Listing tiers & methodology
What each listing tier means, how a brand's claim gets recorded, and the rules I hold this registry to. This page is the methodology of record; when it changes, the change is logged below.
The three tiers
Every listing carries a tier shown as a shape and a label — never color alone.
Listed. The brand is in the directory, but I haven't recorded a country-of-origin claim from it yet. Nothing more is implied.
Self-attested. The brand publicly markets its products as made in the United States, and I quote that statement verbatim with its source. The claim is the brand's, not mine. Every brand in the directory today is Self-attested.
Independently reviewed. Defined but not in use — no brand holds it. It is reserved for a claim whose evidence has been reviewed against published, versioned criteria on a stated date. If this tier is ever used, its criteria will be published on this page first, and each reviewed listing will say exactly what was reviewed and when. It would still not be a guarantee, and it would never be a restatement of origin in my voice.
How a claim is recorded
I find brands through manufacturer associations, reader submissions, and direct research. For each one I record the brand's own public Made-in-USA language — verbatim, with attribution to where it appears — plus the brand's website, headquarters city and state, and category. A headquarters location is only that; it is never a statement about where products are manufactured.
The "Recorded" date on a listing is the date the claim was entered into the registry — a record-keeping date, not a verification. I don't audit supply chains. The FTC's "all or virtually all" standard for Made in USA claims is the brand's responsibility to meet, not mine to certify.
Re-checks and removals
I review the directory periodically and re-check listings; when a listing is re-checked, its recorded date updates to the date that actually happened — never sooner. If a claim can no longer be confirmed, or a brand asks to be removed, I delist it and log the removal on the public Removed brands page using plain, neutral language ("removed at brand's request," "claim could not be re-confirmed as of [date]"). Brands can use the take-down and correction form any time; I respond within 10 business days.
The bright lines
Payment never affects the registry. I don't accept payment for inclusion or for tier placement. Payment does not — and will not — affect whether a brand is listed, where it appears, what tier it holds, or how its profile is written.
Affiliate participation is neutral. Some outbound links may earn me a commission, at no extra cost to you. Whether a brand has an affiliate program has no effect on inclusion, order, tier, or profile copy — the directory is organized the same way with or without one. Affiliate relationships are disclosed on every page they could apply to and on the disclosure page.
Anything paid would say so, per item. There are no paid placements on this site. If a featured placement ever exists, it will be labeled on the placement itself — "Featured · paid placement" — not buried in a policy page.
Review words are reserved. I don't describe any listing as verified or independently reviewed unless a real review against the published criteria of § 01 has happened, and then only scoped to what was reviewed and when.
Mistakes
With 411 listings maintained by one person, some entries will have errors. When you find one, use the correction form or email corrections@americanmadecompany.com. Corrections are how this registry stays worth using.
Changes to this page
This page is versioned. Any change to the tiers, the methodology, or the bright lines gets a dated entry here.
v1 · 2026-07-02 — first published.