USA Home Goods Makers Say Quality, Not Price, Keeps Their Factories Open as Tariffs Cut Both Ways

USA TODAY on November 29, 2025, profiled eight of the last USA manufacturers of household goods, including Oka Brands, Nordic Ware, American Giant, Liberty Tabletop, USA Brands, Gat Creek, American Blossom Linens and Terravive.

Competing on quality, not price

Most of the companies do not try to match import prices. Instead, they sell on quality, durability and “cost per use.” Oka Brands in Buford, Georgia, is the only shoe factory left in a town that had shoe manufacturing from the late 1890s through the 1970s. USA TODAY noted that about 1% of shoes sold in the USA are now made here, down from half when the company started 41 years ago.

“I just don’t talk about price, ever, because there’s no point.”

Matt Bigelow, CEO, USA Brands, to USA TODAY

There are exceptions. American Giant makes an all-cotton T-shirt for Walmart that retails for $12.98, which its founder credits to Walmart’s long-term volume commitment.

Tariffs are a mixed bag

• Gat Creek, a furniture maker in West Virginia, has gained from furniture tariffs but pays more for the few parts it imports.
• USA Brands pays more for the flannel it imports from Portugal.
• Liberty Tabletop buys all its steel in the USA but still pays more, because tariffs raised steel prices everywhere.
• Owners said uncertainty and delayed retail orders hurt small makers.

The article also cited an October 2025 Morning Consult survey for the Alliance for American Manufacturing, in which half of consumers said they were more likely to buy USA-made products than in 2024.

Why it matters for Made in USA

These companies show what it takes to keep a Made in USA claim: control of the supply chain, products built to last and buyers willing to pay for both. USA TODAY noted that the FTC requires a product to be “all or virtually all” made in the USA to carry an unqualified Made in USA label.

Weeks after the article ran, a federal judge allowed a class action over Nordic Ware’s Made in the USA labels to proceed. That case turns on the imported aluminum in its bakeware, which shows how hard the standard can be even for long-time USA factories.

FAQ

Which USA household goods makers did USA TODAY profile?

Oka Brands, Nordic Ware, American Giant, Liberty Tabletop, USA Brands, Gat Creek, American Blossom Linens and Terravive.

How do these companies compete with imports?

Mostly on quality, durability and cost per use rather than price.

Do tariffs help USA manufacturers?

For most of these companies, the effect is mixed: more attention for USA-made goods, but higher costs for imported parts and steel.