judge held that the plaintiffs plausibly alleged that “Made in USA” representations could mislead reasonable consumers under the statutes they invoked, allowing the case to proceed beyond the pleadings stage.
The Legal Standard Behind “Made In USA” Marketing
At the center of many origin disputes is the Federal Trade Commission’s “all or virtually all” standard for unqualified “Made in USA” claims. The FTC says marketers should have a reasonable basis supported by competent and reliable evidence before using an unqualified domestic origin claim.
That framework is also embedded in the FTC’s Made in USA Labeling Rule, which governs when products can carry unqualified “Made in USA” labels and can expose companies to civil penalties for violations.
Why The Case Hits a Nerve For US Manufacturing
For shoppers trying to support American jobs, the supply chain details matter. On the materials side, the US Geological Survey explains that bauxite and alumina supply chains are global, with bauxite used as the feedstock for alumina and then aluminum.
This dispute also comes amid rising scrutiny of domestic-origin marketing by regulators and private plaintiffs. Reuters reported in 2025 that FTC attention and class action filings tied to “Made in USA” claims have been trending upward.
From our standpoint, the stakes are straightforward: honest American manufacturers deserve a market where “Made in USA” means what shoppers think it means, and consumers deserve labels they can trust. This case will test how courts weigh consumer expectations against the modern realities of raw materials crossing borders.
Image credit: Brandon Stengel
