Not trying to start a debate at all. Just stating my opinion. Not a big deal to me at all. It is just like majority of car parts, clothes, phones, computers, TVs, DVD players, industrial equipment, household goods, etc. etc.
What we are not doing in our country is innovating in energy (except fracking, which has a limited timeline) and biomedical sciences. We are too focused on commodity manufacturing. That era of commodity manufacturing has come and gone, time to build a better mousetrap.
Commodity manufacturing works well enough for daily and weekly staples that households purchase.
If you go into any major retailer like Walmart/Target etc. The items that are almost always USA made, are things that people routinely purchase week after week on a regular schedule. This includes things like soap, detergent, toothpaste, paper towels, plastic trash and food bags, aluminum fool, many food items from frozen to fresh, etc.
A number of plastic items are also USA made even if the items are the more durable types.
Items that are imported are usually more durable goods that last a longer time before replacement.
As far as innovation goes, Britain was very innovative with numerous industries, particularly the steel industry, but many of those inventions were later sold to foreign companies in mainland Europe, or had the manufacturing shipped to India or China.
That's really depressing. I stuck with Swanson speed squares because of the quality and COO. They made a really good box beam level too.
