how important is it to you where products are made??

Location doesn't matter. I don't like people of one location better than those of any other location.

Funny you should use an automotive example. I used to work for a vehicle mfr, and I can tell you that it's all about the Brand name and what the company philosophy is.

A reputable Brand name will seek out cheaper production costs irrespective of location but NOT at the expense of it's reputation. They may buy from China (or wherever) but a reputable and concerned company will ensure that the delivered goods which carry it's name will meet it's Brand name standards, period.

If I buy anything that I want to rely on, I buy on Brand and reputation. Although you need to do your homework to ensure the current reputation is really what you THINK it is.

I know you are right, but it's such a crucial device. The brand I am speaking of is MANN, who is a OEM supplier. I got 2 for $7.xx with free shipping. The OEM lists for $15 and the best I could find is $9.xx, with $10.95 shipping. I could get as many as 10 for that $10.95 shipping. The OEM is still made in Germany (per the filter cartridge), and the one I just used is Germany as well, as is the one in my basement. It seems that "online" stock is having more and more produced in Mexico.

I'd hope that in *some* industries/markets, brand name is still a good indicator of quality.

(As an aside, by definition, a "trademark" is a designaiton of the origin of goods or services.)

But brand name and rep comes up against another concept, "fiduciary responsibility." Some view this as a responsibility (to the owners or shareholders) to maximize profits. At a high level, this suggests that if the company can buy pencils for 6 cents each, or for 12 cents each, that fiduciary responsibility means they should buy the 6 cent pencils -- all other things being equal. This is the same logic used to send jobs offshore, such as moving customer support to Bangalore. And the same logic that says, "we can knock 10 percent off our costs by..." sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. The good companies test and test before committing. Others just go for it (not mentioning HP at all here, no, not at all mentioning HP).

In the computer/electronics rackets, we some times have otherwise name-brand suppliers decide to change the way a something is made, and that change screws up customers. Too bad, try to find old stocks, scream, and hope your screams are heard.

Oh, we use Mann filters for the diesels and my Mini Cooper. They haven't let us down. I also like the boxes, green and yellow. Family members have gotten used to receiving Christmas and birthday gifts camouflaged in gift-wrapped Mann boxes.

I figure I understand cos. want to reduce costs, but as long as I have a choice, I will boycott.

Look at the AC Delco PF63 vs. PF63E. They totally cheapified the filter. It's "good enough." Was the savings passed along to the consumer? Of course not.....

The MANNs I got are going back, I just don't want them. Instead, I've ordered some Hengst and Mahles elsewhere, made in Germany and Austria respectively, and ok they are roughly $3 more than this super low price I got on the MANNs not made in Europe. I am willing to pay!!

OEMs are actually the MANNs, and they are made in Germany. Problem is there are dealers that discount 30%, but then there is minimum $10.95 shipping. So you can't buy a small qty. at a discount, need to get like 10 just to get the cost down to around $11. Whereas you can get Mahles and Hengst for $10 all day long, free shipping no tax. btw I got the non European MANNs for $7. They are likely good enough, but as long as I can still choose....

Agree that the fiduciary responsibility is a key driver. The operative wording in my post was a reputable company.

A concerned/reputable company will ensure that suppliers have contractual quality requirements, and they audit frequently. I've seen the same Chinese made devides, made by the same mfr (not even one of the pervasive clone mfrs!) have very different quality when branded vs. non-branded.

On a positive automotive note .. Mexico has a very long history of producing vehicles & parts, so I feel pretty comfortable with them as a source, providing the parent Brand cares what has their name on it.

I will not buy from some Counties no matter what, unless it is the only source available, China for one. Brand name can only carry you so far, China for example does lousy soldiering, electronics, might pass QC sampling but still garbage. Detroit is also a no buy for us.

My vehicles came from the US and the UK originally; I prefer my VIN to start with J now (it does).

My golf clubs (irons) are PING and they were made in the USA...so are my golf balls.

My HAM equipment is another story. If I get an American or Japanese made radio I'd be happy. A few HAM radios are manufactured here, but where are the semiconductors made?

American made tools of course! Some appliances that are made in Korea are OK by me, but again, where are the semiconductors and components made?

