Tires is another one of those categories where it's aggravatingly difficult to find out country of origin. So I figured I'd do a little digging, starting with Car and Driver's article about best all-weather tires of 2025.
Pirelli Cinturato WeatherActive
This was their #1 rated tire. Pirelli has an interesting history. It was founded in Italy in 1872 and is an iconic name in tire makers. It's still headquartered in Milan and is publicly traded on the Milan Stock Exchange.
For the last 10 years, SInochem (A state-owned enterprise controlled by the CCP) has owned 37% of the shares of Pirelli, letting them load up the board with CCP cronies. In a bit of drama this past April, nine board members outvoted their 6 China counterparts to assert that Sinochem did NOT control Pirelli. It's hard to interpret exactly what this means, but it was clearly intended as a way to mollify American regulators who (to their great credit) are finally scrutinizing regulations and tariff policies that have overwhelmingly handed over so much power and wealth to China.
Does this mean you should start buying Pirelli? I still say no. Regardless of where they're made, and regardless of whatever control they claim to have taken back from China, the reality is that Sinochem has not decreased their stake in Pirelli and will still profit by whatever we buy from them. Avoid them.
Michelin CrossClimate2
This tire from Michelin was Car & Driver's #2 pick. While Michelin does have manufacturing plants in China, those seem to just be for the China domestic market. I'm seeing plenty of accounts from people saying that their CrossClimate 2s were made in the United States (Michelin has 36 production facilities throughout the US and Canada). People love these tires because of their traction, especially on wet surfaces, their quiet ride, and their tread life. They are a pricier, but you get what you pay for.
These tires are available on Amazon, as well as Mavis Discount Tires, BJs, Costco, Sam's Club, and Walmart.
Bridgestone WeatherPeak
Bridgestone is another solid pick, chosen as Car and Driver's #3. It looks like they're made in various countries, including the United States, Japan, or Europe. If you're in the US market, chances are you'll get them made in one of Bridgestone's US factories like La Vergne TN, Russellville AR, Bloomington IL, or Wilson NC. People say their traction in snow is excellent and that they provide a smooth, comfortable ride, but some people say that tread wear can be inconsistent.
You can find them at Mavis Discount Tires or Walmart.
Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady
This came in at a solid fourth place in their reviews. People report getting these made mostly in Canada, although there are some who report certain sizes made in the USA or Chile. These also get consistently high marks on wet roads.
You can get these at places like Sam's Club and Walmart.
Nokian Remedy WRG5
This rounded out the top 5. These are made in Nokian's manufacturing location in Dayton, Tennessee. Of all the brands, this is the one that's still based solely in the US, so they tout that their tires are purpose-built for North American market, including the cars we buy and the weather we drive in.
You can get these at Walmart or Amazon.
Tires not made in China
Re: Tires not made in China
By the way, one of the coolest things about tires is how transparent they are compared to other products. While most electronics, appliances, and even clothing brands try to hide their country of origin (or bury it in fine print), tires proudly tell you where they were made right on the sidewall.
If you’ve ever wondered PRECISELY where your tires came from, you can decode the DOT code in just a few seconds. It's super easy once you know what to look for.
Here’s how to do it:
1. Find the DOT Code on Your Tire
Look for a sequence on the tire sidewall (near the rim) starting with the letters DOT—it’ll usually be followed by 7 to 13 characters. It looks something like:
DOT PJ 8L ABCD 2425
2. Focus on the First 2-3 Characters After ‘DOT’: This is the Plant Code.
These letters or numbers identify the plant where the tire was manufactured.
3. The next set of characters is the Tire Size (8L in my example). This code may vary between manufacturers. This is followed by the manufacturer construction code (ABCD in my example), and then when the tire was made by week of the year and year (for example, "2425" means the 24th week of 2025).
4. Look Up the Plant Code
The full list of plant codes is available from the Department of Transportation. There's a tool you use to look up the one you see on your tire here.
If the code matches a known Chinese plant like that means your tires were made in China.
Tires are one of the few products where country of origin is clear, accurate, and reliable. If only other product categories did the same!
If you’ve ever wondered PRECISELY where your tires came from, you can decode the DOT code in just a few seconds. It's super easy once you know what to look for.
Here’s how to do it:
1. Find the DOT Code on Your Tire
Look for a sequence on the tire sidewall (near the rim) starting with the letters DOT—it’ll usually be followed by 7 to 13 characters. It looks something like:
DOT PJ 8L ABCD 2425
2. Focus on the First 2-3 Characters After ‘DOT’: This is the Plant Code.
These letters or numbers identify the plant where the tire was manufactured.
3. The next set of characters is the Tire Size (8L in my example). This code may vary between manufacturers. This is followed by the manufacturer construction code (ABCD in my example), and then when the tire was made by week of the year and year (for example, "2425" means the 24th week of 2025).
4. Look Up the Plant Code
The full list of plant codes is available from the Department of Transportation. There's a tool you use to look up the one you see on your tire here.
If the code matches a known Chinese plant like that means your tires were made in China.
Tires are one of the few products where country of origin is clear, accurate, and reliable. If only other product categories did the same!