I WAS going to buy my BFG KM2's here in Calgary. Only 3 places I called would sell them to me. And when I can order them online, with NEW wheels, with new lug nuts, MOUNTED, balanced AND shipped to my door for a savings of about $135, and I'm buying 5 ($675), I think the locals lose out.
If the tire's made in the US, who cares who you buy it from. If the guy's going to jack you on his markup and isn't giving you the deal, you buy elsewhere. You buy $15 carrots that come from the US but are sold in your local grocery store. I doubt it.