Textile Fiber Products Identification Act
Also searched as: TFPIA, Textile Act, 15 U.S.C. 70, 16 CFR Part 303, Textile Products Identification Act, US textile labeling law
A 1958 US federal statute, 15 U.S.C. 70 et seq., requiring fiber content, country of origin and responsible-company disclosures for most textile fiber products sold in the United States.
In detail
The Act makes it unlawful to misbrand or falsely advertise textile fiber products in commerce. Covered products must carry a label stating the generic names of the constituent fibers and their percentages by weight, the name or registered identification number of the manufacturer or another responsible US company, and the country where the product was processed or manufactured. The Federal Trade Commission enforces the Act through its rules at 16 CFR Part 303, which define terms, list generic names, set content tolerances and describe how and where labels appear. Invoices and advertising are covered as well as labels.
The science and numbers
The statute is short and its sections map onto functions: 15 U.S.C. 70 contains definitions, 70a prohibits misbranding and false advertising in commerce, 70b sets out when a product is misbranded or falsely advertised (including the required label contents), 70c restricts removing required labels before sale, 70d requires records, and 70e provides for enforcement, with violations treated as unfair or deceptive acts under the FTC Act. Percentages are by weight of the fiber content, and fibers present at less than 5 percent may generally be grouped as 'other fiber' unless the rules require them to be named, for example where the fiber has a clearly established functional significance. Checking a label means laboratory work: qualitative identification by microscopy, burning behavior, solubility or infrared spectroscopy, then quantitative analysis, often by selectively dissolving one component, compared against the tolerances in Part 303.
A practical example
A small importer brings in knitted throws that carry only a brand logo. Under the Act's framework, a compliance reviewer would ask descriptive questions: does a label state the generic fibers and percentages, identify a responsible company, and name the country of origin, and do the website listing and the invoices say the same thing? This is an illustration of what the rules cover, not advice about any real product.
What to distinguish
The Act governs disclosure of fiber identity and origin, not quality, safety or environmental performance. Products containing wool are handled under the separate Wool Products Labeling Act, and the statute and rules exempt or relax requirements for various listed items. Care instructions come from a different FTC rule, and flammability is governed by yet another statute, so identify which instrument actually answers the question being asked.
Origins and history
Congress approved the Act on 2 September 1958 and it came into force in 1960. It extended to textiles generally the disclosure approach already applied to wool by the Wool Products Labeling Act of 1939, at a time when manufactured fibers sold under brand names were spreading through the consumer market. The FTC's Part 303 rules have been amended repeatedly, including a final rule published in February 2020, and now incorporate generic names from ISO 2076.
Related terms
Sources & further reading
- Federal Trade Commission: Textile Fiber Products Identification Act
- Cornell LII: 15 U.S. Code 70, Definitions
- eCFR: 16 CFR Part 303, Rules and Regulations Under the Textile Fiber Products Identification Act
Technical references reviewed 2026-09-22. Examples are illustrative. Industry organizations and manufacturers describe their own fields; their references are not independent product endorsements. Figures are approximate and depend on the stated test conditions.