Makita is also a Japanese company, so it makes sense that most of their tools are made in Asia. You know, where Japan is. And yes, they have a Georgia plant that makes primarily grinders, IIRC.
It's also pretty comical that DeWalt touts their Made in USA claims when a large majority of the SBD line is imported. I'm sure they have some assembly plants here and that's great and all, but do people really think that SBD is making battery cells and winding motors in hometown USA? Are the plastic clamshells molded here? Where are the MOSFETs and battery controllers made? What about the chucks and gears for the drills? The battery chargers? There's SO MANY parts in modern power tools that it is pure naivety to assume Joe Blue Collar is actually making cordless drills in Texas or wherever. More like industrial LEGO, just assemble all the premade parts and slap a sticker on it. Who actually takes the raw stock and makes parts? They don't list a COO for all the components for everything.
Hell, the US only has one SMALL lithium mine in Nevada. No matter what tools you buy, pretty much guaranteed the batteries have Australian or Chinese lithium in the cells.
It's a global world, and while I like supporting USA manufacturing as much as anyone, we're kidding ourselves if we think these tool building jobs are anything more than assembling imported parts in a big warehouse factory. Dewalt themselves say it on the sticker. Made in USA With Global Materials. From their website: "We’re proud to make select products in the U.S.A. with global materials. We source raw materials and components from around the world when they are either not available in the United States or not viable to purchase based on cost, quality, or availability." They pretty much give themselves an out based on whatever factor they deem relevant.
Assembled in the USA is a step in the right direction, for sure, but I can't help but feel deceived. I know better. There is a big difference between cutting gears and molding parts (high skilled labor) and screwing together pre-made parts in final assembly (low skilled labor). If we really want manufacturing prowess and clout, we need to have jobs where skilled tradesmen make the components to supply the assembly plants, not just buy all the bits from the lowest bidder overseas and pay someone $15/hr to screw it together.
I am a big supporter of USA manufacturing, as I am myself a USA manufacturer. But I'm pretty certain DeWalt's claims, while legally true, are pretty much pure marketing **** designed to take advantage of patriotism and general flag waving/chest thumping.
