Tara's top guy claims, naturally, that it's all just a big misunderstanding!
Riiiiiiight, just musta inadvertantly peeled the 'made in Malaysia' stickers off for four years, huh?
Then again, I'd have figured teminating 'em in the USA means you can call 'em 'made in America.' Pretty much everyone just buys wire and dresses it up, don't they?
The last time I asked in the US embassy, trade section, about a year ago, a product had to have 51% US content, which does indeed include assembling, itself limited as a content to 25%, if memory serves. And I was told this by their trade section boss.
As for the other comment, I think you are right. I know for a fact that some well known cable names in Europe buy Taiwanese Neotech cables, rebadged in Neotech's factory, so not even that was done on their home market. I asked Neotech, and was told that for a minimum order of $10K, I could have a batch of any cable rebadged any way I felt like it.
Neotech makes some really good cables, and naturally, buying them under their original name saves you a lot of money. Their most expensive model costs locally in retail about $480 for a terminated pair, 2x3 feet; the same cable was sold in the UK for about $2K, under a different name, of course.
Obviously, Neotech is just one of several highly capable cable manufacturers.
Cheers,
DVV