First, smittybilt is far from the "top of the jeep parts" world. If the best was a 10, smittybilt would be around a 4-5...about average. Now, there are certain things that you can go with them (light mounts, light guards, tow hitch, etc etc) For parts that are designed to save your Jeep from damage, I would go with a quality, well made, part (I don't care where it's from)....provided that it is well made. My Rampage front bumper (American company, built in China) is solid as a bank vault. My smittybilt rock sliders have worked for me (scraping on rock and minor knocks,) but I wouldn't feel confident that they would take a hit with the full weight of the rig. I bought them when I first got my rig, and didn't know much. Would I buy them again...honestly, I love the look, but would probably would go with something better because I want the rig as capable as possible. I would like to get EVO sliders, but they are weld-on only, and that is deal breaker for me (I know it's stronger that way.) If I lived near them, absolutely, but I don't.
Some manufacturers charge a comical amount of money for their stuff. River Raider and Nemesis are some examples. $1400 for skids? Cmon, that's comedy money. $700 for corners? No thanks. Having said that, there are manufacturers that charge a reasonable amount of money for quality parts. Evo parts are generally priced right. I have been involved in the car modding world for nearly 16 years and know what it costs to produce a part, know how much profit is being made, etc.
Go with a quality product that is priced right, looks right, and most importantly, have great customer service and honor their warranties.
Just a quick example...I had an issue with my rampage bumper (wrong winchplate and missing hardware) and they took care of me ASAP. They answered my calls. They returned my calls promptly. They overnighted a replacement at their expense. It was a pleasure dealing with them. Now another big name company which I won't mention told me I have to ship the part back to them for examination (shipping on my dime), dodged my emails for 2 weeks, and IF they found a problem, they would ship me a replacement item at my expense. Not something I appreciate.
Overall, the made in the USA argument is not the only one. There are lots of things to consider when purchasing an item.