[rotorwrench]

One of the things that affects prices for parts in the USA is any form of plating. The EPA regulations on heavy metals are likely among the stiffest regulations in the world. A lot of plated items were farmed out to Asian countries before we started doing business with Mainland China in the 1990s. Taiwan manufactured a lot of plated items that the US couldn't compete with but their labor expenses are higher than some of the other Asian countries now so the manufacturing has been slowly shifting to other not quite as friendly countries. Many of these countries have little of no pollution regulations so this really give them an advantage plus many have very low wage earner economies compared to the West.

We still have electroplaters here in the US but the cost to operate has made the retail prices higher for this type of stuff. The plating here is generally very high quality or a company won't be around very long. When it costs that much it better be good.