American Support for “Made in USA” Drops to 50% as Price Concerns Override Patriotic Shopping

Stars and stripes are losing their sales appeal to American wallets. A new Conference Board study reveals that US consumers are caring less about where products are made, with support for “Made in USA” goods dropping from 60% to 50% since 2022. This shift comes as price concerns override patriotic purchasing preferences amid Trump’s tariff-heavy trade agenda.

• Consumer allegiance to products from other nations is also down, with manufacturing in Mexico, Japan, and China falling by 6, 5, and 3 percentage points, respectively.
• The biggest drop came from Americans 55 and older, whose loyalty to US-made products fell by 22 percentage points, plunging from 69% to 47%.

Price beats patriotism: Conference Board’s Denise Dahlhoff noted, “As price concerns intensify, many US consumers appear to associate ‘made in’ labels with elevated prices due to generally higher domestic production costs as well as tariffs on foreign-made goods.” Ironically, younger consumers under 35 bucked the trend, with their domestic preference inching up from 49% to 50%, possibly reflecting growing interest in sustainability and job creation. As tariffs loom and production costs climb, the “buy American” movement faces its greatest challenge yet — convincing consumers that patriotism is worth the premium price tag.