American companies also will not compete on price. It is not in the DNA.
I buy a lot of low-spec machine tooling. It's universally from the China. I would buy the same low-spec tooling from America, but nobody in America makes it. Because by American standards it's "junk". While for my purposes a $10 collet with 0.001" of run-out is perfectly fine, America only makes $50 collets with 0.0001" of run-out. I would buy the 0.001" collet from America for $20 but nobody makes it.
It's the usual chicken and egg problem. Instead of pointing fingers at "chinese junk" which nevertheless sells, we need to also admit that American manufacturing is not competitive in the low-end sectors, and think about why that is. It's well and good to feel morally superior not to make "inferior" products, but if China is out-competing at the low end it's a matter of time until they are out completing on the high end too. Why CAN'T America make cheap junk tooling better than China? The reasons are complicated, but fundamentally the same reasons America will fail to be competitive everywhere else eventually, so it's important not to just dismiss American failure as sour grapes.
Aloris tool-posts are like $1000. Chinese tool posts are like $200. It's very clear upon inspection that the Chinese tool-post is cheaper not just because of macroeconomic or regulatory advantages, but mostly because an insane amount of corners are cut... corners that cut cost dramatically, while still basically getting the job done. A design which requires less machining, looser tolerances, un-hardened surfaces, random steel composed of whatever they threw in the melting pot. Aloris could cut those same corners and release a COMPETITIVE low-spec tool post. It might be slightly more expensive than the Chinese version, but possibly not. I work in manufacturing, and I have great faith in American manufacturing ability and ingenuity. I honestly think America could do it both better AND cheaper; in other words even $200 is over-charging for what you get with the Chinese tool post. But they refuse to do it. So the Chinese sell 50 cheap tool posts on eBay for every good tool post that Aloris sells. You can be proud of this, but I'm more afraid than proud.
