Ray-Ban Sunglasses
Those classic aviator sunglasses that screamed American cool for decades aren’t so American anymore. In 1999, eye-care giant Bausch & Lomb sold the brand to Italy’s Luxottica, and the stylish shades have since been made there and in China. It’s shocking how something so tied to American movie stars and military heritage now rolls off assembly lines thousands of miles away.
The irony hits hard when you think about all those iconic Hollywood moments – from Top Gun to JFK’s public appearances – featuring what we thought was truly American eyewear. Now when you grab a pair of Ray-Bans off the shelf, you’re getting Italian or Chinese craftsmanship instead of the Yankee engineering that built the brand’s reputation.
Levi’s Blue Jeans
But today most if not all of the iconic garment-maker’s products are manufactured in plants in China, Vietnam, and elsewhere around the world. The denim that basically invented American workwear style has left American soil almost entirely. But the company’s Made in the USA 501® Original Fit Jeans still are made in the U.S., though these represent just a tiny fraction of overall production.
While some lines are still entirely produced within the United States, most of their manufacturing has shifted to partners in nearshore and offshore locations. It’s mind-boggling that the pants which defined the American frontier spirit are now stitched together in Asian factories. The brand that survived the Gold Rush couldn’t survive the economic pressures of global manufacturing.
Converse Chuck Taylor All-Stars
The sneakers that dominated American basketball courts for fifty years said goodbye to American manufacturing in the early 2000s. Converse shoes are no longer made in the United States; they are manufactured in several Asian countries, including China, India, Vietnam, and Indonesia. Back in 2001, Converse went bankrupt and got scooped up by Nike.
It was in 2001 the American Converse factories closed down and all production was moved overseas to Asia. The brand was bought by Nike in 2003 and has since seen a revival thanks to a resurgence of 1980s fashion trends in the 2010s, becoming a multi billion dollar brand by 2015. Those classic Chuck Taylors that teenage rebels wore to make a statement are now assembled by workers who’ve never seen a basketball court in America.
Craftsman Tools
Once the proud symbol of American craftsmanship, Craftsman tools fell from grace after misleading consumers about their origins. The brand advertised its “Made in the USA” pedigree until 2004, when a lawsuit accused Craftsman – now part of the merged Stanley Black & Decker – of misleading consumers about tools made with metal parts manufactured abroad. The irony cuts deep – the tools that built America couldn’t maintain their American identity.
However, when Stanley Black & Decker acquired the brand in 2017, much of the manufacturing shifted to China and Taiwan. Though Stanley has since opened a new facility in Texas to bring some production back, the majority of Craftsman’s inventory is still imported. Many loyal customers feel betrayed by this shift away from domestic production.
Apple iPhones and iPads
The tech giant that symbolizes American innovation relies almost entirely on foreign assembly lines. Apple is one of the most recognizable U.S. companies in the world, and yet the tech giant has relied on plants in China and Taiwan for the bulk of its production. Your iPhone might be designed in California, but it’s definitely assembled in Asia.
But as COVID-19 and the shutdowns associated with the virus caused supply-chain disruptions in China, Apple began producing the iPhone in India. The decision signified a shift in strategy as the company looks for ways to reduce its dependence on China. Still, the vast majority of Apple products continue to be manufactured outside American borders, making them foreign-made despite their Silicon Valley DNA.
Barbie Dolls
America’s most famous doll hasn’t been made on American soil for over two decades. The company is based in Los Angeles but closed its last U.S factory in 2002, outsourcing all production to China. The dolls are now made in factories in China and Indonesia, where lower labor costs make large-scale production more feasible. While design and branding still happen in the U.S., Barbie herself is no longer a homegrown product.
It’s particularly striking that Barbie, who represented the American dream for generations of children, is now manufactured by workers in Chinese factories. The doll that taught kids they could be anything they wanted to be couldn’t stay American herself.
Schwinn Bicycles
Still one of the most recognizable bicycle brands, Schwinn produced and sold lightweight U.S.-made bikes from a Chicago plant until 1991, when cheap international competitors prompted the company to send its manufacturing overseas. The company has since been sold to Pacific Cycle, owned by the multinational conglomerate Dorel Industries, meaning its current China- and Taiwan-made models have little in common with classic Schwinn.
Those red, white and blue Schwinn stickers that once proudly displayed American flags are now just nostalgic memories. The bicycles that defined American childhood summers and weekend adventures are now assembled in Asian factories, stripping away decades of patriotic marketing.
Rawlings Baseballs
Even America’s pastime uses foreign-made equipment. Official MLB supplier Rawlings makes the balls in Costa Rica. However, the manufacturer, Rawlings Sporting Goods, produces them in Costa Rica. Workers spend 10 hours a day forming 108 stitches on every baseball, according to Reuters. The balls are then shipped to Miami, where they’ll eventually be used for only a few pitches each.
