". . . because, of course, warranty support is not offered in markets such as America."
Chirgwin pretty much says what I scream every time I read these half-arsed 'justifications'. Almost every expensive that is blamed for the increased price is one that is paid in every other market as well. A product made in China must be shipped, have import duties paid, be transported to the distributer, be inventoried and warehoused, be ordered, processed and handled by staff for distribution, transported again to a wholesale vendor, stocked, stacked and processed again, ordered, shipped and finally sold. It must be supported by local sales and technical staff and warranties must be provided and honoured.
NOTHING in this is different between Australia and the US. There is consensus that costs associated with selling products in Australia are indeed higher than those in the US but every estimate I have seen puts that difference somewhere between 5-20%, depending on the product.
Those with vested interest never actually put figures on the extra costs they blame, merely saying things like: "market factors", which is just a way of saying: "we charge more because we can".
It's been said before, here and elsewhere but it's not just IT. I play guitar and the markups can at times be extraordinary. One particular pedal I was keen to try retails in the US for $10 (assuming parity) than in Australia. Seems completely understandable until you take into account the fact that the pedal in question is MADE IN AUSTRALIA!!! Seriously. When I can buy and Australian made product cheaper overseas than I can here (DIRECT from the manufacturer - no 'middle men',) there is something dreadfully wrong.