Just my observation but, I think the majority of tires are made is China now. I just bought a set of tires for 2 cars at Discount Tire. The majority of tires they carry are unknown brands from China that they claim are better. They steer you away from name brands because they don't stock them. Another thought is that the automakers are giving huge raises to the UAW which will affect the bottom-line cost of the vehicles. They will try to cut costs anywhere they can. Things like batteries and tires will be a starting point.