The label on a tablecloth is not a suggestion. In the United States, textile labeling is federal law — the Textile Fiber Products Identification Act and the Care Labeling Rule, both enforced by the FTC — and the importer of record owns compliance, not the factory. A small wholesale buyer who imports 200 pillow covers is, in the FTC's eyes, exactly as responsible as a department-store chain.
The good news: compliance is cheap and mostly done at quote time. The bad news: unlabeled or mislabeled textiles can be held at customs, refused by marketplace compliance teams, and — worst case — put you in a refund-and-destroy scenario where the goods are worth less than the paperwork. Here is the complete checklist, in the order you should execute it.
Requirement 1: Fiber content disclosure
Every textile product sold to US consumers must disclose all fibers by generic name and percentage, in descending order of predominance by weight:
60% Cotton, 40% Polyester— correct formatCotton-linen blend— non-compliant (no percentages)Silk-feel satin— non-compliant as a content claim (descriptive names must accompany, never replace, generic fiber names)
Rules that catch small importers:
- Fibers under 5% still need listing if they have a functional purpose (elastic, spandex for stretch); purely decorative fibers under 5% can be listed as "other fiber"
- The generic names are legal terms: "rayon" not "viscose" alone (viscose may appear in parentheses), "polyester" not "poly-satin," "linen" only for flax
- Tolerance is ±3% — which is exactly why you burn-test samples: if the factory's tag says 60/40 cotton-poly and your burn test finds a hard-bead-dominant fabric, the label is the fraud, and the FTC exposure is yours
- Wool has its own act (Wool Products Labeling Act): recycled wool must be declared as such; virgin vs recycled percentages are mandatory — relevant for any winter blanket lines
Requirement 2: Country of origin
"Made in China" — clear, conspicuous, and non-negotiable on every textile article. Details that trip up small buyers:
- Origin means where the product was manufactured or substantially transformed, not where it shipped from; a Chinese-made cloth repacked in Vietnam is still Made in China
- The marking must survive to the consumer: hang tags that fall off in transit do not satisfy the rule — sewn-in labels are the standard
- Origin goes on the same label as fiber content in practice (not legally required to be adjacent, but it is the industry norm and marketplace reviewers expect it)
Requirement 3: The RN number (or full business name)
Every textile label must carry either the marketer's full legal business name or an RN (Registered Number) issued free by the FTC:
- Apply at rn.ftc.gov — free, online, issued to US-registered businesses in days
- A small importer reselling under its own brand is the "marketer" and needs its own RN or name on the label — using the factory's identifier is a common and wrong shortcut
- Non-US businesses cannot hold an RN; they must either use their full legal name on labels or work through a US-registered importer of record who supplies the RN
For low-MOQ buyers: if your supplier's stock products carry their label, you are reselling under their identity — legal, but it caps your brand building and can conflict with marketplace "brand registry" requirements. Moving to your-label products is a quote-time conversation ("private label with our RN at 50+ units" is standard factory capability).
Requirement 4: Care instructions (the Care Labeling Rule)
Care labels must give at least one safe cleaning method, using either written instructions or standard ASTM care symbols:
| Product type | Typical compliant instruction |
|---|---|
| Cotton-linen tablecloth | Machine wash cold, gentle cycle; tumble dry low; warm iron as needed |
| PVC/coated cloth | Wipe clean with damp cloth; do not machine wash; do not iron |
| Pleated voile runner | Hand wash cold; hang to dry; do not wring; do not iron (texture is intentional) |
| Polyester pillow cover | Machine wash cold; tumble dry low; do not bleach |
| Silk-feel scarf | Hand wash cold separately; lay flat to dry |
Two compliance traps:
- "Do not iron" is mandatory on heat-sensitive coatings — a PVC cloth whose label omits it generates the melt-on-iron incident that becomes the one-star review and the consumer complaint
- The instruction must be one YOU have verified is safe — running the wash test from your QC workflow is what makes "machine wash cold" a tested claim instead of a hopeful one. "Wash separately" language for dark dews is required honesty when your colorfastness test showed migration
Care labels must be attached securely and remain legible through the product's useful life — printed-on-packaging does not count.
Requirement 5: What counts as a "textile" (scope check)
The rules cover wearing apparel and household textiles: tablecloths, runners, napkins, pillow covers, blankets, towels — all in scope. Notable edges for a home-decor catalog:
- Decorative items under 12 inches (some placemats, coasters, ornaments) are exempt from fiber content disclosure but should carry it anyway — marketplace reviewers do not apply the exemption consistently
- Flammability: standard wearing apparel and most household textiles fall under 16 CFR 1610 Class 1 (normal flammability) by construction — plain-surface textiles of most fiber content pass by default; raised-fiber/fleece surfaces are the exception category that needs a flammability test report. Ask for the report on any plush or fleece item
- Children's products (anything marketed to kids 12 and under) trigger CPSIA: tracking labels, lead limits, third-party testing — a kids' birthday textile line marketed to children is different from a party tablecloth marketed to parents hosting a party. Keep the marketing language adult-facing and the compliance load stays standard
The marketplace compliance layer
Amazon, eBay, and Etsy each run label-compliance sweeps, and their reviewers apply the FTC rules plus their own: Amazon may request label photos showing fiber/origin/care and the RN; Etsy's handmade/vintage rules intersect with private-label questions. Sellers who imported without label planning discover the cost at listing time — relabeling 200 units at $0.80–1.50 per sewn label plus labor erases the tier discount that made the deal look good. The listing-prep requirements per platform are mapped in the Amazon seller prep guide and the resale platform playbook.
Enforcement reality for small importers
FTC actions against small sellers are rare but not theoretical; the everyday enforcement you will actually meet is:
- Customs holds — CBP textile specialists spot-check labeling on entries; mislabeled goods get held, relabeled at your cost, or refused. With de minimis suspended, every carton gets a classification look — the import-cost mechanics are in the 2026 import guide
- Competitor complaints — marketplace report buttons are used as weapons; a missing care label is the easiest takedown
- Consumer returns and chargebacks — "not as described" when the fiber content differs from the listing is an automatic win for the buyer
The compliance workflow at quote time
- Ask for the label spec sheet with the quote: fiber percentages, origin, care method, label type (sewn/woven), and whose RN/name appears
- Order the private-label version if you are branding — confirm MOQ for your-label production (typically 50–100 units per SKU; some stock programs do 30)
- Register your RN at rn.ftc.gov if you hold US business registration
- Verify at sample stage: burn test the fiber against the label claim, wash-test the care instruction, check label legibility and attachment
- Photograph compliant labels on receipt of production stock — the photo file is your marketplace-review insurance
Compliance costs about $0.15–0.40 per unit in label manufacturing and one afternoon of RN registration. Non-compliance costs a held container, a delisted catalog, or a destroyed shipment. There is no version of this math where the label is expensive.