Does "Made in Germany" mean anything?

Via the Trademark Blog, this New Yorker article argues that it doesn't and could never mean anything, because globalization means that stuff comes from everywhere.  I have to say that I don't find this argument at all persuasive; the article itself points out that tighter rules would benefit producers who do more than "finish" their products in Germany.  Some people would be able to claim "Made in Germany" under tighter rules and some wouldn't; why is that meaningless?