Why is shipping to (country) so expensive?

Our international shipping options are almost exclusively air-based. While we try to keep shipping costs down as low as we can for everyone’s sake, putting several pounds of metals and plastics on a plane to another continent is expensive. On top of that, many countries will charge import duties & taxes for shipments from foreign countries, which also tend to come with a brokerage fee. Our Duties & Taxes Included options include all of these prepaid, and are frequently cheaper (due to a discounted brokerage fee) than paying after it arrives in the country.