I know these pads very well.
They are not made in USA, they are made in China, with Power Stop's materials (of course). Allegedly, Powerstop engineers travel to China frequently to make sure quality is on par. (yeah right).
They are Positive Molded, meaning they are pressed via a 20ton press onto the backing plate vs. being glued on.
the positive molding usually has less glues & resins to bind the material together. They also are pre "burnished" from the factory to help "set" the material. So the pads, new in the plastic wrap look already used. They are not used, they sit under some direct fire for a few minutes to set the material.
Like with Raybestos pads that need to be "bedded". not needed with power stops.
I sell these frequently and have had not one come back.
I also have installed them on my inlaws full size montero all around and they have had no complaints of anything, and believe me, they would be the first to complain.
I installed them on the rear of my saturn relay, and they are performing flawlessly.
Dust wise, they aren't the cleanest pad, but they grip well and handle heat decently.
This is the same company that makes the Power Stop Slotted/Drilled rotors, they added brake pads to their mix because customers were wanting to buy a "complete" brake kit.