It's a Global Economy. That's not really a catch-phrase or a cliche anymore.

There are companies that source their parts all over the world, but call their product "American Made" because it is assembled here. Even my beloved Smith & Wesson revolvers have triggers that are Made in Mexico! (the newer ones)

It's the same way in the Tire Business that I am familiar with. Yokohama Tire, which is a company based in Japan, builds many of their tires that we buy at a real nice plant in Salem, VA that employs a whole bunch of Americans. Firestone Tire, which is a name as American as Baseball and Apple Pie, is actually owned by the Japanese and many of their tires are made in Japan and imported over to the United States. Then, there's a company like Goodyear, based in America, who closed down a lot of their production in foreign countries when the US economy started going sour and brought those molds back to American plants....because they wanted to layoff foreign employees before Americans. I have a lot of respect for that.

The companies that benefit the U.S. the most are the ones that are owned by Americans, have plants here in America that employ Americans to build their products from cradle to grave, and use American made parts. Unfortunately, that list of companies could probably be written down on the back of a Burger King napkin now. They are the exception, not the rule.

When there are companies that I can support who are American owned that build their products in America, I will certainly do it....IF the quality is competitive. I agree with Don on that one - I won't buy American just to buy American if the product is junk. The price also has to be relatively in-line too. I won't pay $60 for a pair of American made jeans if the going rate on some foreign off brand is $30. Denim is denim.

Even though it's a Japanese company that gets the bottom dollar, I see Toyota as a company that benefits the United States (especially Kentucky) tremendously. A lot of folks around here make their living working for Toyota...and I understand that they are a pretty good company to work for as an employee. I can support a company like that. I may drive a Ford, but my wife does drive a Toyota-made product...the quality is great. There are BMW, Nissan, Hyundai, Honda, Mercedes, and other vehicles built in the US that aren't from the traditional "Big Three" American automakers...ask the folks that work at those plants, dealerships, banks that finance the sales, or shops that work on them...and they'll all say that it's pretty beneficial to the US.

All list "Domestic Content" on the window sticker, but Canadian and Mexican made/assembled parts are considered domestic under NAFTA....so what you're seeing isn't necessarily what you are getting.