Yes, gelatin is the usual base for capsules in the US as well. I'm about to steal the high horse for a moment.
A lot of these things are made in China or other Third World countries. I know that most people in the USA have never been to a Third World country so they don't see how things can be when they are unregulated. I'm not just talking about India and those places that you see on info-mercials where Sarah McLaughlin sings. The water is dirty they can dump sewage and toxins into it without consequences, the streets are unpaved and cars are mobile at best, the meat (when there is any) is unrefrigerated, and the things that they manufacture and sell to the outside world are made of whatever makes the best profit for the manufacturer. This is why things from China, Indonesia, et al, are so cheap - and potentially deadly for you, your children, and your pets.
The next time someone complains about the high price of Unions and regulation and the "long arm of the government interfering with business" ask them if they've ever actually been to a market where the regular people shop in a lesser developed country. Unions don't only have deals with employers, they ensure that foods and goods are manufactured and prepared in a manner that is not only safe for the worker, but also safe for the consumer and safe for the communities that they are made in. People deserve to earn a decent living to make sure that your food and the utensils you use (carpets, flooring, paint, etc.,) are safe for you and your family, even if it does seem like rote work. It is rote work. That's how we make sure that it's safe every time.
Soapbox surrendered.