Americans have long loved “Made in America”—or at least have professed to. But the data tells a trickier story. In 2022, 60% of U.S. consumers said they would be more likely to purchase a product they knew was American made. Today, according to a recently released study from the Conference Board, that number is closer to 50%. That’s a drop of around 18%.

One reason may be that whatever “Made in America” signals about quality or about economic patriotism, it also very likely signals a higher price. And after years of inflation worries, that might be a more salient issue to many.

“As price concerns intensify, many U.S. 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,” the report’s author, Denise Dahlhoff, director of marketing and communications research at the Conference Board, said in a statement. “Increasingly, consumers prioritize........

© Fast Company