# Does "MADE IN AMERICA" ever indicate a desirable product outside of the U.S.A.? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 11, 2020, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-made-in-america-ever-indicate-a-desirable-product-outside-of-the-u-s-a/847772 "2020-02-11T14:38:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2020, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-made-in-america-ever-indicate-a-desirable-product-outside-of-the-u-s-a/847772/61 "2020-02-12T16:02:14Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > I think I’ve read on the SDMB before that it’s not really a thing outside of the US. Naw, I think peanut butter is quite common in lots of places. Certainly is here. What freaks us out is that thing you do, where you mix it with grape jam, though… _shudder_ ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2020, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-made-in-america-ever-indicate-a-desirable-product-outside-of-the-u-s-a/847772/62 "2020-02-12T17:25:32Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > ` > > Sell more EVs than all its competitors combined in the past couple years. If that’s not domination, I don’t know what is. Actually Tesla’s market share for pure electric vehicles was about 30% last year. China manufacturers more EVs than the US does. [https://www.jato.com/global-sales-of-pure-electric-vehicles-soar-by-92-in-h1-2019/](https://www.jato.com/global-sales-of-pure-electric-vehicles-soar-by-92-in-h1-2019/) ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2020, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-made-in-america-ever-indicate-a-desirable-product-outside-of-the-u-s-a/847772/63 "2020-02-12T17:25:40Z")
Pole Vault poles and America’s Cup boat sails. ---
**Author:** ![Keith1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6de8d8/32.png) [@Keith1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keith1)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2020, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-made-in-america-ever-indicate-a-desirable-product-outside-of-the-u-s-a/847772/64 "2020-02-12T17:29:13Z")
People are missing USA’s largest export, at least of the past 3 years or so: Bullshit! ---
**Author:** ![jerez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c68b51/32.png) [@jerez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jerez)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2020, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-made-in-america-ever-indicate-a-desirable-product-outside-of-the-u-s-a/847772/65 "2020-02-12T19:29:10Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > Naw, I think peanut butter is quite common in lots of places. Certainly is here… Yeah, and things like ketchup, mayo, etc. There are local brands and many people prefer the more expensive American ones. Often enough, they are better, but I think people don’t stop to wonder if they aren’t made locally under license. ---
**Author:** ![squidfood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a87d85/32.png) [@squidfood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squidfood)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2020, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-made-in-america-ever-indicate-a-desirable-product-outside-of-the-u-s-a/847772/66 "2020-02-12T20:35:52Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > What do you all think about our breakfast cereals? Fun stuff like Lucky Charms and Fruit Loops, etc. The version of Cheerios sold in the UK is sweetened (a light frosting I think), and tastes terrible if you’re used to the standard US very unsweet version. After being burned by this on one UK trip (Cheerios being the go-to travel satisfaction for fussy toddlers), on the next trip we brought boxes from the US. Our UK relatives said “wow, we thought all American cereals were grossly sweet”. I suppose anyone who buys Cheerios in the UK expects a sweetened experience from every US cereal or something. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2020, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-made-in-america-ever-indicate-a-desirable-product-outside-of-the-u-s-a/847772/67 "2020-02-12T21:01:42Z")
> [@scr4](#): > > Well, not the Chinese or the Russians. Europe makes a lot of their own fighter jets. Japan and India are gearing up to do the same. I imagine the Russians and Chinese would love to get their hands on some USA aircraft. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2020, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-made-in-america-ever-indicate-a-desirable-product-outside-of-the-u-s-a/847772/68 "2020-02-12T21:28:39Z")
> [@jerez](#): > > Yeah, and things like ketchup, mayo, etc. There are local brands and many people prefer the more expensive American ones. Often enough, they are better, but I think people don’t stop to wonder if they aren’t made locally under license. In the UK at least, a few Heinz products seem to have become staples- baked beans and salad cream are the two main ones I’m thinking of. Interestingly enough, the beans are grown in the US and prepared/canned in the UK. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2020, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-made-in-america-ever-indicate-a-desirable-product-outside-of-the-u-s-a/847772/69 "2020-02-12T22:48:08Z")
Cigarettes! Marlboro especially. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2020, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-made-in-america-ever-indicate-a-desirable-product-outside-of-the-u-s-a/847772/70 "2020-02-12T23:58:39Z")
> [@bump](#): > > In the UK at least, a few Heinz products seem to have become staples- baked beans You guys eat them for breakfast, I understand. I couldn’t stand the smell in the morning. I usually add onion, bacon and brown sugar. Do y’all eat them straight out of the can, without adding anything? ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2020, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-made-in-america-ever-indicate-a-desirable-product-outside-of-the-u-s-a/847772/71 "2020-02-13T00:17:23Z")
> [@KarlGauss](#): > > Cigarettes! Marlboro especially. And Camels and Luckies! Something to be proud of! ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2020, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-made-in-america-ever-indicate-a-desirable-product-outside-of-the-u-s-a/847772/72 "2020-02-13T00:33:57Z")
> [@KarlGauss](#): > > Cigarettes! Marlboro especially. Which makes total sense when you think about it. Going back to colonial times tobacco was one of the main exports of the southern colonies. Having been making them for hundreds of years, it makes sense that American tobacco products would be considered high quality. And with smoking becoming less popular in the US, those companies have been relying more on exports than ever before. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2020, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-made-in-america-ever-indicate-a-desirable-product-outside-of-the-u-s-a/847772/73 "2020-02-13T00:38:49Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > You guys eat them for breakfast, I understand. I couldn’t stand the smell in the morning. I usually add onion, bacon and brown sugar. Do y’all eat them straight out of the can, without adding anything? You have to understand that UK “baked beans” aren’t anything like US “baked beans.” UK beans are simply small white beans in a tomato sauce. Think pork & beans without the pork and a little more tomato-y. No onion, no molasses, no pork. They are required for a proper fry-up and I always have several cans of imported UK beans on hand for when I’m hardening arteries. ---
