Why Are Christmas Lights Not Made in the USA?

"Do You Sell Any Christmas Lights That Are Made in the USA?"

That’s a question we still hear regularly at Christmas Designers—and it’s a good one. Honestly, we love that so many of our customers care about supporting American manufacturing and want to invest in products that align with their values. It shows a deeper level of thought beyond chasing the cheapest lights at the big box stores.

It’s a subject we’ve touched on several times, both in 2012 and 2015.

But in 2025, the honest answer remains the same...

No, You Still Can’t Buy Christmas Lights Made in the USA

Not from us, and not from anyone else in the industry. American-made Christmas lights have been off the market for decades, and despite rising interest in reshoring, no one has been able to crack the code.

Watch our video below to better understand global manufacturing, rising tariffs, and what it would take to bring Christmas light production back to America.

Christmas lights haven’t been mass-produced in the U.S. since the late 1970s. A few small operations lingered into the '90s, but even those couldn't withstand the economic challenges. Today, more than 40% of the components in a single light set are manufactured overseas, with many parts only available from countries like China and Cambodia.

Even if we wanted to assemble lights in the U.S., we’d still be importing critical components—and thanks to recent tariffs, those imports come with significantly higher costs.

What About Tariffs? Doesn’t That Help American Manufacturing?

Actually, it’s the opposite.

Increased tariffs on imported components make it harder to manufacture in the U.S. That’s because the machinery and parts needed to build a light set are also imported—meaning high costs before the first light is ever produced.

We’ve been paying tariffs for nearly two decades, long before the recent spikes made headlines. Contrary to some political talking points, Chinese Christmas lights have had tariffs since at least 2018—jumping from 8% to 33% at that time. And in 2024, additional tariffs pushed those numbers even higher.

So the economics don’t support U.S. manufacturing—especially when you factor in...

The Labor Challenge

We currently manufacture most of our Christmas lights in Cambodia, where skilled labor is 20 to 25 times more affordable than in the U.S.

Even if labor costs weren’t a factor, there’s another issue: very few American workers are willing to do the kind of detailed, repetitive hand-assembly work needed to build light sets. That’s been a long-standing challenge for many U.S. manufacturing sectors—and not just for Christmas products.

Why Chinese and Cambodian Lights Aren’t All the Same

It’s true that many low-end products come from overseas—and yes, concerns about quality and labor standards are valid.

But not all overseas factories operate the same way.

We work directly with high-quality, ethically run manufacturers who specialize in commercial-grade Christmas lighting. In fact, we personally visit the factories we work with, including one of the largest plug factories in the world—run by what we affectionately call the "godfather of the Christmas plug" in Cambodia.

We’ve seen firsthand the complexity and precision required to manufacture even a single component—like a brass wire crimper inside a plug, produced by $100,000+ machines. Multiply that across dozens of parts, and you get a sense of how massive the infrastructure needs are.

We not only check for product quality, but we inspect their factories wholistically in terms of ethics and fair, clean conditions for employees. Every supplier we work with must meet strict standards for product quality, worker treatment, and corporate responsibility. We visit factories regularly to verify these standards are upheld.

Is There a Future for U.S.-Made Christmas Lights?

Possibly—but it’ll take time, investment, and policy changes.

Realistically, the return of American-made Christmas lights would depend on:

• Tariff exemptions on imported components used for domestic assembly
• Major advances in robotics and AI to reduce labor costs
• Government-backed investment in infrastructure
• Economic stability and policy consistency across administrations

Until then, building a domestic factory would be a massive financial risk—one that could be rendered obsolete overnight by shifting trade policies.

One Thing You Can Count On: Our Commitment to Quality

While American-made lights aren’t available today, you can choose to support companies that are committed to quality and integrity. At Christmas Designers, we go the extra mile—literally—by getting boots on the ground and inspecting every factory ourselves. We also film and publish exclusive behind-the-scenes content, giving you transparency about the process of manufacturing Christmas lights.

We believe in offering the highest-quality lights available, made under responsible conditions, and backed by decades of installation experience and product knowledge.

If and when American-made lights return, we’ll be eager to look into that option.

Until then, we’ll continue delivering the best commercial-grade holiday lights the global supply chain can offer—while always pushing for ethical sourcing, transparency, and Christmas magic done right.