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→HVAC registers that aren't made in China or Vietnam
Pretty much every HVAC register at your big box store will come from Vietnam or China. If you're looking for something more local, you have a few options:
* [https://www.imperialgroup.ca Imperial Group's] metal registers are made in Canada. They are trivial to get at [https://www.lowes.ca/product/sidewall-ceiling-registers/imperial-10-in-x-6-in-sideceiling-register-2-way-4871464 Lowe's in Canada], but are a bit more challenging to obtain here in the US. Buying them online is an option, but I had a really hard time ordering these from Amazon and having them arrive without damage. One literally was broken in pieces by the time it was at my doorstep. TrueValue carries some of the fancier floor register models (like the wood and satin metal) in some of their stores in New Jersey, but for some reason not the plain vanilla sidewall ones. Note that some of their products are made in China.
* [https://www.ameriflowregisters.com/residential-grds/sidewall-ceiling-registers-grilles AmeriFlow], aka [https://www.hartandcooley.com/grilles-registers-and-diffusers-grd/residential-grds/sidewall-ceiling-register-grilles Hart & Cooley], makes registers in Mexico and can be found in TrueValue stores as well as e.g. [https://www.supplyhouse.com SupplyHouse]. They seem to be the only ones that make registers that are uni-directional, which is unfortunate as it makes no sense to install a two-way (or straight) register at a vent that's in the corner of a room.
* [https://www.shoemakermfg.com Shoemaker Manufacturing] makes made in the US registers. They are impossible to find in brick and mortar stores (except in Washington?). Online you can find them on some websites with absolutely astronomical prices and unrealistic return policies. I did end up ordering [https://amzn.to/3kbF6RK one register] on Amazon (and took the hit for return shipping) just to see what it looked like, but the styling didn't really work in a residential setting. The spacing of the fins was also too wide.
