Folks,
Just shipped some electronics to Europe, all of 10.8oz, not exactly a heavy load. USPS has discontinued surface mail long since so this cost a whopping $16. Sixteen!
The guy in China can sell a $5 kit to almost anyone in the world including here in the US and make a profit on it. A friend bought a DDS kit from there for $5 and that included shipping. They pay less than a buck for freight from China to the US. From the US to China it's more than 10 times that. Same route, just in the other direction. An American small business could never compete because shipping costs are now prohibitive.
Who allows such stupid rules? Are they asleep at the wheel on the hill?