Import guitars typically have much higher markup than US-made guitars, at least in the US. A guitar store owner whose word I trust told me that a typical import guitar has a landed cost of about 1/3 of the street price. Landed cost is the actual cost to the importer, not the wholesale price. So even if you see one that has a list price of $399 but is always advertised at $199, the landed cost of the guitar is only about $67. At that low an import cost, even a few $1 differences in part prices can be a big factor.
For the same reason, keep in mind that the retail cost of upgraded parts may be a lot different than the part cost to the manufacturer. You may see that the retail cost of the crappy tuners on your bass is $30, while upgraded tuners will cost you $60. But at the source, the difference may be $30 vs. $5, especially if the better tuners are made in Japan, US or Europe.