Title 15 — Commerce and TradeRelease 119-73not60

§1452 Unfair and Deceptive Packaging and Labeling; Scope of Prohibition

Title 15 › Chapter 39— FAIR PACKAGING AND LABELING PROGRAM › § 1452

Last updated Apr 3, 2026|Official source

Summary

It is illegal for anyone who packages or labels consumer commodities (goods sold to consumers) for sale, or for anyone (except common carriers for hire, contract carriers for hire, or freight forwarders for hire) who distributes those packaged or labeled goods in commerce, to sell or ship them in packaging or with labels that do not follow the law and its regulations. Wholesale or retail sellers are not covered, unless they actually package or label the goods themselves or tell others how to package or label them.

Full Legal Text

Title 15, §1452

Commerce and Trade — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)It shall be unlawful for any person engaged in the packaging or labeling of any consumer commodity (as defined in this chapter) for distribution in commerce, or for any person (other than a common carrier for hire, a contract carrier for hire, or a freight forwarder for hire) engaged in the distribution in commerce of any packaged or labeled consumer commodity, to distribute or to cause to be distributed in commerce any such commodity if such commodity is contained in a package, or if there is affixed to that commodity a label, which does not conform to the provisions of this chapter and of regulations promulgated under the authority of this chapter.

(b)The prohibition contained in subsection (a) shall not apply to persons engaged in business as wholesale or retail distributors of consumer commodities except to the extent that such persons (1) are engaged in the packaging or labeling of such commodities, or (2) prescribe or specify by any means the manner in which such commodities are packaged or labeled.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

15 U.S.C. § 1452

Title 15 — Commerce and Trade

Last Updated

Apr 3, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60