Our Gee's G-40 traps have been made in the U.S.A. for over 120 years. The question of performance comes up quite often. I have some technical explanations, but I believe that there is a very simple answer that most people overlook. It's simple, U.S. minnows are PATRIOTIC! If they're going to be fooled by a trap... It's going to be an American made trap. All jokes aside. Our traps have been used for decades by the USGS, Universities, Fish & Game, DEC and other organizations as the standard for sampling and collecting multiple species in the states as well as overseas. The literature and results of imported traps vs Gee's G-40s is very much the same results. The Gee's G-40 catches more in controlled studies. Here are some reasons that have been discussed. Our wire mesh has a see thru visibility factor that allows for other fish to see fish inside the Gee's much easier than the imports. The heavy plastic coating DOES NOT make the traps last longer than the Gee's and we believe that the coating may have some sort of smell that the fish dislike. Also, the imported black traps may look predatorial to small fish. Try painting a Gee's G-40 trap black and see if it performs as well as the silver. Thanks for using a Gee's G-40 minnow trap. Greg Popovice Tackle Factory The manufacturer of the original Gee's G-40 products