2022: What Is Made in America?

Quantitative Measures of Domestic American Production

In this report, economists in the Office of the Under Secretary for Economic Affairs (OUSEA) provide new estimates for what share of the U.S. manufacturing sector’s output is domestic—that is, made in America. Data from the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) help estimate the value of “domestic content,” or gross output minus the value of all foreign-sourced inputs used throughout the supply chains of U.S.-based manufacturers.¹ Gross output is a measure of total economic activity that includes both intermediate inputs and sales to final users.²

We find that 80 percent of the gross output generated by U.S. manufacturers in 2022 came from domestic content. This share is slightly lower than estimates from a 2015 DOC report, which estimated that 82 percent of U.S. manufacturing gross output came from domestic content.³

Changes in the availability and price of many products during the COVID–19 pandemic highlighted the importance of supply chains to American commerce. To better understand these supply chains, this report measures the extent to which domestic manufacturers rely on foreign inputs. These measures are intended to inform the decision-making processes of businesses, policymakers, and consumers as they face an evolving trade environment.

Complex supply chains make measuring “made in America” challenging. American manufacturers produce everyday products—like computers, cars, clothing, and furniture—using a global network of supply chains. This means many manufactured products include parts and materials imported from foreign countries before being assembled into final products in the United States. Some products are still made solely in America, from the raw materials sourced to the factories that assemble and package the final goods.

¹ This report does not discuss the value of imported, final goods.

² This report includes the production of manufactured goods in the United States. This is different than what U.S. consumers, businesses, and governments purchase. For a more detailed explanation of gross output, see the FAQ “What is gross output by industry and how does it differ from gross domestic product (or value added) by industry?” on the BEA website.

3 See Jessica R. Nicholson, 2015: What is Made in America?, ESA Issue Brief #01–17 (Washington, DC: Economics and Statistics Administration (ESA), DOC, March 28, 2017). See also the first version of the report, Jessica R. Nicholson and Ryan Noonan, What is Made in America?, ESA Issue Brief #04–14 (Washington, DC: ESA, DOC, October 3, 2014).