‘Made in China?': House panel demands Amazon come clean on product origins

Core Viewpoint - The House China Committee is urging Amazon to disclose the country of origin for all products sold on its platform, emphasizing the need for transparency regarding U.S.-made parts and the nationality of sellers, particularly in light of national security concerns related to Chinese companies [1][10]. Group 1: Legislative Actions - Lawmakers have specifically called out TP-Link, a Chinese-founded company, highlighting concerns over its compliance with the 2017 Chinese Intelligence Law, which could compel it to share data with Chinese authorities [2]. - The committee has also reached out to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to encourage all e-commerce platforms to adopt similar transparency measures regarding product origins [6][7]. Group 2: Consumer Protection and Transparency - The letter requests Amazon to implement user-friendly search tools that allow customers to filter products based on their country of origin, thereby enhancing consumer choice and safety [3][8]. - Current product listings on Amazon often obscure country-of-origin information, making it difficult for consumers to make informed purchasing decisions [8]. Group 3: Economic and National Security Implications - The committee frames the issue as critical for both economic and national security, arguing that consumers should not inadvertently purchase products from companies based in adversarial nations like China [10][12]. - Increased transparency is seen as a way to support U.S. manufacturing and empower consumers to make choices that bolster the domestic economy [12].