The leather might come from American cattle and the special rubbing mud from New Jersey riverbanks, but the actual assembly happens in Central America. It’s almost poetic that baseballs, like many American dreams, take an international journey before reaching home plate.
Nike Athletic Shoes
The swoosh may be American, but the shoes definitely aren’t. Nike, a globally recognized sportswear brand, produces the majority of its products in various countries overseas, including China, Vietnam, and Indonesia. One in five pairs of Nikes are made in China, making the country the second-largest producer of Nikes in the world. China and Nike have contracts with 180 manufacturers, which employ more than 210,000 people.
What’s fascinating is that Nike has been reducing its dependence on Chinese manufacturing in recent years. In 2012, one in three pairs of Nikes (32%) were made in China. Now, 19% of Nikes are made there. Yet the brand that inspired “Just Do It” motivation still can’t do it in America when it comes to manufacturing.
Huffy Bicycles
Another bicycle brand that abandoned its American roots for cheaper overseas production. Huffy’s bicycles came with a U.S. flag emblazoned somewhere on the frame until 1999, when it was hit by financial struggles and a drop in bike prices dictated by high-volume retailers, such as Walmart. The company laid off hundreds of plant employees in Ohio, Missouri, and Mississippi, as it moved manufacturing operations to Mexico and China.
The introduction of massive retailers like Walmart and the dip in the bike sales market, however, made them move their production to save on costs. Those proud little American flags on Huffy bikes became symbols of what America lost rather than what it represented.
Tupperware Storage Containers
In a move that shocked many longtime customers, Tupperware recently closed its last American manufacturing facility. On June 14, 2024, Tupperware announced that it would close its last remaining US manufacturing plant in Hemingway, South Carolina and shift production to their plant in Lerma in Mexico, with the closure to be completed in January 2025. Tupperware Brands is shuttering its last remaining manufacturing plant in the U.S. and moving operations to Mexico, costing more than 100 workers their jobs. The iconic food storage container maker issued a WARN Notice last week alerting that it plans to permanently close its facility in Hemingway, South Carolina, laying off 148 people.
The brand that revolutionized American kitchens and created the famous “Tupperware party” culture couldn’t survive the economic pressures facing American manufacturing. Now those plastic containers that stored millions of American leftovers will be molded in Mexican factories instead of South Carolina plants.
Arrow Shirts
The dress shirts that defined American business attire for over a century and a half have largely moved production overseas. But as with much of the apparel industry, the production isn’t in the U.S. One tag on the shirts may say Arrow USA 1851, but another tag may say the shirt was made in Cambodia, China, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, or Kenya. The disconnect between the brand’s American heritage marketing and its current manufacturing reality is jarring.
Arrow shirts have been an American staple since the mid-1800s, starting out in Chicago and Troy, New York. For this reason, they outsource much, or all, of their production to other countries. It’s ironic that the shirts worn by American businessmen are now sewn by workers who may have never set foot in an American boardroom.
Radio Flyer Red Wagons
Those nostalgic little red wagons that carried generations of American children are no longer made in America. The red wagon that’s rolled through generations of American childhoods is no longer made in the U.S. Radio Flyer, a Chicago-based brand since 1917, moved most of its production to China years ago. While the company still designs its products in Illinois, the actual manufacturing is done overseas to reduce costs.
Radio Flyer, the Chicago-based maker of the iconic little red wagons that for decades have toted many an American child, manufactures most of its products in China, a company spokesperson told us in an email exchange. The company, led by Chief Wagon Officer Robert Pasin, grandson of founder and Italian immigrant Antonio Pasin, does a smaller amount of its production in the U.S. The childhood symbol of American suburbia now arrives in shipping containers from across the Pacific.
Christmas Tree Lights
Even the lights that illuminate American Christmas celebrations are foreign-made. Though electric Christmas lights were an American invention, today none are manufactured in the United States, no doubt due at least in part to the fact they can be made approximately 80% more cheaply in China. The tradition that started in New York City has been completely outsourced to Asian factories.
The irony runs deep when American families gather around Christmas trees decorated with lights that were designed in America but manufactured thousands of miles away. Those twinkling decorations that create magical holiday moments for American children are assembled by workers in Chinese factories who might not even celebrate Christmas.
American Flags
Perhaps the most ironic entry on this list is the American flag itself. China also does a busy export business manufacturing American flags. Many Americans object to the national symbol being made overseas, but bipartisan legislation to ban or restrict U.S. flag imports has failed several times. A 2016 U.S. Census Bureau estimate revealed that more than $5 million worth of flags sold for Fourth of July celebrations were made overseas.
The ultimate symbol of American identity and patriotism is now frequently manufactured in foreign factories. This creates an almost surreal situation where Americans wave Chinese-made flags while celebrating American independence, embodying the complex reality of modern global manufacturing.
