What country makes the best tires?

[cheath1113]

As I've been poking through some of the threads on the site I've noticed that some people note what country their tires are made in.

What is the difference? Does one country have better quality than the other?

Also, does anybody have any suggestions for tires with good performance, low road noise, and good grip?

[mryakan]

To me the only difference the country of origin makes is whether I have to pay duties on the tires shipping from tirerack across the border. For those who don't know, anything not manufactured in North America requires us to pay duties when it is imported to Canada. NAFTA countries are exempt and the duty on tires is 6% then we have to pay federal and provincial taxes on that and the cost of goods, that's an additional 13% in Ontario.