**Author:** ![lingyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d2c977/32.png) [@lingyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lingyi)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2020, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-made-in-america-ever-indicate-a-desirable-product-outside-of-the-u-s-a/847772/74 "2020-02-13T03:51:11Z")
I’ve talked about this before. Spam is a delicacy in Korea and I believe in Okinawa also. Both because of the heavy U.S occupation forces then and now. I talked about in a thread about cheese in ramen, that American Cheese, the processed kind is the preferred choice. Here’s a video of one of my favorite YouTuber’s from Korea (don’t worry, she speaks English) getting excited about [cheese in a can](https://youtu.be/dW1tX0uXKvU?t=237), saying “It’s really, really popular online.” I believe all Asian cultures have an obligatory gift giving custom, where when you travel anywhere, especially the U.S., you MUST bring back U.S. made goods. Not manufactured per say, but big items from Hawaii are the expected macadamia nuts, candies and cookies, as well as anything Made In Hawaii, but beef jerky, especially Jack Links is popular too. Edit: If you’re ever in Hawaii, you can 100% spot the tourists because they’re the only ones that have matching print Aloha shirts and muumuus. Also, there’s a store, 88 Tees that has really pricey vintage Levis and Aloha shirts that only the Asian tourists even look at. ---
**Author:** ![lingyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d2c977/32.png) [@lingyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lingyi)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2020, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-made-in-america-ever-indicate-a-desirable-product-outside-of-the-u-s-a/847772/75 "2020-02-13T04:06:39Z")
Oh, another thing I see Asian tourists buying a lot of are chips and other American snack foods. Yes, they have their own versions, but it’s not the same. At my current workplace, of the people in the office brought back a bunch of things from Thailand and what got everyone excited? Thai ketchup! Go figure. I think there’s a novelty about seeing something familiar, yet different from what you have back home. As stated above, American liquors are prime buys. To see what’s popular overseas, check out the Duty Free Shop when you’re taking a trip. In Hawaii we have an entire store dedicated to Duty Free Items, but I have no idea of what they have, because you need a foreign passport to enter. ---
**Author:** ![MarvinKitFox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ba0ec/32.png) [@MarvinKitFox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MarvinKitFox)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2020, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-made-in-america-ever-indicate-a-desirable-product-outside-of-the-u-s-a/847772/76 "2020-02-13T05:57:14Z")
MADE IN AMERICA products that are popular worldwide? Entertainment, mostly. Hollywood Movies American Porn American Sitcoms. (example, the whole “Trump in Whitehouse” farce) . . . Weapons. America make some dang fine human-killing toys, although in practice they are too expensive and often passed over for other inferior but _ **much** _ cheaper systems. . . . Tourists. American tourists are predictably obnoxious, have more cash than makes sense, and exhibit less sense in the touristy knicknaks they will buy than any other nation. Even the chinese. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2020, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-made-in-america-ever-indicate-a-desirable-product-outside-of-the-u-s-a/847772/77 "2020-02-13T07:12:56Z")
‘Movies, music, microcode (software), and high-speed pizza delivery’. “Snow Crash” has that one right… ---
**Author:** ![kitap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@kitap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kitap)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2020, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-made-in-america-ever-indicate-a-desirable-product-outside-of-the-u-s-a/847772/78 "2020-02-13T07:46:47Z")
> [@Dorjan](#): > > The general consensus in Asia (China especially) is that Wisconsin-grown ginseng is the finest in the world. When we visited my wife’s relatives in H.K. a couple of years ago, we brought a few boxes as gifts. I lived in Wausau for four years. It’s in Marathon County, which grows something like 90% of U.S. ginseng. They have some sort of US-Chinese ginseng association there, which did not surprise me. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2020, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-made-in-america-ever-indicate-a-desirable-product-outside-of-the-u-s-a/847772/79 "2020-02-13T16:01:06Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > You guys eat them for breakfast, I understand. I couldn’t stand the smell in the morning. I usually add onion, bacon and brown sugar. Do y’all eat them straight out of the can, without adding anything? FTR, I’m a born and bred Texan. But… having spent time in the UK, they’re typically eaten as part of the classic British breakfast, which is a lot like a big one here (eggs, bacon, sausage, hash browns), and with beans and fried tomatoes added. AFAIK, they’re just straight from the can and heated up. ---
**Author:** ![FrenchDunadan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frenchdunadan/32/5449_2.png) [@FrenchDunadan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FrenchDunadan)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2020, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-made-in-america-ever-indicate-a-desirable-product-outside-of-the-u-s-a/847772/80 "2020-02-13T17:03:43Z")
In France, there is very few american products in food ( anti-GMO and anti-antibiotics movements), in cars( too big and not enough fuel efficient), in trucks ( German, swedish or French). for appliances, German, French or China. as for planes Boeing is about 50/50 with Airbus for big planes. Essentially, american products that are popular (and more valued than the European equivalent) are entertainment: movies( especially action/superheroes/sci-fi) there is typically 2-3 american movies for each french in theaters, TV shows(we cry when a serie is canceled after one or two seasons because the American audience was not enough) TV games (the original idea is taken: Dancing with stars, weakest link,…) and porn, obviously:D: the american fantasies are overwhelming. As for vehicles, are Fenwicks american? they’re everywhere you need some lifting. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-made-in-america-ever-indicate-a-desirable-product-outside-of-the-u-s-a/847772.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-made-in-america-ever-indicate-a-desirable-product-outside-of-the-u-s-a/847772.md?page=5)