1. Then again how often is there a choice?
2. Is there a value (quality/price) differential?

I only buy products made in Mongolia!

still made in Germany and Austria. Returned the MANNs, got Mahle and Hengst.

Does it matter in the big picture? Let's face it, we live in a $0/$0/$0/$0 disposable society, probably no. People who lease cars, who cares if someone puts a non Euro filter into the vehicle, they don't even own it.

But as for me.....

http://i1131.photobucket.com/albums/m560/tc105/unnamed_zpshc...

I seem to be loyal to products based on merit.

For example, the BMW 3 Series was on the Car and Driver 10 Best list for 23 straight years. It was removed in 2014 for MY 2015. I used to call it the Car and Driver 8 best list, because 2 cars could never be removed--the 3, and the Accord. Now, it is the 9 best list. Car and Driver would never bite a hand that feeds it, Honda Motors. But when you remove forged aluminum control arms, raise the price 6k, and replace it with stamped steel, someone must take notice.

So we have cars made in Japan, Germany, and USA. This is the order I would rank quality: Japan, Germany, USA. this is how I would rank reliability: Japan, Germany, USA. This is performance: Germany, Japan, USA. This is fun to drive factor: Germany, Japan, USA. This is engineering: Germany, Japan, USA.

Any pattern emerging?

I was pleased that my lens (Sigma) was made in Japan, and our electric toothbrushes Germany, as was my hammer drill (Milwaukee/Germany go figure it must be Bosch)

As long as the quality is there, I don't mind the location. However, if a country has a reputation for poor quality, I may reconsider.

Genghis Kahn approves of this post.

ordered a Yak from Mongolia, and it seemed fine at first, but the thing was allergic to burlap. We had to pay the return shipping--never again

With so many manufacturers using sub-assemblies or components from other countries, how do you judge where something is "made"?

My daughter has a Volkswagen. "Made" in Germany, but the parts were assembled in Mexico.

My Ford Taurus was assembled in Canada. But it's an American car, right? Well, North American, anyway.

sis in-law is very dissatisfied with her Passat TDI, it's a 2013 and she is planning on taking a bath on it by replacing it with an Acura. Made in TN I believe, she calls it junk. I drove one with a 6-spd manual, and there is nothing German about it, vague steering poor handling blah blah blah the radiator went at 700 miles, front and rear lamps out and was told it's a wear item

My wife and I were visiting the Branson Landing this morning and went into a shop called Missouri Moonshine to try a sample. Tried a couple different flavors, all very good, then went to the shelf to look at the bottle.

On the label it clearly stated that Missouri Moonshine was produced and bottled in Colorado...... Well known for it's moonshine

Whatever country you think you are buying from has pieces and parts from someplace else. Sadly there are are so few products made here anymore, at best we have become a "final assembly" point for many things.

If everyone worked together it wouldn't be an issue

A guy pushing a button on assembly line gets $40+ PH, full paid Medical and so on. On top of that our workmanship and production was at bottom. There are some quality Companies still in US but they are few and generally Family owned and run. Look at Detroit, it was a world leader at one time, look at it now?

You don't have a lot of choice any more courtesy of Wal Mart, but I avoid any food or ingredients made in China. They have killed way too many pets and sold way too much poison baby milk.

I try to buy US whenever possible. Ran across a nice web site that links companies by product type: http://americansworking.com/

Doesn't matter much to me. We now live in a global market.

Purolator is still made in the US and they make other brands under contract as well. The PureOne is one of the best available and is reasonably priced.

has both USA and Mexico made, the ones for 2/3 of our cars (Nissan and GM) are both made in USA. Prefer the black ones due to the silicon ADBV, but the GM car has a white one.

And of course it depends on the product. For the most part, the Corvette being made in USA is a good thing (except one early batch went out with the rear parking brakes not attached on one side, that is pretty amazing for this day and age).

I do like today, when something is made in Japan or Germany, because it's getting rarer....Taiwan is actually my 2nd choice. USA for tools...

driver told me another day, another 50 cents. I thought they got 85k for driving a truck (some would love to get that rate of pay for driving, not me, but some), which today, doesn't even have a clutch like 15 years ago? To his defense, though, online eTailers have probably quintupled the number of stops that he has to make when compared to 20 years ago. And today I got 4 tires coming....