Ammo price observation...

I enjoy shooting, so I frequent several other boards. A few have international members, and it's interesting to get perspective from folks from other countries.

Yesterday, on one of these forums, a member from Belgium asked whether the Biden ammo ban extended to other countries besides Russia, and asked about the Eastern European brands.

He then listed the price (with conversion to US dollar) of Sellier & Bellot ammo, which I noted:

He's paying $236 a case for S&B 9mm (1k). He asked what our prices were.

I responded that before 2020, we'd see that for under $200, as I'd often buy it at/under $180. But obviously, it's at/over $400 a case now, if you can find it.

Another guy, from Switzerland, a few months back also noted similar pricing (and in his case that included Winchester too). A bit over $200 a case, a little higher than we used to pay here but way below what we now do.

I've heard some folks speculate that the Europeans "haven't run out of old stock yet", as explanation why theirs is so much cheaper (and so similar to the older price). I don't know that I buy that, as it's a given we Americans buy a lot more ammo to begin with... we'd have been getting the lion's share of the production. If they don't shoot as much, they likely didn't have a huge reserve available; would make no sense for shops over there to have warehouses of ammo stored for years.
They simply would have bought less than we do from the manufacturers.

I'm waiting on the poster to reply back to confirm date of manufacture, but it makes me wonder- if S&B is selling their ammo to Belgium at this price, are they also selling it to US dealers at this price too?
That would destroy the "cost of production has risen" argument, and expose the US sellers as greedy gougers, doubling their profits.

Don't give me the "it keeps things available" argument- buyers don't work quite that way. They relax when they see normal prices on goods, they panic when prices rise (gotta get it before it goes higher).
I know the initial surge last summer did create shortages, and the election did too. But I don't know anyone still looking and buying... they're either stocked up, or sitting out.