It's the drive toward "premium" shipping that has created an insensitivity to shipping costs. There is often an inexpensive alternative, but manufacturers don't realize it (often not advertised well by the shiping companies) or are afraid of damage (not that there is actually any less liklihood with premium shipping).
This occurs domestically here as well. Now most Ebay sellers, for example send by a premium rated "Priority Mail" for small parts. This rate is often triple what "First Class" mail would cost for a small package under a pound in weight. The latter goes by airmail, and often arrives sooner than Priority Mail. Yet you are hard pressed to find First Class mail rates in signage at the post office, or online at the USPS website.
Try it on the USPS website - you'll see -- almost impossible to find first class mail for packages either domestic or overseas, yet it steers you into Priority Mail as quickly as possible. Check the difference in rates for sending something to Sweden, for instance between Priority Mail and First class.
Obviously you can't send a mill that way, but it's just an example of how many manufacturers don't actually get to see the difference in shipping rates available -- often it is office staff who unknowingly figure extreme shipping costs on an item, or even a web link to the shipping company's calculator application that does it.
For a high cost item, If you do your homework, find a good shipping company, and get a good rate, you can often contact a manufacturer by phone, and ask them if they will ship that way., and I bet 90% would agree to do that, if it's a no brainer for them.
Can't do anything about customs, or tariffs, but that's a local deal.
