A 2014 international consumer survey by the Boston Consulting Group found that more than 80 percent of U.S. respondents said they prefer items made in America — and are willing to pay more for them. – Google Trends also shows that people are seeking American-made products online. Searches for “Made in USA” and “Made in America” have climbed sharply from just a few years ago. In May, “Made in USA” hit 94 on a 100-point scale, indicating peak search interest. - See more at: Another reason for the growing “Made in the USA” trend is increased consumer demand for products made in America. Hal Sirkin, a senior partner with the Boston Consulting Group, sees this as a tipping point. “In 2015, that gap between the cost to manufacture in China and deliver to the United States versus the cost to manufacture in the United States will be less than 10 percent,” he says. Sirkin says the hardware category is at the leading edge of this trend. Generally made of metal, tools are heavy and expensive to ship relative to their retail value. “We’re seeing more ‘Made in USA’ stuff showing up in hardware stores, which is a sure sign of reshoring,” he says. “It changed earlier than some of the other goods.” “Some of it is about patriotism. Some of it is saying, ‘It helps my neighbor have a job.’ Some of it is quality standards,” Sirkin says. “You want to have high-quality tools, because you’re going to have them for 20 years.” In a survey of 1,000 Americans conducted for Industry Edge by market research firm YouGov, a whopping 81 percent of respondents said they would buy something made in the U.S. because they believe it will help support our economy. “They understand,” Reiser says. “They know their brother, uncle or sister is out of a job. Every little thing that they’re looking at now, they’re making a strategic purchase.” YouGov also found that 42 percent of those surveyed think buying American-made items will get them a higher-quality product, and 38 percent said buying American is important to being patriotic.