Why do you assume it's an "average tool?"
Because it's a Matco product.
Realistically, here's peoples beef. Socket set costs $100 on the truck (yeah right). Made in USA, we will pretend this set cost $25 to produce. Now, company X sources the sockets from Asia. I'm sure they are fine sockets, and work as well as the USA stuff. Difference is, due to fewer regulations and labor costs, the cost of the identical Asian sourced set is now $10. In this example, distribution related fixed costs (Tool truck) are constant, and company X has reduced the cost of the product. Being made in the USA, as well as quality, are often used to justify high prices (along with distribution model).
So the sockets are cheaper; they have lost what was marketed as a "feature" (Made in USA), yet the price is identical. The closest thing to a justification I have every read, was that the cost was already right at the limit of profitability on the USA item, meaning switching to Asian sourced products allowed the company to keep the price the same to the end user. I personally find that correlation weak at best, especially since cheaper USA made options can be found from Wright/SK/etc.
I don't really care about where something is made, as much as the quality. What I do care about, is companies pretending to be all "USA USA USA!!!!", having US flags on their t-shirts and ads, telling me USA is part of the reason for high cost - then flipping their position, and not changing the price. Had company X lowered the price, and stated they found Asia could meet their requirements, thus allowing more consumers to buy the tools with the lower price that afforded, I'd take little issue.
