Why are European Amps more expensive than Domestic

I'm wondering why the better known European electronics are so much more expensive than the big name domestic amps from companies like Pass Labs, Krell, Audio Research, Balanced Audio Technology. I'd like to hear from anybody who has experience with any of the better known European brands and how they compare to the domestic made in the USA products. My limited personal experience with one European brand so far has not supported the value of these brands.