United States of America

FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20580

December 9, 2015

Via Federal Express

[Company]

RE: Recent Cases on Advertising and Selling Textile Products as “Bamboo”

[General Counsel or Company Representative]:

In the midst of this bustling holiday season, we are asking for your help in ensuring the 

proper labeling and advertising of textile products. As part of that effort, we want to share with 

you some recent actions by the Federal Trade Commission (“Commission”) regarding the 

marketing and selling of textile products as “bamboo.” We want to ensure that consumers are

not being deceived about the products they are buying. As you are no doubt aware, household 

textile products must be labeled and advertised – including both product packaging and hangtags 

as well as online advertising – in conformance with the Textile Fiber Products Identification Act, 

15 U.S.C. §70, et seq., and the Rules and Regulations promulgated thereunder, 16 C.F.R. Part 

303. 

Since 2009, the Commission has been actively working to correct the mislabeling and 

deceptive advertising of rayon textile products as “bamboo.” Although rayon fiber may be 

manufactured from many different cellulose sources – including bamboo – the resulting textile 

fiber must be identified in labeling and advertising as rayon (or viscose) and not by the cellulose 

source. 

In late 2009 and early 2010, the Commission entered into settlements with four 

companies regarding the improper labeling and advertising of rayon textiles as “bamboo” and 

released both a Consumer Alert and a Business Alert to further assist in educating consumers and 

businesses. In January 2010, the Commission sent Warning Letters to more than 70 additional 

companies that were manufacturing and/or selling rayon textile products marketed as “bamboo,” 

cautioning them to correct their labeling and advertising or face the risk of civil penalties. In 

January 2013, the Commission announced the settlements of four additional cases against sellers 

of rayon textile products marketed as “bamboo,” including Amazon.com, Macy’s, and Sears, for 

failing to take effective action in response to those Warning Letters. You can learn more about 

these actions by the Commission at www.ftc.gov/bamboo. 

Korin Ewing Felix

Attorney

Division of Enforcement

600 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.

Mailstop CC-9528

Washington, DC 20580

(202) 326-3556

kfelix@ftc.gov
2

Unfortunately, we continue to see rayon textile products marketed and labeled as 

“bamboo” in the marketplace. As a result, the Commission has brought four new cases against 

sellers of those products: Bed Bath & Beyond, Nordstrom, JC Penney, and Backcountry.com. 

The Commission reached settlements with each of those sellers, as discussed in the enclosed 

press release. 

Please take a moment to review your own inventories to make sure you are not 

contributing to the problem. Make sure so-called bamboo products are labeled properly (likely 

as rayon or viscose) and are not being described as “bamboo” in product titles, on packaging, or 

in online descriptions or images. Note that an accurate fiber content disclosure (the product label 

or the disclosure in an online product detail page) is insufficient if the product is also being 

called or described as “bamboo” elsewhere. Also, please spread the word to your vendors and 

contacts.

Thank you for helping to ensure that consumers are getting truthful and accurate 

information about the textile products they are purchasing. If you have questions, please do not 

hesitate to contact us: Korin Ewing Felix at (202) 326-3556, kfelix@ftc.gov, or Amanda B. 

Kostner at (202) 326-2880, akostner@ftc.gov. 

Regards, 

Korin Ewing Felix

Amanda B. Kostner

Enclosures