I want to comment on one specific area.

US former appliance manufacturing names buy Chinese designed and made appliances and slap their brand label on them. Guilty parties include Black and Decker, Oster / Sunbeam, and others. In all cases you cannot get real product support, or parts for these. They are buy and throw away items.

I now only buy Japanese - although I'd rather buy true American - simply because they support their products.